Desmond was bor… Read Full Bio ↴Paul Desmond (1924-1977) was a U.S jazz saxophonist.
Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld in San Francisco, California on 25th November 1924. He came to prominence with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, which lasted from 1951 until 1967. Desmond wrote their biggest hit, "Take Five".
Desmond's alto saxophone tone and technique owed nothing to the great alto player of the time, Charlie Parker; instead his was a clear, light, floating sound and highly melodic playing style. Much of the success of the classic Brubeck quartet was due to the superposition of his fragile, airy sound over Brubeck's sometimes relatively heavy, polytonal piano work.
Desmond died on 30th May 1977.
Paul Desmond is widely recognized for his genius as a melodic improviser and as the benchmark of cool jazz sax players. His warm, elegant tone was one that he admittedly tried to make sound like a dry martini. He and Art Pepper were virtually the only alto players of their generation not directly influenced by Charlie Parker. Desmond was influenced by Lester Young, but took it further, into melodic and harmonic worlds never before traveled by reedmen -- especially in the upper registers. Desmond is best known for his years with the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959-1967) and his infamous composition "Take Five." He met Brubeck in the late '40s and played with his Octet. The Quartet formed toward the end of 1950 and took final shape with Eugene Wright and Joe Morello a few years later. Jazz at Oberlin and Take Five were considered essential purchases by college students of the era, but Jazz Impressions of Japan was its most innovative recording. Desmond played his loping, slow, ordered, and intricate solos in direct contrast to the pianist's obsession with large chords, creating a myriad of textures for melodic and rhythmic counterpoint unlike any heard in jazz. His witty quotations from musicals, classical pieces, and folk songs were also a watermark of his artistry. When the Quartet split in 1967, Desmond began an intermittent yet satisfying recording career. It included dates with Gerry Mulligan for Verve, various sessions with Jim Hall, and a concert with the the Modern Jazz Quartet. He played his last gigs with the Brubeck Quartet at reunions before dying of lung cancer. Desmond's recordings for RCA have gotten box-set treatment and Mosaic issued one of the complete sessions with Hall. There are also reissues from A&M and CTI, though recordings on Artist House and Finesse remain regrettably out of print. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
A Ship Without A Sail
Paul Desmond Lyrics
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Or if it's dark out there;
Somehow that's just the way it is,
And I don't really care!
I go to this or that place,
I seem alive and well,
My head is just a hat place,
And I've a faded dream to sell.
All alone and all at sea,
Why does nobody care for me?
When there's no love to hold my love,
Why is my heart so frail,
Like a ship without a sail?
Out on the ocean,
Sailors can use a chart;
I'm on the ocean,
Guided by just a lonely heart!
Still alone, all at sea,
Still there's no-one to care for me.
When there's no hand to hold my hand,
Life is a loveless tale,
Like a ship without a sail.
Still alone, all at sea,
Still there's no-one to care for me.
When there's no hand to hold my hand,
Life is a loveless tale,
But a ship without a sail.
Paul Desmond's "Ship Without a Sail" is a melancholic song that deals with the themes of loneliness and heartbreak. The opening line, "I don't know what day it is, or if it's dark out there," introduces the listener to the singer's disorientation and apathy towards the world. They are lost, both physically and emotionally, and seem to have given up the fight to find their way back to shore. The lines, "My head is just a hat place, my breast an empty shell" paint a vivid picture of a person who is struggling to hold on to their sense of self, their identity. They feel hollow and lost, as if they have lost their place in the world.
The central metaphor of the song is that of a ship sailing without a sail. The singer's heart is the ship that is adrift, and without someone to love, they are unable to steer themselves in any direction. The lines, "All alone and all at sea, why does nobody care for me?" underscore the singer's feelings of isolation and abandonment. They are lost in the vast expanse of the ocean, with no hope of finding their way back to land. The line, "life is a loveless tale, but a ship without a sail," is a poignant reminder that, without love, life loses its meaning and becomes a meaningless journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know what day it is,
I've lost track of time and my surroundings, and I don't care.
Or if it's dark out there;
I'm unaware of whether it's day or night outside.
Somehow that's just the way it is,
I accept my state of confusion as normal.
And I don't really care!
I am indifferent to my lack of awareness.
I go to this or that place,
I move around without any clear purpose or direction.
I seem alive and well,
I may appear healthy and functioning on the surface.
My head is just a hat place,
My mind is empty and shallow.
My breast an empty shell,
My heart is hollow and unfulfilled.
And I've a faded dream to sell.
I have a forgotten and incomplete ambition to pursue.
All alone and all at sea,
I feel isolated and lost without direction or guidance.
Why does nobody care for me?
I wonder why no one shows me affection or concern.
When there's no love to hold my love,
Without anyone to love or who loves me, my heart is vulnerable.
Why is my heart so frail,
I question why my emotions are weak and susceptible.
Like a ship without a sail?
My life resembles a ship without a sail, directionless and adrift.
Out on the ocean,
In the vastness of life and uncertainty,
Sailors can use a chart;
People often rely on maps or plans to navigate through difficult situations.
I'm on the ocean,
I am lost in life without any clear course of action.
Guided by just a lonely heart!
The only thing guiding me now is my lonely and unfulfilled heart.
Still alone, all at sea,
I remain isolated and lost with no direction.
Still there's no-one to care for me.
I am still without any love or support from others.
When there's no hand to hold my hand,
I am left without anyone to comfort or support me emotionally.
Life is a loveless tale,
My life feels empty and meaningless because of the lack of love.
Like a ship without a sail.
My life is like a ship without a sail, directionless and adrift in life.
But a ship without a sail.
My life remains like a ship without a sail, even though I wish it weren't the case.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind