Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Read Full Bio ↴Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.

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 Got It Bad
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Though folks with good intentions
Tell me to save my tears
Well I'm so mad about him
I can't live without him

Never treats me sweet and gentle
The way he should
I've got it bad

And that ain't good

My poor heart is so sentimental
Not made of wood
I've got it so bad
And that ain't good

But when the fish are jumpin'
And Friday rolls around
My man an' I, we gin some
We pray some, and sin some

He don't love me like I love him
The way he should
I've got it bad
And that ain't good

Yes I've got it bad
And that ain't good

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "I Got It Bad" by Oscar Peterson demonstrate the theme of unrequited love. The singer feels so in love with someone that they can't live without them. Despite advice from others to save their tears, the singer cannot help but feel mad about the person they love. The person they love does not treat them sweetly and gently, and this is causing the singer to feel emotionally unstable. Nevertheless, the singer cannot help but feel sentimental about their love, despite the fact that their love interest does not reciprocate the same level of emotion.

When the singer and her love interest are together, they engage in activities such as drinking gin, praying, and "sinning." These activities highlight the emotional turmoil the singer feels internally, as she knows that her love interest does not love her the way she loves him. The lyrics also suggest a cyclical pattern of behavior, where the person continues to engage in emotionally unhealthy behavior despite knowing the negative consequences. Oscar Peterson's use of upbeat, jazzy rhythms contrasts with the sad message of the lyrics and conveys the idea that even in moments of joy, the singer's love remains unfulfilled.

Overall, the lyrics of "I Got It Bad" illustrate the difficulty of unrequited love and the emotional turmoil that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears Well I'm so mad about him I can't live without him
Even though people mean well when they advise me to stop crying, I'm too passionate about him to let him go.

Never treats me sweet and gentle The way he should I've got it bad And that ain't good
He doesn't treat me with the kindness and gentleness that I deserve, and it's causing me a lot of pain.

My poor heart is so sentimental Not made of wood I've got it so bad And that ain't good
My heart is full of emotions and can't be easily controlled, and it's causing me a lot of distress.

But when the fish are jumpin' And Friday rolls around My man an' I, we gin some We pray some, and sin some
Sometimes we have good moments together, like when we go fishing and spend time together on Fridays. We have our ups and downs like everyone else.

He don't love me like I love him The way he should I've got it bad And that ain't good
I care for him deeply, but he doesn't reciprocate my feelings. It's causing me a lot of distress.

Yes I've got it bad And that ain't good
Overall, my current situation is causing me a lot of pain and unhappiness.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

I Got It BadOscar Peterson Lyrics

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I Got It Bad
Oscar Peterson Lyrics