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.

This Is Always
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics

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This isn't sometimes, this is always.
This isn't maybe, this is always.
This is love,
The real beginning of forever,
This isn't just mid summer madness,
A passing glow, a moment's gladness,
Yes it's love.
I knew it on the night we met,

You tied a string around my heart,
So how can I forget you.

With every kiss I know that
This is always.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rahsaan Roland Kirk's song This Is Always are a declaration of everlasting love. The repetition of "this isn't sometimes, this is always" reinforces the idea that the love being described is not fleeting or temporary, but rather a constant presence in the singer's life. It is not just a passing phase, but rather a true beginning of forever. The second verse reinforces this idea by describing how the singer knew it was love on the night they met, and how every kiss confirms this feeling.

The song captures the feeling of being completely smitten with someone and knowing that it is the real deal. The line "you tied a string around my heart, so how can I forget you" is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the idea of being completely entwined with someone emotionally. The use of the word "string" is interesting as it suggests both a physical and emotional connection between the two people.

This Is AlwaysRahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics

This Is Always
Rahsaan Roland Kirk Lyrics