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 Love You Porgy
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's classic jazz standard "I Love You Porgy" are simple, yet convey deep emotions of poverty, struggle, and love. The first verse speaks to the singer's financial struggles, using clever rhymes to highlight the hardships of being broke. However, there is an optimism in the lyrics, as the singer expresses hope that their luck will eventually change and they will reach their prime. Even in the face of this uncertainty, the singer promises to give the person they love the one thing they have to give: their love.
In the second verse, the singer reassures their love that they are in it for the long haul, promising to wait for them and be there no matter what. While they cannot give their love material possessions like diamond bracelets, they can offer something much deeper and more meaningful: their love. The repeating chorus emphasizes this sentiment, that while everything else may be uncertain or beyond their reach, they will always have love to give.
Overall, "I Love You Porgy" is a beautiful and poignant love song that speaks to the struggles and triumphs of life and the power of love to overcome it all.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being broke is difficult and hard to handle.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Being broke is not a laughing matter; it's a miserable situation.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
The singer's fortune has turned for the worse; things are getting even more challenging.
Who knows, someday I will win too.
There is hope that eventually, the artist's luck will turn around.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
The artist will begin to see success soon.
Now though I see what our end is, All I can spend is just my time.
The singer is aware of their limited resources, so they can only spend time with their significant other.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
The singer can't offer money or materialistic things, but they can offer love.
That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby.
Love is the one thing the artist has to give to their significant other.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile / We're sure to find / Happiness and I guess / All those things you've always pined for.
The artist encourages their significant other to dream and plan and that eventually, they will find true happiness and all the things they desire.
Gee, I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. / Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
The artist wants their significant other to look and feel amazing and doesn't need expensive material things to make it happen.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby. / I can't give you anything but love.
The singer acknowledges that they cannot provide extravagant things, but they will continue to offer love until their luck changes.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
Rome wasn't created quickly; it takes time and effort to build.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
Valuable things require payment and effort to obtain.
But I am willing to wait, dear, / Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
The singer is patient and dedicated to the relationship, no matter how long it takes.
You have a lifetime before you.
The significant other has their entire life ahead of them to experience things.
I'll adore you, come what may.
The artist will continue to love and cherish their significant other, no matter what happens.
Please don't be blue for the present, / When it's so pleasant to hear you say
The artist wants their significant other to be happy, even though the present circumstances may be challenging.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind