Sanders was… Read Full Bio ↴Pharoah Sanders (1940-2022) was a U.S. jazz saxophonist.
Sanders was born on 13th October 1940 in Little Rock, Arkansas, under the name Farrell Sanders. He began his professional career playing tenor saxophone in Oakland, California.
Sanders moved to New York City in 1962. He received his nickname "Pharoah" from Sun Ra, with whom Sanders performed. He came to prominence playing with John Coltrane's band starting in 1965, as Coltrane began experimenting with the music which would soon become known as avant-garde jazz.
Although he developed a slightly different style from Coltrane, Sanders was strongly influenced by their collaboration together. Sanders was also greatly influenced by Coltrane's earlier works (in which Sanders did not collaborate), particularly A Love Supreme. Spiritual elements such as the chanting in A Love Supreme would later show up in many of Sanders' own works. Sanders would also go on to produce much free jazz, being influenced by his free jazz collaborations with Coltrane, particularly Coltrane's most notable free-jazz work, Ascension (1965), as well as their dual-tenor recording Meditations (1965).
In 1968 he participated in Mike Mantler & Carla Bley's JCOA: Jazz Composer's Orchestra Association album Communications featuring Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Larry Coryell and Gato Barbieri. This solo has been referred to by John Zorn and others as the most intense and inspiring free tenor solo ever put to tape.
In the 1970s, Sanders pursued his own recordings and continued to work with the likes of Alice Coltrane on her Journey in Satchidananda album.
In 1994 he travelled to Morocco to record with master Gnawa musician Maleem Mahmoud Ghania, resulting in the Bill Laswell-produced The Trance of Seven Colours. Sanders continued to work with Laswell, Jah Wobble, and others on the albums Message from Home (1996) and Save Our Children (1998).
Sanders is known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of "sheets of sound".
Too Young to Go Steady
Pharoah Sanders Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear him (her) say.
He (she) says I'm (we're) not ready
But then why am I (are we) feeling this way?
Too young so he (she) tells me
He (she) says we'll have to wait.
Why wait till it may be too late?
Can't he (she) realize he (she) drive me wild
Is he (she) made of stone?
Must he (she) always treat me (act just) like a child?
Won't he (she) ever own up
I'm (we're) grown up?
Some day he'll (she'll) be sorry
Some day just wait and see
He'll (she'll) wish he'd (she'd) gone steady with me!
The song "Too Young to Go Steady" by Pharoah Sanders is about the frustration of young love. The singer, likely a young woman, is in love with someone who tells her that she is too young and not ready for a serious relationship. However, in her heart, she knows that she is ready and the object of her affection is unable to see that. She wonders if he is made of stone, as he treats her like a child and cannot understand her feelings.
The singer desires to have a deeper connection with the person she loves, but is told that they must wait until they are older. The frustration in the lyrics is palpable, as she wonders why they must wait until it is too late. She believes that the person she loves will someday regret not taking a chance on a serious relationship and will wish that they had "gone steady" with her.
Overall, the song conveys the confusion and heartache of young love, where the two parties may not be on the same page about the intensity and seriousness of their feelings. The singer believes that they are "too young" to be taken seriously, but wishes that they could move past that barrier and be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Too young to go steady, too young
I'm (we're) not mature enough for a serious relationship.
He (she) says I'm (we're) not ready
He (she) thinks we're not prepared for a committed relationship.
But then why am I (are we) feeling this way?
Our emotions are contradicting his (her) statement.
Too young so he (she) tells me
He (she) thinks we're not yet mature.
He (she) says we'll have to wait.
He (she) suggests we delay the relationship.
Why wait till it may be too late?
Why not start a relationship now when we are interested in each other?
Can't he (she) realize he (she) drive me wild
He (she) should know that I (we) am (are) crazy about him (her).
Is he (she) made of stone?
Does he (she) not have any emotions?
Must he (she) always treat me (act just) like a child?
Does he (she) have to patronize me (us) all the time?
Won't he (she) ever own up
Will he (she) ever take responsibility?
I'm (we're) grown up?
I (we) think I (we) am (are) mature enough for a relationship.
Some day he'll (she'll) be sorry
He (she) will regret his (her) decision.
Some day just wait and see
It's only a matter of time before he (she) realizes his (her) mistake.
He'll (she'll) wish he'd (she'd) gone steady with me!
He (she) will regret not starting a committed relationship with me (us).
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAROLD ADAMSON, JIMMY MC HUGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandile Nyanda
Is it me or did they shortly go from ballad to swing nearing the end of the piano solo?
harvey1954
Tastesful !