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 Surrender Dear
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sworn enemy of love
Kept my lips from saying
Things I was thinking of.
But now my pride you've humbled,
I've cast it to the winds,
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
My confession begins.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
I surrender, dear.
We've played the game of stay away
But it cost more that I can pay.
Without you I can't make my way,
I surrender, dear.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
I surrender, dear.
Little mean things we were doing
Must have been part of the game,
Lending a spice to the wooing,
But I don't care who's to blame.
When stars appear And shadows fall,
Why then you'll hear My poor heart call,
To you my love, my life, my all
The song "I Surrender Dear" by Oscar Peterson is a plea for forgiveness and a confession of love. The singer, who has been proud and resistant to love, has had a change of heart and is ready to humbly confess his feelings. He admits that the "little mean things" and "game of stay away" were just part of the wooing and that he doesn't care who is to blame for their misunderstandings. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been hurt and is sick at heart, but is now willing to surrender everything to his beloved.
The first stanza describes the singer's struggle with pride and how it has prevented him from speaking his true feelings. The second stanza acknowledges that his pride was just a pose, and that deep down he has always loved his partner. The third stanza describes the singer's willingness to move past their misunderstandings and to express his love openly. The repetition of "I surrender, dear" underscores the singer's vulnerability and willingness to let go of his pride.
Overall, "I Surrender Dear" is a poignant and introspective declaration of love. The singer has been humbled by his experiences and is ready to move forward with his partner. This song reminds us of the importance of vulnerability and honesty in relationships, and how true love often involves surrendering our pride and egos.
Line by Line Meaning
Pride, sad, splendid liar,
My pride often causes me to deny my true feelings, leaving me feeling sad and deceitful.
Sworn enemy of love
My pride is constantly at odds with my capacity for love.
Kept my lips from saying
My pride prevents me from expressing my true feelings verbally.
Things I was thinking of.
I have feelings for you that I have kept hidden due to my pride.
But now my pride you've humbled,
I have been humbled by my love for you, and my pride is no longer an obstacle.
I've cast it to the winds,
I have let go of my pride, allowing myself to be vulnerable.
Broken, beaten, sick at heart
I feel overwhelmed with emotions and am emotionally drained.
My confession begins.
I am finally able to express my true feelings to you.
We've played the game of stay away
We have been avoiding each other, playing a game of emotional distance.
But it cost more than I can pay.
The emotional toll of our game has become too much for me to bear.
Without you I can't make my way,
I need you in my life to feel complete and happy.
I surrender, dear.
I am giving up my game of emotional distance and surrendering myself to you.
I may seem proud, I may act gay,
I may give off the impression of being proud or unfeeling, but it is just a facade.
It's just a pose, I'm not that way,
I am not truly proud or unfeeling, I am just hiding my vulnerability.
'Cause deep down in my heart I say
My true feelings contradict my exterior and are expressed internally.
Little mean things we were doing
Our game of emotional distance may have involved hurtful actions and words.
Must have been part of the game,
The hurtful actions were a part of our game, not a reflection of our true feelings for each other.
Lending a spice to the wooing,
The hurtful actions added an element of excitement to our romantic pursuit.
But I don't care who's to blame.
I am no longer interested in assigning blame, only in expressing my true feelings.
When stars appear and shadows fall,
In moments of solitude, when I am able to reflect, I realize the depth of my feelings for you.
Why then you'll hear
In those same moments of solitude, my feelings for you become more pronounced and obvious to me.
My poor heart call,
My emotions become so strong that my heart feels as if it is calling out for you.
To you my love, my life, my all
I love you more than words can express and want to give you everything that I am.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music
Written by: GORDON CLIFFORD, HARRY BARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind