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.
Little White Lies
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
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But heaven was in your eyes
The night that you told me
Those little white lies
The stars all seemed to know
You didn't mean all those sighs
The night that you told me
I try, but there's no forgetting
When evenin' appears
I sigh but there's no regretting
In spite of my tears
Who wouldn't believe those lips
Who wouldn't believe those eyes
The night that you told me
Those little white lies
I try, but there's no forgetting
When evenin' appears
I sigh but there's no regretting
In spite of my tears
The Devil was in your heart
But Heaven was in your eyes
The night that you told me
Those little white lies
Those lies
Teeny-weeny little white lies
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's song "Little White Lies" speak to the pain of being deceived by someone we trust. The singer is recalling a beautiful evening spent with a lover who was telling them "little white lies," small untruths that seem harmless but can accumulate to create a larger sense of distrust. The imagery of the moon and stars suggests a romantic setting, but the darkness of the lies casts a shadow over the beauty of the night. The singer struggles to move past the deceit, sighing and crying despite their attempts to forget. The final lines suggest that the lover's deceit was like the devil in their heart, but the singer was drawn in by the heaven in their eyes, revealing the complexity of this experience.
Line by Line Meaning
The moon was all aglow
The sky was lit up by the moon's soft glow.
But heaven was in your eyes
You looked as if you were heavenly; like an angel.
The night that you told me
That specific night when you confessed.
Those little white lies
The lies you told me that seemed trivial and harmless.
The stars all seemed to know
The stars could tell that you were not genuine with me.
You didn't mean all those sighs
The sounds you made sounded insincere and were meant to deceive.
I try, but there's no forgetting
I attempt not to think about what you admitted to me, but it still lingers.
When evenin' appears
Once night falls and it gets dark.
I sigh but there's no regretting
I can't help but express my disappointment about what you've done.
In spite of my tears
Even though I'm crying and upset.
Who wouldn't believe those lips
Who in their right mind would doubt or mistrust what you say?
Who wouldn't believe those eyes
Who wouldn't trust the sincerity of the feelings they can see in your eyes?
The Devil was in your heart
You were devious, dishonest and disingenuous.
But Heaven was in your eyes
Even still, you retained a seeming quality of serenity and goodness.
Those lies
The small inaccuracies and untruths you shared.
Teeny-weeny little white lies
The trivial little fabrications that you insist are innocent and non-consequential.
Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Rachmaninoff concerto 2 theme by O.P.