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.

Long Ago and Far Away
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

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Long ago and far away
I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me

Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed
You're here at last

Chills run up and down my spine
Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me

Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you

Long ago and far away
I dreamed a dream one day
And now that dream is here beside me

Long the skies were overcast
But now the clouds have passed
You're here at last

Chills run up and down my spine
Aladdin's lamp is mine
The dream I dreamed was not denied me

Just one look and then I knew
That all I longed for long ago was you

Just one look and then I knew

That all I longed for long ago
Was you

Overall Meaning

The song "Long Ago and Far Away" by Oscar Peterson is a romantic ballad that speaks about finding love after dreaming of it for a long time. The song describes the singer's dream of finding the love of their life and how that dream has become a reality. The lyrics suggest that the singer has waited for this moment for a long time, and now that their dream has come true, they are extremely grateful and overwhelmed with emotion.

The opening lines set the tone for the song with a nostalgic and romantic vibe. The phrase "Long ago and far away" emphasizes the theme of the past and how the singer has been waiting for this moment for a long time. The next line "I dreamed a dream one day" suggests that the singer has been imagining this moment and fantasizing about the perfect love they would find. The following lines "And now that dream is here beside me" emphasizes that the singer has finally found the love that they've been looking for.

The second stanza repeats the first one, but it ends with an interesting reference to Aladdin's lamp. This reference suggests that the singer has found a mystical object that can make their dreams come true, just like Aladdin's lamp. This illustrates the singer's deep appreciation for finding the love they've been longing for.

Overall, the lyrics of "Long Ago and Far Away" are about finding love after waiting for it for a long time. The references to the past and the dream-like quality of the song create a nostalgic and romantic atmosphere that captures the joys of finding true love.

Line by Line Meaning

Long ago and far away
At a distant time and place

I dreamed a dream one day
I had a vision of something desirable

And now that dream is here beside me
And now that dream has become a reality next to me

Long the skies were overcast
For a long time, the skies were gloomy and dark

But now the clouds have passed
But now those dark clouds have dispersed

You're here at last
Finally, you are here

Chills run up and down my spine
I am overwhelmed with emotion

Aladdin's lamp is mine
I have acquired something valuable like Aladdin's magical lamp

The dream I dreamed was not denied me
My desire of having that dream turned into reality

Just one look and then I knew
As soon as I saw you, I understood

That all I longed for long ago was you
That you were all I ever wanted, even from the past