Paul Desmond (1924-1977) was a U.S jazz saxophonist.

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

Bewitched
Paul Desmond Lyrics

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She's a fool and don't I know it
But a fool can have her charms
I'm in love and don't I show it
Like a babe in arms

Love's the same old situation
Lately I've not slept a wink
Since this crazy situation

Has me on the blink

I'm wild again, beguiled again
A whimpering, simpering child again
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I

Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
Love came and told me, shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I

I lost my heart, but what of it
She is cold I agree
She might laugh, but I love it
Although the laugh's on me

I'll sing to her, bring spring to her

And long, for the day when I'll cling to her
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Paul Desmond's song, "Bewitched," explore the emotions and thoughts of someone in love with a woman who they know is not good for them. The singer is aware that this woman is a "fool," but is still captivated by her charms. He feels like a "babe in arms," completely defenseless against her allure. The singer describes being "wild again, beguiled again," reduced to a "whimpering, simpering child again," by the spell this woman has cast on him. He is "bewitched, bothered and bewildered."

The singer is tormented by his feelings, unable to sleep or function normally because of this woman. He has lost his heart to her, even though he knows she is "cold." He acknowledges that she might be laughing at him, but he loves her nevertheless. The singer believes that if he can just win her over, he will be able to bring "spring" to her life, and they will cling together. He can't resist her, even though he knows she is no good for him.

Overall, "Bewitched" is a bittersweet and melancholic exploration of love and desire. The lyrics are an acknowledgement that sometimes we are drawn to people who are not good for us, and that love can be a painful and confusing experience.

Line by Line Meaning

She's a fool and don't I know it
I am aware that she is foolish

But a fool can have her charms
Despite her foolishness, she has her attractive qualities

I'm in love and don't I show it
It's evident that I am in love

Like a babe in arms
I feel vulnerable and naive in my love

Love's the same old situation
Falling in love is not new or unique

Lately I've not slept a wink
My thoughts of love are consuming me and I cannot sleep

Since this crazy situation
This overwhelming feeling of love

Has me on the blink
Has me feeling confused and disoriented

I'm wild again, beguiled again
I am swept away by love and feeling captivated

A whimpering, simpering child again
I feel helpless and childlike in my love

Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I
I am under the spell of love and feeling agitated and confused