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.

What Child Is This?
Oscar Peterson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was a hum-drum person
Leading a life apart
When love flew in through my window wide
And quickened my hum-drum heart
Love flew in through my window
I was so happy then
But after love had stayed a little while
Love flew out again

What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?
I saw you there one wonderful day
You took my heart and threw my heart away
That's why I ask the Lawd up in Heaven above
What is this thing called love?

You gave me days of sunshine
You gave me nights of cheer
You made my life an enchanted dream
'Til somebody else came near
Somebody else came near you
I felt the winter's chill

And now I sit and wonder night and day
Why I love you still

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Oscar Peterson's song "What Child is This" convey a sense of longing and heartbreak in the context of a love that has come and gone. The first stanza describes the singer's previous monotonous and uneventful existence until love unexpectedly enters their life, bringing excitement and joy. However, just as quickly as it arrived, love leaves again, leaving the singer feeling empty and questioning the nature of this elusive emotion.

The second stanza continues the exploration of love's mystery, with the singer pondering what exactly this thing called love is and why it has the power to make them feel like a fool. The lyrics imply that the singer had a brief encounter with someone who captured their heart, only to have it shattered and discarded. Despite the pain caused by this person, the singer still finds themselves wondering about love and why they still hold onto feelings for someone who hurt them.

Overall, these lyrics capture the bittersweet nature of love and the confusion and longing that often accompany it. They explore the complex emotions that arise when love enters our lives, brings joy and happiness, and then suddenly departs, leaving us with unanswered questions and a lingering sense of longing.

Line by Line Meaning

I was a hum-drum person
I was a boring and unexciting person

Leading a life apart
Living a solitary and disconnected life

When love flew in through my window wide
When love unexpectedly entered my life

And quickened my hum-drum heart
And made my dull heart beat with excitement

Love flew in through my window
Love entered my life

I was so happy then
I felt immense happiness at that time

But after love had stayed a little while
But love didn't last for long

Love flew out again
Love left once more

What is this thing called love?
What is the true nature of love?

This funny thing called love?
This peculiar and unpredictable thing called love?

Just who can solve its mystery?
Who can unravel its enigmatic nature?