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 song "Runnin' Wild" by the Oscar Peterson Trio tells the story of a man who has just had a fight with his girlfriend and is now alone. He is determined to show her that he is not going to sit around moping and feeling sorry for himself. He decides to live carefree and reckless, going wherever he wants and not caring what anyone thinks of him. He says he is "runnin' wild" and is feeling bold and carefree.
The lyrics suggest that the man has been hurt by his girlfriend's mean behavior and has decided that he will no longer be a fool for anyone. He declares that no woman will ever make a fool of him again and that he is done with sentimentality. Despite the sadness of the situation, the song has an upbeat tempo and cheerful melody that suggest the man is determined to enjoy his newfound freedom.
The song is a classic example of swing music, which was popular in the 1930s and 1940s. It was composed by Joe Grey, Leo Wood, and A. Harrington Gibbs and was first recorded by the Duke Ellington Orchestra in 1927. It has since been covered by numerous artists, including Benny Goodman and his Orchestra, Tony Bennett, and Judy Garland.
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
She left me alone
I guess she thinks now that she's gone
She probably thinks I'll be sad without her
I'll lay right on the shelf
But I won't sit around doing nothing
I'm gonna show her she's all wrong
Instead, I'll prove her wrong
No lonesome stuff for mine
I'm not going to be sad
I won't sit home, all alone
I won't mope around at home
She'll soon find that I'm
I'll make her realize that I'm
Runnin' wild, lost control
Living life on the edge
Runnin' wild, mighty bold
Taking risks and being daring
Feelin' gay, reckless too
I'm living carefree and unafraid
Care free mind all the time, never blue
I always have a positive attitude
Always goin' don't know where
I don't have a plan, but I'm always moving
Always showin', I don't care
I don't care what others think of me
Don't love nobody, it's not worth while
I don't want to get hurt again
All alone, runnin' wild. Runnin' wild
So I'm just living my life alone and reckless
When I first met that gal of mine
At the start of our relationship
It seemed just like a dream
Everything was perfect
But when she tho't she had me right
But then she tried to control me
She started actin' mean
And became unkind
Like mary led her little lamb
Leading me around like a sheep
She led me all the time
Controlling me completely
Until the worm had to turn
But I'm not going to be her puppet anymore
That's the reason I'm
That's why I am now
No gal will ever make a fool of me
I won't let anyone manipulate me again
No gal! I mean just what I say
I'm serious about it
I ain't the simpleton I used to be
I'm not the naive person I once was
Wonder how I got that way
I'm not sure what made me change
Once I was full of sentiment, it's true
I used to be a romantic person
But now I got a cruel heart
But now I'm tougher and less emotional
With all that other foolishness I'm through
I'm done with all that mushy stuff
Gonna play the Villain part
Now I'm going to be the bad guy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR GIBBS, ARTHUR HARRINGTON GIBBS, JOSEPH GREY, JOSEPH W GREY, LEO WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind