He began playing the accordion at age 3, and appeared on the radio program Hobby Lobby at age seven.
His composition "Little Bird" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1963 (a minor hit on Fred Astaire's Ava label), and he formed the Pete Jolly Trio in 1964. With the Trio, and also as a solo artist, he recorded several albums, the last being in 2000, a collaboration with Swedish jazz pianist Jan Lundgren. He also worked with other notable jazz artists, including Buddy DeFranco, Art Pepper, and Red Norvo, and for many years with EZ music arranger and director Ray Conniff.
Jolly's music can be heard on television programs such as Get Smart, The Love Boat, I Spy, Mannix, M*A*S*H, and Dallas, as well as hundreds of movie soundtracks.
He died in Pasadena, California, from complications of bone marrow cancer, having been hospitalized from August to November, 2004.
Springs
Pete Jolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I'd say that I had spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Oh, why should I have Spring feverWhen it isn't even spring?
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
Walking down a strange new street
Hearing words that I have never heard
From a girl I've yet to meet
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
That it might as well be spring
It might as well be spring
The first stanza of Pete Jolly's song, "It Might as Well Be Spring," speaks to the restlessness and jitteriness that the singer is feeling. The singer describes themselves as being like a willow in a windstorm and a puppet on a string - two things that are easily swayed by outside forces. The singer notes that they feel like they have spring fever, despite the fact that it isn't spring. This could be interpreted as the singer feeling a sense of new beginnings or possibilities, even if it isn't the typical time of year for that.
In the second stanza, the singer further explores their discontentedness. They feel like they don't have a purpose, like a "nightingale without a song to sing." The singer asks why they should feel like they have spring fever when it isn't even spring, which could be interpreted as a rhetorical question - why do we feel certain emotions or urges when there isn't necessarily a logical explanation for them? The singer then describes a desire to be somewhere else, to hear new words from someone they've yet to meet. They feel like they're spinning daydreams and are almost dizzy with possibility.
The final stanza refers back to the idea of spring fever, but the singer notes that they haven't even seen the typical symbols of spring - crocuses, rosebuds, or robins. Despite this, the singer feels cheerful in a melancholic way, hinting at a sense of sadness or longing under the surface. The title phrase, "It Might as Well Be Spring," is a play on words - despite the fact that it isn't actually spring, the singer is feeling a sense of newness and possibility that is often associated with the season.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm
I feel anxious and uneasy, just like a willow tree in a storm that is constantly rustling and moving
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I feel nervous and tense, just like a puppet that is constantly moving and jumping on strings
I'd say that I had spring fever
I feel like I am affected by spring fever, which is a feeling of restlessness and excitement that comes with the arrival of spring
But I know it isn't spring
Despite feeling like I have spring fever, I know that it isn't spring and there is no logical reason for me to feel this way
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
I feel somewhat sad and unhappy, but also filled with wonder and amazement, like someone who is looking at the stars
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Just like a nightingale that cannot find its song, I feel like I have lost my way or purpose
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
I am wondering why I am feeling like I have spring fever when it isn't even spring
When it isn't even spring?
I am questioning why I am feeling this way during a season that is not spring
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
I feel like I want to be in a different place or situation than where I currently am
Walking down a strange new street
I imagine myself walking down a new and unfamiliar street, full of excitement and adventure
Hearing words that I have never heard
I am imagining a new and different conversation with someone, filled with unexpected and exciting things
From a girl I've yet to meet
I am imagining this conversation to be with a new and exciting person that I haven't met yet
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I feel like I am constantly daydreaming and imagining things, much like how a spider spins webs all day
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I feel like I am full of joy and happiness, just like a baby who is gleefully swinging in the air
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
Despite feeling like it is spring, I haven't seen any of the traditional signs of spring yet, like a crocus or a robin
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
Even though I am feeling somewhat sad, I also feel a sense of happiness and joy
That it might as well be spring
Because of these conflicting emotions, it feels like it might as well be spring even though it isn't
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind