Born in Montreal, Canada, Peterson began learning trumpet and piano from his father at the age of five, but by the age of seven, after a bout of tuberculosis, he concentrated on the piano. Some of the artists who influenced Peterson during the early years were Teddy Wilson, Nat "King" Cole, James P. Johnson, and the legendary Art Tatum, to whom many have tried to compare Peterson in later years. In fact, one of his first exposures to the musical talents of Art Tatum came early in his teen years when his father played an Art Tatum record to him and Peterson was so intimidated by what he heard that he didn't touch the piano for over a week.
He soon developed a reputation as a technically brilliant and melodically inventive jazz pianist, and became a regular on Canadian radio. His United States introduction was at Carnegie Hall, New York City in 1949 by Norman Granz; owing to union restrictions his appearance could not be billed.
Some of his musical associates have included Lester Young, Ray Brown, Ben Webster, Herb Ellis, Ed Thigpen, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, Stéphane Grappelli, Ella Fitzgerald, Clark Terry, Joe Pass, Count Basie, and Stan Getz. An important step in his career was joining impresario Norman Granz's labels (especially Verve records) and Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic package, with which he was able to play with the major jazz artists of the time. Granz was also his manager for most of Peterson's career. Some cognoscenti assert that Peterson's best recordings were made for the MPS label in the late 'sixties and early 'seventies. For some years subsequently he recorded for Granz's Pablo Records after the label was founded in 1973 and in more recent years for the Telarc label.
In 1993, Peterson suffered a serious stroke that weakened his left side and sidelined him for two years. However he overcame this setback and went back to touring, recording, and composing on a limited basis. In 1997 he received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and an International Jazz Hall of Fame Award. He died on December 24th, 2007 of kidney failure.
I Can't Face The Music
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
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My (man, gal) has left me and I can't face the music
Without singin' the blues
Your rhythm on my window pane
Drives me insane because I can't face the music
Without singin' the blues
My heart is so broken, I've spoken
To the Lord for sympathy
So help me ! It's the bottom of the deep blue sea
For me, I'm gonna end this misery
My (man, gal) has left me and I can't face the music
Without singin' the blues
The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's song "I Can't Face The Music" tell the story of heartbreak and despair. The singer's lover has left them, and they can't bear to listen to any music without feeling the pain of their loss. The breeze's moaning melodies, once a pleasant sound, now only serve as a reminder of the emptiness the singer feels inside. Despite their efforts to seek comfort from the Lord, the singer feels as though they are drowning in their sorrow and cannot escape it.
The repetition of the line "I can't face the music without singing the blues" emphasizes the central theme of the song: the inextricable connection between music and emotion. The singer cannot listen to any music without being reminded of their heartbreak, and they cannot express their pain without music. The use of the metaphors "rhythm on my window pane" and "bottom of the deep blue sea" add to the vivid imagery of the song, painting a picture of a soul in agony.
Overall, Peterson's "I Can't Face The Music" is a poignant portrayal of heartbreak and the power of music to evoke emotion. The lyrics remind us that sometimes we need to feel the pain of our losses in order to move on and heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Breeze, stop moanin' those weird melodies
I'm feeling down and I don't want to hear anything that sounds too happy or too sad.
My (man, gal) has left me and I can't face the music
Without singin' the blues
My lover has left me and now I can't listen to any music without feeling sad and singing the blues.
Your rhythm on my window pane
Drives me insane because I can't face the music
Without singin' the blues
The sound of the wind on my window is driving me crazy because I can't listen to music without feeling sad and singing the blues.
My heart is so broken, I've spoken
To the Lord for sympathy
And if He don't help me
So help me ! It's the bottom of the deep blue sea
My heart is broken and I've prayed to God for help. If He doesn't help me, my situation will be as low as the bottom of the ocean.
For me, I'm gonna end this misery
My (man, gal) has left me and I can't face the music
Without singin' the blues
I'm going to end this sadness because I can't listen to music without feeling sad and singing the blues, all because my lover has left me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RUBE BLOOM, TED KOEHLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind