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.

The Song Is You
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hear music when I look at you,
A beautiful theme of every
Dream I ever knew.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
I feel it start, then melt away.

I hear music when I touch your hand,
A beautiful melody

From some enchanted land.
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say,
Is this the day?

I alone have heard this lovely strain,
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
Must it be forever inside of me,
Why can't I let it go,
Why can't I let you know,
Why can't I let you know the song
My heart would sing?

That beautiful rhapsody
Of love and youth and spring,
The music is sweet,

The words are true
The song is you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Oscar Peterson's "The Song Is You" describe the feeling of being overwhelmed by the presence of someone close to the singer. They hear music all around them, a melody that reminds them of every dream they've ever had. The singer hears this music in their touch, and deep in their heart. They feel it starting to play, and then it quickly fades away. They're the only one who's heard this beautiful song, and they ponder whether or not they should hold on to this emotion or let the person know about it. The lyrics express a desire to let someone know how they feel, but they're afraid that they will lose the ability to enjoy the music if they share it.

The song captures the feeling of being lost in a moment with someone and experiencing love in all its forms. The singer's experience is relatable to everyone as they describe the sensation of being in the presence of someone special. It's a deeply personal feeling that many people can relate to, and Peterson captures the sentiment with his lyrics and music.

Line by Line Meaning

I hear music when I look at you,
Your presence invokes beautiful music within me, a combination of all my dreams.

A beautiful theme of every Dream I ever knew.
The music I hear when I see you is the culmination of all the beautiful dreams I have ever had.

Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
I feel the music deep within me, resonating in my heart.

I feel it start, then melt away.
The music starts to play but fades away gently after a while.

I hear music when I touch your hand,
Just like looking at you, touching you also creates beautiful music within me.

A beautiful melody From some enchanted land.
The music that plays when I touch you feels like it's from a magical, enchanting place.

Down deep in my heart, I hear it say, Is this the day?
I hear the music in my heart whispering to me, wondering if today is the day when I can express my feelings to you.

I alone have heard this lovely strain,
The music that plays when I'm with you is something only I can hear and experience.

I alone have heard this glad refrain:
The music brings me joy and happiness, but nobody else can hear it.

Must it be forever inside of me,
I wonder if this music will always remain private to me, and if I will never be able to express it.

Why can't I let it go, Why can't I let you know,
I struggle with the idea of whether I should keep this music within me or share it with you.

Why can't I let you know the song My heart would sing?
I wish I could express to you the beautiful music that plays in my heart when I'm with you.

That beautiful rhapsody Of love and youth and spring,
The music that plays within me is a beautiful mix of love, youth, and spring - a reflection of my feelings for you.

The music is sweet, The words are true The song is you.
The music that plays when I'm with you is sweet and delightful, and reflects the truest, most honest version of myself - the song is you.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome Kern, Oscar II Hammerstein

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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