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.
Runnin' Wild
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
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And I'm all by myself
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
I'll lay right on the shelf
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
No lonesome stuff for mine
I won't sit home, all alone
She'll soon find that I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
When I first met that gal of mine
It seemed just like a dream
But when she tho't she had me right
She started actin' mean
Like mary led her little lamb
She led me all the time
Until the worm had to turn
That's the reason I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
No gal will ever make a fool of me
No gal! I mean just what I say
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
Wonder how I got that way
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
But now I got a cruel heart
With all that other foolishness I'm through
Gonna play the Villain part
Runnin' wild, lost control
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Feelin' gay, reckless too
Care free mind all the time, never blue
Always goin' don't know where
Always showin', I don't care
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
The main theme of the song is a man's reaction to a fight he has had with his girlfriend. The lyrics describe his reaction to the breakup and how he will not let his ex-girlfriend see him being miserable at home. He declares that he will not allow himself to sit and suffer, and he will run wild and never be lonely again. The song is about a sense of empowerment a man feels after a relationship has ended, and he will do anything not to appear weak in front of his ex-lover.
In the first verse, the singer talks about his recent fight with his girlfriend, and now he is all alone. However, he is determined not to let the breakup affect him, and he will move on from the relationship. He refuses to appear lonely and make his ex-girlfriend think that he's not strong enough to deal with the breakup.
In the second verse, the singer describes how his ex-girlfriend led him along until he could no longer take it. He wanted to show his ex-girlfriend that he is not a simpleton, and he will never be made a fool of again. He decides to be reckless and free, not caring about anything, and not falling in love again.
Overall, Runnin' Wild is a spirited and upbeat song that speaks to a man's willingness to move on from a failed relationship and not remain stuck in self-pity.
Line by Line Meaning
My gal and I, we had a fight
I had a disagreement with my girlfriend.
And I'm all by myself
Now I'm single and alone.
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
She probably assumes that I'll be miserable without her.
I'll lay right on the shelf
That I'll be like a discarded object, unused and lonely.
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
I'm determined to prove her wrong.
No lonesome stuff for mine
I don't want to be alone.
I won't sit home, all alone
I refuse to waste away alone at home.
She'll soon find that I'm
She'll see that I am
Runnin' wild, lost control
I'm going to release my inner wild side.
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
I'm going to be fearless and daring.
Feelin' gay, reckless too
I'll feel happy and maybe impulsive.
Care free mind all the time, never blue
I will live without a care and be happy all the time.
Always goin' don't know where
I'll go wherever I want without a plan.
Always showin', I don't care
I'll show off and not worry about other people's opinions.
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
I don't have any intention of falling in love again anytime soon.
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
I'll be all by myself and doing whatever I choose to do.
When I first met that gal of mine
Looking back at the start of our relationship.
It seemed just like a dream
At first, everything was perfect.
But when she tho't she had me right
Soon she thought she had taken control of our relationship.
She started actin' mean
She started to mistreat me.
Like Mary led her little lamb
She was trying to control me like Mary controlled her lamb.
She led me all the time
She was in charge of our relationship.
Until the worm had to turn
Until I had no choice but to assert myself.
That's the reason I'm
That's why I am.
No gal will ever make a fool of me
I won't let any woman hurt me again.
No gal! I mean just what I say
I'm determined to stick to my word about being self-sufficient.
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
I'm not going to be taken advantage of anymore.
Wonder how I got that way
I question how I became so naive in the past.
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
I was more emotionally invested in relationships before.
But now I got a cruel heart
But now I'm more guarded and less trusting of others.
With all that other foolishness I'm through
I'm done with all the drama and complications of romantic relationships.
Gonna play the Villain part
I'll take on a darker, more assertive role in future relationships.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR GIBBS, ARTHUR HARRINGTON GIBBS, JOSEPH GREY, JOSEPH W GREY, LEO WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind