Ramsey Lewis (born Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. in Chicago on 27 May 1935 ; d… Read Full Bio ↴Ramsey Lewis (born Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. in Chicago on 27 May 1935 ; died 12 September 2022) was an American jazz and pop pianist and keyboardist. Lewis formed The Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956 and went on to record over 80 albums, receiving five gold records and three Grammy Awards during his career.

Lewis began taking piano lessons at the age of four. As a young man, Lewis played with a number of local ensembles, such as Edward Virgil Abner's Knights of Music. Lewis would eventually join a jazz group called The Clefs.

He formed The Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956 with Eldee Young and Isaac Holt. They started as primarily a jazz unit but after their hit, "The In Crowd", in 1965 (the single reached fifth place on the pop charts, and the album second place) the trio concentrated more and more on pop material. Young and Holt left in 1966 to form the Young-Holt Trio and were replaced by Cleveland Eaton and Maurice White. White was replaced by Maurice Jennings in 1970. In the late 1970s an additional keyboard player was frequently added to the lineup. A contemporary version of "The In Crowd" was recorded for Lewis' 2004 album, Time Flies.

His 2005 album "With One Voice" pays homage to his gospel roots with the help Smokie Norful, Darius Brooks, and Donald Lawrence and the J.W. James Memorial A.M.E. Church Combined Choir.

In addition to recording and performing, he was a radio host on Chicago's Smooth Jazz station, WNUA (95.5 FM). His syndicated show Legends of Jazz, featuring classic jazz recordings from artists such as Charlie Parker and Miles Davis), could be heard in 60 cities in the United States and other countries as well. His Legends of Jazz television series on PBS, was first aired in April 2006.

From December 2006, the Ramsey Lewis Morning Show became a part of Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network, simulcasting on other Smooth Jazz stations across the country for the first time.

Lewis was artistic director of Jazz at Ravinia (an annual feature at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois) and helped organize Ravinia's Jazz Mentor Program.

Day Tripper
Ramsey Lewis Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Got a good reason
For taking the easy way out
Got a good reason
For taking the easy way out now
She was a day tripper
One way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out

She's a big teaser
She took me half the way there
She's a big teaser
She took me half the way there, now
She was a day tripper
One way ticket, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Tried to please her
She only played one night stand
Tried to please her
She only played one night stand, now
She was a day tripper
Sunday driver, yeah
It took me so long to find out
And I found out

Day tripper, day tripper, yeah

Day tripper, day tripper, yeah
Day tripper, day tripper, yeah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ramsey Lewis's "Daytripper" are filled with relationship woes and frustrations. The song is about a woman who is a day tripper, meaning she is someone who seeks out adventure and excitement without any long term commitment. She takes the easy way out instead of committing to a long-term relationship. The singer of the song is frustrated with her lack of commitment and investment in their relationship. He has tried to please her but she only wants one night stands. He has discovered that her lack of commitment is the reason why it took so long for him to figure her out.

The repetition of "Got a good reason" in the first and second line of the song is significant because it suggests that the singer is trying to justify or rationalize his partner's behavior. He is trying to convince himself that her behavior is justified when in reality, he knows that it is not. The use of "day tripper" is particularly interesting as it can suggest that the woman is only interested in adventures that last a day, a metaphor for her short attention span, lack of commitment or both. Overall, the lyrics of the song paint a picture of a failed relationship caused by mismatched priorities and goals.

Line by Line Meaning

Got a good reason
I had a valid explanation

For taking the easy way out
For choosing the simpler option

Got a good reason
I had a valid explanation

For taking the easy way out now
For selecting the effortless way now

She was a day tripper
She enjoyed brief trips

One way ticket, yeah
She had a one-way ticket

It took me so long to find out
It was a while before I discovered

And I found out
But eventually, I learned the truth

She's a big teaser
She liked to play with me

She took me half the way there
She led me part of the way to my destination

She was a day tripper
She enjoyed brief trips