Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977) was a blind American jazz saxophonist, perh… Read Full Bio ↴Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977) was a blind American jazz saxophonist, perhaps best known for his ability to play more than one saxophone at once.

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.

Don't get around much anymore
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Missed the Saturday dance
Heard they crowded the floor
Couldn't bear it without you
Don't get around much anymore

Though I'd visit the club
Got as far as the door
They'd have asked me about you

Don't get around much anymore

Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
But nevertheless why stir up memories?

Been invited on dates
Might have gone but what for?

Awf'lly diff'rent without you
Don't get around much anymore

Overall Meaning

The song "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" by Rahsaan Roland Kirk is about a person who is reminiscing about a past love and how they no longer participate in certain activities because they miss their ex. The lyrics imply that there was a club the couple used to attend together, but now the singer cannot bear to attend the club without their ex. The singer tries to visit the club without any success, deciding to not go in because they would be asked about their ex. The singer then argues that it would be impossible to fill the void left by their ex, as it would not be the same.

The line "Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease, but nevertheless why stir up memories?" shows that the singer is conflicted about their feelings. They admit that they have come to terms with the breakup, but at the same time, they still miss their ex, and bringing back memories could lead to pain.

Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the end of a relationship and how it can impact one's life. It's easy to relate to the emotions expressed in the song, and the lyrics are straightforward, making the song simple yet catchy.

Line by Line Meaning

Missed the Saturday dance
I couldn't dance on Saturday because I missed you.

Heard they crowded the floor
People danced a lot there.

Couldn't bear it without you
It was difficult for me to go there alone without you because I miss you.

Don't get around much anymore
I don't go out much anymore because I miss you too much.

Though I'd visit the club
I thought about going to the club.

Got as far as the door
I could only make it to the door of the club.

They'd have asked me about you
People would have asked me about you.

Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
I feel more relaxed now.

But nevertheless why stir up memories?
But there's no need to revisit old memories.

Been invited on dates
I've been asked out on dates.

Might have gone but what for?
But why bother going without you?