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 Γrsted Pedersen, Louis Armstrong, StΓ©phane 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.
Someone To Watch Over Me
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
Hes the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that he turns out to be
Someone who'll watch over me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could always be good
Someone who'll watch over me
Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me
The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's song "Someone To Watch Over Me" tell the story of a woman searching for love and protection. She begins by acknowledging the common phrase that love is blind but disagrees because she is actively searching for someone specific. She expresses her desire to find this "certain lad" she has been thinking of and adds that he is the "big affair" she cannot forget. She then admits that the man she is searching for is the only one she thinks of with regret, implying that he may have slipped through her fingers in the past.
Throughout the song, she continues to search for the man who will fulfill her need for protection, stating that she is a "little lamb who's lost in the wood." She hopes that this person will be "someone who'll watch over me." She acknowledges that he may not fit the stereotypical "handsome" standard but insists that he holds the key to her heart. She ends by pleading with him to hurry and follow her lead, emphasizing her need for someone to watch over her.
Overall, the lyrics reflect a longing for love and protection, and the idea that sometimes we search for what we need, even if love is traditionally thought of as being blind.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a saying old says that love is blind
People say that when you are in love, you cannot see the flaws in your beloved
Still were often told, seek and ye shall find
Despite the preceding statement, people are often advised to search for love
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind
I have a specific person in mind whom I wish to find and be with
Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
I have been searching for this person everywhere, but I have not yet found him
Hes the big affair I cannot forget
This person is the important love interest of my life that I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret
He is the only man I regret not having in my life
I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
I want to have his name or initial added to my own to signify our connection
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?
I am lost and in need of someone to guide me to my love interest
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
There is someone I yearn to be reunited with
I hope that he turns out to be
I hope that the person I am looking for meets my expectations and is worth finding
Someone who'll watch over me
I am looking for someone to protect and take care of me
I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I feel helpless and vulnerable without the person I am searching for
I know I could always be good
I am willing to behave properly and deserve the love of my interest
Someone who'll watch over me
I crave for someone to be there for me and guard me
Although he may not be the man some
Even though he may not have the looks or characteristics that others desire
Girls think of as handsome
The qualities that girls typically find attractive or good-looking in a man
To my heart he carries the key
This person holds the key to my heart and happiness
Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Please urge him to hurry and come to me quickly
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Please follow my instructions for us to be together, as I yearn for it greatly
Someone to watch over me
I am seeking for someone who cares for me and will protect me from anything negative
Lyrics Β© DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Broma 16, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TimothyGondola
What a monster job. So many classic OP licks and lines in here. Thank you so much for working on this and well done!
@hughpenner5051
Yes
@FifthWaveManufacturing
Daan, you have done the musical equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest. You have my admiration for doing this. I'm getting the sheet music, spectacular job.
@houdinismansion
Absolutely fabulous.
@nogoogleplus
Stellar job, thank you!!
@guitargod6997
Fabulous in every way! Bravo!
@TomasJonsson
Thank you for transcribing the fast notes as grace notes instead of trying to fit them in the meter! It's the best way to do it, no doubt.
@_knowledge1206
Outstanding work.
@emilgilels
Does anybody else think this 'arrangement' by Oscar has a little something in common with Bach's Chromatic Fantasy (i.e., the first part of BWV903)? π
Specifically and especially the way that both alternate sections with scalar/arpeggiated passages scampering up and down the keyboard, with sections that have short fragments of melody accompanied by two handed chords (that are often cadential).
Examples in the Bach would be something like the texture from about bar 63 to bar 74, as well as a few other spots earlier in the piece. Oscar uses a similar texture pretty much all the way from bar 2 until about bar 24.
Given Oscar's familiarity with European 'classical' composers including Bach, this could have been either an intentional bit of inspiration from Bach, or perhaps sub-conscience influence.
Or maybe it's just a coincidence and falls into the Great Minds Thinking Alike category. :-)
Still, it's something fun to think about!
@vova47
Great accomplishment, Daan! I think, though, first chord in bar 87 is d minor flat5 (or Bflat7/D) and not Dflat. Probably a typo. Thanks very much for sharing!