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.
Them There Eyes
Oscar Peterson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a grand big way just for you
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle, they bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
Baby, can't you see what love has done to me
Have no worries, have no sighs
'Til you started makin' with those blue eyes
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
They make me feel so happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin', fallin', fallin', fallin'
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
With those lil' brown eyes
They sparkle
They bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
Those lips
Those eyes
They've got me hypnotized
Oh baby, talking about those eyes
The song "Them There Eyes" by Oscar Peterson is a classic love song that depicts a person's experience of falling in love with someone merely by looking into their eyes. The song begins with the singer expressing how beautiful life was before they fell in love. It then introduces the object of their affection and how they fell in love with them the first time they looked into their eyes. The singer also describes how the person they love flirtatiously looks at them in a certain way that makes them feel happy yet blue at the same time.
Furthermore, the singer warns others to be careful of the person's flirtatious gaze as it can lead to a lot of trouble. Towards the end of the song, the singer admits being hopelessly in love with this person as their heart jumps, and they are unable to resist their advances. Overall, the lyrics of "Them There Eyes" give insight into how someone can fall in love through the power of eye contact, even when not looking for love.
Line by Line Meaning
I was just minding my business
I was living my life peacefully without any disturbance or interruptions.
Life was a beautiful song
My life was going good with all the happiness and enjoyment.
Didn't have a care nor worry
I was carefree and had no issues or concerns.
Then you had to come along
But suddenly, you entered my life.
I fell in love with you first time
I fell in love with you the moment I saw you.
I looked into them there eyes
Your eyes captivated me and I couldn't resist your charm.
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
You have a charming and cute way of flirting that I find irresistible.
With them there eyes
It's your eyes that do the magic and make me fall for you.
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
Your eyes bring both happiness and sadness to me.
No stallin'
I can't resist you anymore.
I'm fallin'
I'm falling deeply in love with you.
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My feelings for you are getting stronger every day.
My heart is jumpin'
My heart beats faster when I think about you.
You sure started somethin'
You have sparked love in me that I cannot ignore.
You'd better watch them if you're wise
Be careful with your eyes because they have the power to make me fall for you even more.
They sparkle, they bubble
Your eyes are full of life and energy that mesmerizes me.
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
Your eyes can lead you to trouble because of their captivating nature.
You're overworkin' 'em
Your eyes are working overtime to captivate me.
There's danger lurkin' in
There is a danger of falling in love because of your charming eyes.
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
You might think I'm just flirting, but my feelings for you are genuine.
Maybe you think I'm all lies
You might think I'm lying about my feelings, but they are true.
Just because I get romantic when I gaze in
My romantic feelings arise when I look into your eyes.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind