Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.
Read Full Bio ↴Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) was a Canadian jazz pianist and composer.

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.

Tea for Two
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Picture you upon my knee
Just tea for two
And two for tea
Just me for you
And you for me alone

Nobody near us to see us or hear us
No friends or relations

On weekend vacations
We won't have it known, dear
That we own a telephone, dear

Day will break and you'll awake
And start to bake a sugar cake
For me to take for all the boys to see
We will raise a family

A boy for you, a girl for me
Oh, can't you see how happy we would be

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's "Tea for Two" offer a romantic scene, inviting the listener to imagine themselves sitting with their loved one, sipping tea and enjoying each other's company with nobody else around to disturb them. The opening lines of "picture you upon my knee, just tea for two and two for tea" paint a cozy picture of being close to someone special, with simplicity and comfort. The singer then declares that it will be "just me for you and you for me alone", emphasizing the safety and security they feel being present with one another. The next lines offer a hint of secrecy, as the couple's weekend retreat won't be shared with friends or family, and they won't even have a phone to disturb their solitude.

As the song progresses, the listener is invited into the fantasy world of the couple's idyllic life together. They wake up to a sugar cake baked by their partner and share their love with the world, raising a family and creating a happy life together. The song presents a romanticized view of a relationship that is simple, loving, and private, offering listeners an escape from the complications of modern life.

Line by Line Meaning

Picture you upon my knee
Visualize you seated on my lap

Just tea for two
Just tea for the two of us

And two for tea
And two cups of tea to share

Just me for you
Only me for you

And you for me alone
And you for me exclusively

Nobody near us to see us or hear us
Nobody else present to witness or eavesdrop

No friends or relations
No acquaintances or kinfolk around

On weekend vacations
During weekends away

We won't have it known, dear
We won't let it become known, my love

That we own a telephone, dear
That we have a telephone, my love

Day will break and you'll awake
Morning will come and you'll rise