Kirk was born Ronald Kirk on 7th August 1935, in Columbus, Ohio, but felt compelled by a dream to transpose two letters in his first name to make Roland. After another dream in about 1970 he added Rahsaan to his name.
His playing was generally rooted in soul jazz or hard bop, but Kirk's encyclopedic knowledge of jazz history allowed him to draw convincingly on any element of the music's history, from ragtime to swing and free jazz. Kirk also regularly explored classical and pop music.
Kirk played and collected a vast number of musical instruments, mainly various saxophones, clarinets, and flutes. His main instruments were tenor saxophone, and two obscure saxophones: the manzello (similar to a soprano sax) and the stritch (a straight alto sax lacking the instrument's characteristic upturned bell). Kirk modified these instruments himself to accommodate his simultaneous playing technique. He typically appeared on stage with all three horns hanging around his neck, as well as a variety of other instruments, including flutes and whistles. Kirk also played harmonica, cor anglais, recorders, and was a competent trumpeter. He often used unusual instruments or combinations of instrument parts, using a saxophone mouthpiece on a trumpet or playing nose flute. He additionally used many extramusical sounds in his music, such as alarm clocks, whistles, sirens, and even primitive electronic sounds (before such things became commonplace).
In addition to the saxophones, Kirk was also an influential flautist, employing several novel techniques that he developed himself. One technique was to sing or hum into the flute at the same time as playing. (This technique was adopted later by many other players, including Jeremy Steig and Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull.) Another was to play the standard transverse flute at the same time as a nose flute.
Ain
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics
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That you know you shouldn´t have
The more you know you shouldn´t have it
The more you want it
And then one day
You get it
And it´s so good to you
When she´s around me
I just feel so good
So good
But right now I just feel cold
So cold
Right down to my bones ´cause
Hee
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone
It´s not warm when she´s away
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone
And she always gone to long anytime she goes away, hay
? love this time where she's gone
? if she´s gone to stay
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone
And this house just ain´t no ?
Anytime she goes away (anytime she goes away)
Hmmm
Ooh, no, no, no, no
Ooh, no, no, no, no
Ooh, no, no, no, no
Ooh, no, no
All I need (all I need)
I ought to leave her alone
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone (ain´t no sunshine when she's gone)
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone (ain´t no sunshine when she's gone)
? ? darkness everyday (? ? darkness everyday)
Ain´t no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain´t no ?
Anytime she goes away (anytime she goes away)
Do, do, do, do, do, ooh (ain´t no sun)
Do, do, do, do, do (ain´t no sun)
(no, no, no, no, no, no, no) ooh
(no, no, no) ooh, ooh
Anytime she goes away
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone (ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone)
(It´s not warm when she goes away) It´s not warm when she away
(Ain´t no sunshine when she's gone)
And she´s always gone too long
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she gone)
Anytime she goes away
? she goes away
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she goes)
Anytime she goes away (? ? ? everyday)
Anytime she goes away
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she goes)
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she goes)
The lyrics of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's song "Ain't No Sunshine" evoke feelings of melancholy, heartbreak, and longing. The singer describes the pain of wanting something they know they shouldn't have, but getting it anyway. However, even though this thing is enjoyable, it can't replace the feeling of being with the singer's lover, who is portrayed as the source of warmth and comfort. The absence of the lover has caused the singer to feel "cold" and for there to be "no sunshine" in their life. This theme is reiterated throughout the song with the repetition of the phrase "ain't no sunshine when she's gone."
There is a sense of desperation in the singer's voice, manifested in the repetition of phrases and the sporadic outbursts of "ooh, no, no, no." Although the lyrics are simple and repetitive, they pack an emotional punch, and the use of Kirk's signature multi-instrumental style adds to the overall mood of the song.
Overall, "Ain't No Sunshine" is a poignant and bittersweet portrayal of the pain of missing someone you love dearly, and the emptiness that comes when they're not around.
Line by Line Meaning
You ever want something
Have you ever desired something
That you know you shouldn´t have
That you are aware is not suitable for you
The more you know you shouldn´t have it
The more you realize that you are not entitled to it
The more you want it
The more you crave for it
And then one day
Someday in the future
You get it
You finally obtain it
And it´s so good to you
And it brings you so much pleasure
But it´s just like my girl
But it resembles my woman
When she´s around me
When she is nearby
I just feel so good
I experience so much happiness
So good
So wonderful
But right now I just feel cold
But at this moment, I only sense an intense emptiness and loneliness
So cold
So frigid and bleak
Right down to my bones ´cause
Deep within me because
Hee
Exclamation of despair or pain
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone
There is no happiness or positivity when she is absent
It´s not warm when she´s away
It's not amiable when she is not present
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone
There is no brightness or energy when she is gone
And she always gone to long anytime she goes away, hay
And each time she departs, she always stays away for an extended period of time
? love this time where she's gone
I can't stand this moment when she is gone
? if she´s gone to stay
I wonder if she has left me for good
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone
There is no sunlight or happiness when she is not present
And this house just ain´t no ?
And this house feels incomplete or devoid of something
Anytime she goes away (anytime she goes away)
Every time she departs
Hmmm
Expression of contemplation or uncertainty
Ooh, no, no, no, no
Expression of disappointment or sadness
Ooh, no, no, no, no
Expression of distress or displeasure
Ooh, no, no, no, no
Expression of grief or pain
Ooh, no, no
Expression of disenchantment or disapproval
All I need (all I need)
Everything I require
I ought to leave her alone
I should let my woman go
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone (ain´t no sunshine when she's gone)
There is no light or life when she is not there
? ? darkness everyday (? ? darkness everyday)
A sensation of darkness and despair that lasts every day
And this house just ain´t no ?
And this house feels incomplete or devoid of something
Anytime she goes away (anytime she goes away)
Every time she departs
Do, do, do, do, do, ooh (ain´t no sun)
Repetition of sounds for emphasis
Do, do, do, do, do (ain´t no sun)
Repetition of sounds for emphasis
(no, no, no, no, no, no, no) ooh
Expression of lack or deprivation
(no, no, no) ooh, ooh
Expression of hopelessness or disillusionment
Anytime she goes away
Every time she departs
Ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone (ain´t no sunshine when she´s gone)
There is no brightness or positivity when she is not present
(It´s not warm when she goes away) It´s not warm when she away
Things are not amiable or congenial when she leaves
(Ain´t no sunshine when she's gone)
There is no joy or happiness when she is absent
And she´s always gone too long
She always stays away for an excessive amount of time
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she gone)
Every time she departs, there is no brightness or light
Anytime she goes away (? ? ? everyday)
Every time she leaves, there is a feeling of sadness or despair every day
Anytime she goes away
Every time she departs
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she goes)
Every time she leaves, there is no positivity or warmth
Anytime she goes away (ain´t no sunshine when she goes)
Every time she departs, there is no brightness or joy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind