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
I Remember You
Paul Desmond Lyrics
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Until I smile at you
I'll never laugh again
What good would it do?
For tears would fill my eyes
My heart would realize
That our romance is through
I'm so in love with you
I'll never thrill again
To somebody new
Within my heart
I know I will never start
To smile again
Until I smile at you
The lyrics of Paul Desmond's song "I'll Never Smile Again" convey the deep pain and heartbreak of a failed romance. The singer declares that he will never smile or laugh again until he smiles at his former lover. He acknowledges that even the mere thought of being with anyone else makes him feel despair, which causes tears to fill his eyes. The realization that their love story has come to an end is too hard to bear, and the singer is left feeling lost and alone. He knows that he will never be able to experience that same level of passion or connection with anyone else, and so he resigns himself to a life with a broken heart.
These lyrics are rich in emotional depth and speak to the universal experience of heartbreak. They are a powerful reminder of the pain that comes with lost love and the struggle to move on. For many listeners, this song has become an anthem for the sorrow and sadness that can come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll never smile again
My happiness has vanished, and I will never be able to smile again.
Until I smile at you
I will only be able to regain my happiness when I see you and smile at you.
I'll never laugh again
I won't find anything funny or enjoyable anymore.
What good would it do?
Laughing won't bring back the happiness I lost by losing you.
For tears would fill my eyes
I would cry if I laughed because every emotion reminds me that our love story has ended.
My heart would realize
My heart is painfully aware of the fact that our romance is over.
That our romance is through
Our romantic relationship is over for good, and I have no hope of getting it back.
I'll never love again
I have already loved someone, and it was you. Now, I won't love anyone else, considering you're gone.
I'm so in love with you
Despite the fact that our love story is over, my love for you remains strong and unchanged.
I'll never thrill again
I won't experience the same great pleasure and excitement I once felt with someone else.
To somebody new
I won't be excited to experience new love and excitement with someone else.
Within my heart
In the depths of my soul, where my true feelings lie,
I know I will never start
I am sure that I won't find the strength within me to start loving anew.
To smile again
I won't be able to smile with joy and feel happy again unless it's with you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Glenn Osser, Ruth Lowe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind