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.

Get out of town
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Get out of town
Before it's too late, my love
Get out of town
Be good to me, please

Why wish me harm?
Why not retire to a farm
And be contented to charm

The birds off the trees?

Just disappear
I care for you much too much
And when you're near, close to me, dear
We touch too much

The thrill when we meet is so bittersweet
That, darling, it's getting me down

So, on your mark, get set
Get out of town

Overall Meaning

Rahsaan Roland Kirk's song "Get Out of Town" is a song about a love that is both intense and overwhelming. The singer of the song is urging their lover to leave town before it is too late, essentially asking them to break up with them. The lyrics indicate that the singer cares deeply for their lover, but the intensity of their relationship is becoming too much for them to handle. The singer suggests that their lover retire to a farm and live a peaceful life without them. The idea being, if the lover stays, the singer will continue to be overwhelmed by their feelings, which is not healthy for either party.

The lyrics also suggest that the lover is not helping the situation by being in their life. The singer implies that their presence is causing harm or contributing to the difficulty of their relationship. They even suggest that the lovers' mere presence is too much to handle. The singer recognizes the physical attraction they feel towards their lover, but they acknowledge that it is too much to handle. They want their lover to leave so they can find peace of mind and distance themselves from the situation.

In conclusion, "Get Out of Town" is a melancholic song, telling the story of a love that has become happy but unbearable. The lyrics are a plea to a partner to break up with them because it is impossible to continue with their relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Get out of town
Leave this place immediately

Before it's too late, my love
Go now or regret later, my lover

Get out of town
I earnestly want you to depart

Be good to me, please
Do this favor to me and leave

Why wish me harm?
Why cause me trouble?

Why not retire to a farm
Why don't you retreat to a peaceful place?

And be contented to charm
You can be content to amaze and delight

The birds off the trees?
Without causing chaos in my life?

Just disappear
Simply vanish from my life

I care for you much too much
I love you too much to watch us suffer

And when you're near, close to me, dear
And when you stand next to me, love