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.
Prelude to a Kiss
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song in blue
Like a flower crying
For the dew
That was my heart serenading you
My prelude to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
That was my heart trying to compose
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song so gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's song "Prelude to a Kiss" speak of an intense and personal emotion that can only be conveyed through music. The first set of lyrics speaks to a "song in blue," a melody that echoes the sadness and longing of a flower crying for the morning dew. This song is the heart of the singer serenading someone else, a "prelude to a kiss." The next set of lyrics speaks of the singer's attempts to compose a song out of the "sentimental woes" of their heart, to convey their love in a way that words alone cannot.
The beauty of the song is in its simplicity, the melody may be small, but it contains all the emotions and feelings of the singer towards the person they are addressing. At the same time, the singer acknowledges that despite its simplicity, the song could be elevated to something larger, perhaps even a symphony. This reinforces the idea that music has the power to convey intense emotions that cannot be put into words alone.
The final verses of the song continue to express the depth of the singer's love, with their "love song gently crying" for the tenderness in the other person's eyes. The love they feel is a "prelude that never dies," a reference to the enduring nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear
If by chance you happen to hear something
A song in blue
A melancholy tune
Like a flower crying
As a flower sheds dew
For the dew
For the sake of the dew
That was my heart serenading you
The tune emanated from the deep passion and affection of my heart, for you
My prelude to a kiss
This is my preparatory emotive overture to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
If by chance you hear a tune that intensifies
From my tender sentimental woes
That evolves from my sensitive emotional afflictions and troubles
That was my heart trying to compose
My emotional heart was attempting to write a melody
A prelude to a kiss
An overture leading to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
Although it is a straightforward tune
With nothing fancy
Without anything extravagant
Nothing much
Not anything particularly noteworthy
You could turn it to a symphony
The music could be transformed into a grander composition
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
One reminiscent of Shubert's composition but imbued with Gershwin's musical style
Oh how my love song so gently cries
How my melodious tribute to my love tenderly evokes a sad, mournful tone
For the tenderness within your eyes
In honor of the affection reflected within your gaze
My love is a prelude that never dies
My devotion to you is a never-ending introduction to our love
A prelude to a kiss
An inaugural overture for a kiss, eternally ongoing
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, IRVING GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind