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.

Let It Snow
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm

The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbying

But as long as you love me so
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's Let It Snow reflect a cozy evening inside amidst a winter storm. The first verse describes the weather outside as "frightful," but contrasts it with the warmth of a fire that is "so delightful." The second line acknowledges that there is "no place to go," suggesting that the singer and their companion are content to stay indoors and enjoy each other's company. This sense of coziness is reinforced by the repetition of the song's refrain: "Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!"

As the song continues, the singer describes the snowfall continuing, and mentions that they have bought "corn for popping" - a reference to the tradition of making popcorn on the stove or in a popcorn machine. The third line of the verse - "The lights are turned way down low" - suggests a sense of intimacy and privacy, as though the singer and their companion are enjoying the storm together in a hushed, romantic setting.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh the weather outside is frightful
The weather outside is extremely cold and unpleasant.

But the fire is so delightful
Sitting by the fire is extremely pleasant and enjoyable.

And since we've no place to go
Since we don't have anywhere to go or anything to do, we might as well enjoy the snow.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
We should embrace the snow and enjoy it as much as we can.

It doesn't show signs of stopping
The snow is continuing to fall and it doesn't seem like it will stop anytime soon.

And I've bought some corn for popping
I have prepared some popcorn for us to enjoy while we sit by the fire and watch the snow fall.

The lights are turned way down low
The lights have been dimmed to create a cozy and relaxing atmosphere.

When we finally kiss goodnight
When we are ready to go to bed and say goodnight to each other.

How I'll hate going out in the storm!
I will find it unpleasant to go out into the snowstorm.

But if you'll really hold me tight
If you hold me close and show me affection, I will feel comforted and warm.

All the way home I'll be warm
Even though it will be cold outside, I will feel warm and comforted because of your love.

The fire is slowly dying
The fire that was keeping us warm and cozy is starting to burn out.

And, my dear, we're still goodbying
Despite the fire dying out and our time together coming to an end, we are still saying farewell to each other.

But as long as you love me so
As long as you continue to love me deeply, I will still feel warm and happy even in the cold and snow.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
We should continue to enjoy the snow and embrace the moments we have together (even if they are coming to an end).

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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