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.
The Shadow Of Your Smile
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you have gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn
Look into my eyes my love and see
All the lovely things you are to me
It was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I
Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
The lyrics of Oscar Peterson & Singers Unlimited's song "The Shadow of Your Smile" convey a sense of longing in the wake of a lover's departure. The singer reflects on how the shadow of the lover's smile will continue to affect their dreams and bring light to the dawn even after they are gone. The lover is asked to look into the singer's eyes and see all the lovely things they are to them. The mention of a wistful little star being too high suggests that the love between the two may have been idealistic or unattainable. However, the mention of a teardrop kissing the lover's lips, and the singer doing the same, implies a deep emotional connection that was felt even in the midst of sadness. The final stanza suggests that the memories of this love will continue to be cherished, even as spring (a symbol of renewal and new beginnings) returns.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Shadow of Your Smile" capture the bittersweet nature of love, and how it can linger in the memory long after it has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
The shadow of your smile
The memory of your smile
When you have gone
When you are not here
Will color all my dreams
Will influence my dreams
And light the dawn
And inspire the beginning of my day
Look into my eyes my love and see
See my affection for you reflected in my eyes
All the lovely things you are to me
All the wonderful qualities I admire in you
Our wistful little star
Our nostalgic memories
It was far, too high
Our dreams were too unrealistic
A teardrop kissed your lips
We shared a heartfelt moment
And so did I
I was emotional too
Now when I remember spring
When I look back on the past
All the joys that love can bring
All the happiness that love can provide
I will be remembering
I will think of
The shadow of your smile
The lasting impression of your beautiful smile
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Ricch
Better Call Saul is a great show. If that brought people to Oscar it’s proof that great art perpetuates other great art. Oscar Peterson was what in the jazz world we call a beast. One of a kind.
@vanroboli
And here we are.
@UkuleleAversion
It was used in BCS because this standard was originally the theme song for a movie called "The Sandpiper". And we all know the importance of the Sandpiper Crossing case to BCS.
@chuckwillyums5316
better call saul 100% made me search this song up!
@AlexCoglin
Anyone here from Better Call Saul?
@inerttech2570
Remind me a Vince Guaraldi song like Ginza Samba they use for episode 306 of BrBa
@DocSkribblez
Never seen that show. But I do play this while I'm fixing coffee, eating my cereal and looking for jobs on the newspaper ads.
@INF1NI73
@@inerttech2570 Bro right?
@ACollegeSolution
Word
@philipbrouard7368
Alex Coglin yes I am. I love Oscar’s of this song. I wouldn’t have know it without watching Better Call Saul.