Cuba-born and New York-based saxophonist and clarinet player, Paquito D'Riv… Read Full Bio ↴Cuba-born and New York-based saxophonist and clarinet player, Paquito D'Rivera has balanced a career in Latin jazz with commissions as a classical composer and appearances with symphony orchestras. Classical New Jersey wrote, "whether playing Bach or post-bop, D'Rivera's mastery of the instruments and their expressive capabilities is unquestionable". D'Rivera inherited his understanding of music from his father, Tito, a classical saxophonist and conductor. At the age of five, D'Rivera began being tutored in musical theory by his father. Within a year, he was playing well enough to be paid as a musician. By the age of seven, he became the youngest musician to endorse a musical instrument (Selmer saxophones). Three years later, he performed with the National Theater Orchestra of Havana. Although he initially played soprano saxophone, D'Rivera switched to the alto after teaching himself to play via the book, Jimmy Dorsey Saxophone Method: A School of Rhythmic Saxophone Playing. Strengthening his knowledge of music and playing techniques, D'Rivera began studying at the Havana Conservatory of Music in 1960. In 1965, D'Rivera became a featured soloist with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra.

Waltz For Me
Paquito D'Rivera Lyrics

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Old man sunshine listen you
Never tell me dreams come true
Just try it and I'll start a riot
Beatrice Fairfax don't you dare
Ever tell me he will care
I'm certain it's the final curtain
I never want to hear from any cheerful Pollyannas
Who tell you fate supplies a mate

It's all bananas

They're writing songs of love but not for me
A lucky star's above but not for me
With love to lead the way I've found more clouds of gray
Than any Russian play could guarantee

I was a fool to fall and get that way
Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss
I guess he's not for me

I was a fool to fall and get that way

Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss

Overall Meaning

The song "Waltz For Me" by Paquito D'Rivera tells the story of a person who is feeling unlucky in love. The song begins with the old man sunshine being asked about whether or not dreams come true, to which he responds by telling the person asking to just try it and he'll start a riot. Beatrice Fairfax, another figure referenced in the song, is warned against telling the person that the subject of their love will care for them because the singer is convinced that the final curtain has fallen on their prospects for love. The person singing never wants to hear from cheerful Pollyannas who insist that fate will bring them a partner, because he views those notions as nonsensical.

The chorus of the song is a lament about how love seems to be eluding this person, despite the fact that love songs are being written all the time. The person feels like they are the exception to the rule, and that they will never find the love that they are looking for. They feel like they have found more clouds of gray than any Russian play could guarantee, suggesting that they have had their share of disappointment in the realm of love. While they reflect on a memory of a kiss, they realize that they were a fool to fall and get attached, but cannot forget the feeling of that kiss completely.

Line by Line Meaning

Old man sunshine listen you
I have no interest in hearing any optimistic advice or positive affirmations.

Never tell me dreams come true
I am skeptical of any claims that things will work out the way I want them to.

Just try it and I'll start a riot
I am willing to aggressively defend my pessimistic worldview.

Beatrice Fairfax don't you dare
I don't want to hear any advice from an authority figure or a trustworthy source.

Ever tell me he will care
I doubt that anyone will ever genuinely care for me.

I'm certain it's the final curtain
I am convinced that there is no hope for a happy ending.

I never want to hear from any cheerful Pollyannas
I don't want to hear from anyone who has an optimistic or hopeful outlook on life.

Who tell you fate supplies a mate
I don't believe that there is such a thing as destiny or a predetermined romantic partner.

It's all bananas
I think all of these positive ideas are ridiculous and unrealistic.

They're writing songs of love but not for me
I feel left out and unimportant, as if the idea of romantic love is not meant for me.

A lucky star's above but not for me
I feel that I have been left out of any good fortune or blessings.

With love to lead the way I've found more clouds of gray
Even though I have been hopeful to find love, I have only found disappointment and sadness.

Than any Russian play could guarantee
I have experienced more tragedy and heartbreak than any fictional Russian drama could have predicted.

I was a fool to fall and get that way
I now realize that I was foolish to give myself to someone who didn't reciprocate my feelings.

Hi-ho, alas, and also lack-a-day
I feel sad and disappointed about the way things turned out.

Although I can't dismiss the memory of his kiss
Even though I know it's over, I still can't help but remember the good times we had together.

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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