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 Used To Be Color Blind
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How a dreary world can suddenly change
To a world as bright as the evening star
Queer
What a difference when your vision is clear
And you see things as they really are
I used to be color-blind
There's green in the grass
There's gold in the moon
There's blue in the skies
That semi-circle that was always hanging about
Is not a storm cloud, its a rainbow
And you brought the colors out
Believe me its really true
Till I met you I never knew
A setting sun could paint such beautiful skies
I never knew there were such lovely colors
And the big surprise
Is the red in your cheeks
The gold in your hair
The blue in your eyes
The lyrics of "I Used To Be Color Blind" by Oscar Peterson reflect the idea that love can change your perspective in life. The classic love song talks about how the world becomes brighter and more beautiful when seen through the eyes of someone you love. The opening lines "Strange, how a dreary world can suddenly change, to a world as bright as the evening star" remind us that when we fall in love, we experience a sudden shift in how we see the world. Things that used to seem dull and grey, like the grass or the sky, now appear vivid and full of color.
The next lines "Queer, what a difference when your vision is clear, and you see things as they really are" imply that sometimes we lack clarity in our perception of the world. We might have preconceived notions or judgments about things that are blocking us from seeing the beauty that already exists in the world. However, when we are in love, all of those preconceptions are thrown out of the window and we see things as they are meant to be seen - in all their colorful glory.
The chorus "I used to be color-blind, but I met you and now I find, there's green in the grass, there's gold in the moon, there's blue in the skies" demonstrates precisely the point of the song. Love has allowed the singer to see the world in a different and more positive light. He goes on to say that he never recognized the true beauty of a sunset until he met his love. The big surprise for him is the inclusion of colors that he had never noticed before, those found in his lover's eyes, cheeks, and hair.
Overall, "I Used To Be Color Blind" is a love song that celebrates the transformative power love can have on one's perception of the world. It is a reminder that when we are in love, we see everything in a different, more vibrant and uplifting way.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange
It's strange how unexpected events can change one's perception.
How a dreary world can suddenly change
It's amazing how a dull, uninspiring world can transform into a vibrant one.
To a world as bright as the evening star
It can become as bright and awe-inspiring as the evening star.
Queer
It's strange how queer things seem when one's vision becomes clearer.
What a difference when your vision is clear
A clear vision can make a huge difference in how the world is perceived.
And you see things as they really are
When you see things as they really are, the world becomes more beautiful and colorful.
I used to be color-blind
I used to not be able to appreciate the colorful world around me.
But I met you and now I find
But since I met you, I have started to appreciate the beauty around me.
There's green in the grass
The color green can be found in the grass.
There's gold in the moon
The color gold can be found in the moon.
There's blue in the skies
The color blue can be found in the sky.
That semi-circle that was always hanging about
The semi-circle that always seemed like a storm cloud.
Is not a storm cloud, its a rainbow
It's not a storm cloud, but actually a beautiful rainbow.
And you brought the colors out
You helped me see the beauty in the world.
Believe me its really true
It's true, and can hardly be believed.
Till I met you I never knew
Before meeting you, I never knew the beauty of the world around me.
A setting sun could paint such beautiful skies
I never realized how beautiful a sunset could be.
I never knew there were such lovely colors
I had no idea that so many lovely colors existed.
And the big surprise
The most surprising thing was how beautiful you are.
Is the red in your cheeks
The rosy color in your cheeks is stunning.
The gold in your hair
The golden color of your hair is so lovely.
The blue in your eyes
The clarity of blue in your eyes is truly remarkable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind