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
That Old Feeling
Paul Desmond Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Last night my heart was so gay
Last night I found myself dancing
In my favorite cabaret
You were completely forgotten
Just an affair of the past
Then suddenly something happened to me
And I found my heart beating, oh, so fast
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
The song "That Old Feeling" by Paul Desmond is a sentimental and romantic tune about rekindling old feelings with an ex-lover. The singer starts out happy and carefree while reminiscing about dancing in their favorite cabaret. They feel their old affair is forgotten until they suddenly see their former lover and their heart begins to beat faster. The singer realizes that the old spark of love is still there and the longing for the past is reawakened.
The lyrics evoke a bitter-sweet nostalgia and the feeling of being torn between hanging onto the past and moving forward into the future. The singer recognizes that a new romance would be foolish to start since the old feeling is still in their heart, which implies that they are still not over their ex-lover.
Overall, the song is a beautiful tribute to the universal experience of trying to deal with emotional attachments to past relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I started out happy
At the beginning of the night, I was in a good mood
Last night my heart was so gay
I was filled with joy and happiness
Last night I found myself dancing
I began dancing without any worries or cares
In my favorite cabaret
In my favorite place to let loose and forget about everything else
You were completely forgotten
I had fully moved on from you and our past relationship
Just an affair of the past
Our relationship was over and done with
Then suddenly something happened to me
An unexpected event occurred that changed my mood
And I found my heart beating, oh, so fast
My heart began to race with excitement and anticipation
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When I saw you again, I felt the same emotions I had in the past
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
Just seeing you brought back old memories and emotions
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
When you danced by, I felt a rush of excitement and joy
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
When our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
Those old feelings of wanting to be with you returned
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
I realized that the love I had for you was still there
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
I know it wouldn't be wise to try starting a new relationship
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
My feelings for you will always be present and strong
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PD TRADITIONAL, SANFORD SCHMIDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind