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.
My Heard Stood Still
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stood still
My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still
I could tell you knew
That unfelt clasp of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still
I took one look at you
That's all I meant to do
And then my heart stopped right there
My feet could step and walk
My lips could move and talk
And yet my heart stood still
Though not a single word was spoken
I could tell you knew
That unfelt claps of hands
Told me so well you knew
I never lived at all
Until the thrill of that moment
When my heart stood still
"My Heart Stood Still" is a love song that expresses the overwhelming power that romantic love can have over a person. The singer took one look at their beloved and was so struck by their beauty that their heart stopped, even though they were still able to move and speak. The intensity of this moment was so great that the singer feels as though they never truly lived until that point. Despite a lack of words exchanged between the two, they somehow conveyed their love through an "unfelt clasp of hands." The song is a testament to the incredible impact that love can have on the human heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I took one look at you
Upon glimpsing your countenance, I was immediately transfixed
That's all I meant to do
I did not intend to become ensorcelled, simply to observe
And then my heart stood still
However, my cardiac organ experienced an abrupt cessation of movement
My feet could step and walk
Despite my stilled heart, my physical form was still able to ambulate
My lips could move and talk
Similarly, my oral region was capable of speech
And yet my heart stood still
Nonetheless, my heart remained in a seized state
Though not a single word was spoken
No verbal communication occurred between us
I could tell you knew
But I could sense that you were likewise aware of the situation
That unfelt clasp of hands
Some ephemeral, unperceived gesture conveyed a deep understanding between us
Told me so well you knew
Effectively communicating the depth of your comprehension without needing to speak it aloud
I never lived at all
Prior to that moment, I had not truly experienced a fulfilling existence
Until the thrill of that moment
It was only when I experienced the intense emotion of that instant
When my heart stood still
That my being finally felt complete and fulfilling
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind