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.
Prelude to a Kiss
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song in blue
Like a flower crying
For the dew
That was my heart serenading you
My prelude to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
That was my heart trying to compose
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song so gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
In "Prelude to a Kiss", Rahsaan Roland Kirk describes a love that is heartfelt and profound. He uses imagery to depict his feelings and emotions for a lover who he is serenading with his heart. The opening lines, "If you hear a song in blue, Like a flower crying for the dew, That was my heart serenading you," paint a picture of flowers reaching out for water in the same way Kirk's heart reaches out to his lover. He then goes on to describe how the song grows from his tender and sentimental woes, creating, in essence, a prelude to a kiss. It's a simple melody but one that can be transformed into something as grand as a symphony; a love ballad that cries for tender love and gets it from the eyes of the beloved.
Kirk's use of music as a metaphor for love is a common thread in many love songs, but the beauty of "Prelude to a Kiss" lies in the simplicity of the melody and the depth of the lyrics. Rather than focusing on external elements, this song digs deep into the emotional parts of love, conveying the essence of heartfelt love. It's a prelude to love that will never die, a symphony of authentic emotion that remains forever.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear
If you pay attention
A song in blue
A sad melody
Like a flower crying
Appearing to shed tears, just as a flower may have dewdrops on its petals
For the dew
A metaphorical representation of the love the artist is searching for
That was my heart serenading you
The artist's heart was singing to their lover
My prelude to a kiss
The melody was a preface to a kiss between the singer and their lover
If you hear a song that grows
If you hear a song that increases in intensity
From my tender sentimental woes
From the artist's gentle sentiments and emotional struggles
That was my heart trying to compose
The artist's heart was attempting to compose a song
A prelude to a kiss
A preface to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
Despite the melody being basic
With nothing fancy
With no extravagant elements
Nothing much
Nothing significant
You could turn it to a symphony
You could amplify it into a grander composition
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Implies that with the right touch, the basic melody could be enhanced into a masterpiece composition
Oh how my love song gently cries
The artist's love song softly expresses their emotions
For the tenderness within your eyes
The artist's song is inspired by the tenderness and love in their lover's eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
The singer's love is a preface that never fades
A prelude to a kiss
A preface to a kiss
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, IRVING GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind