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.
Mother Nature's Son
Ramsey Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mother Nature's son
All day long I'm sitting singing songs for everyone.
Sit beside a mountain stream
See her waters rise
Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies.
Mother Nature's son
Swaying daises sing a lazy song beneath the sun.
Mother Nature's son.
The lyrics to Ramsey Lewis's song "Mother Nature's Son" describe a simple life connected to nature. The singer of the song is a poor young country boy who spends all day long singing songs for anyone who will listen. The first stanza sets up the focal point of the song, which is the connection between the natural world and the singer. It establishes that the singer is someone who has grown up with a deep appreciation for the beauty of the world around him and is connected to it in a profound way.
The second part of the song has the singer observing a mountain stream, watching it rise, and listening to the pretty sound of its music. The stream is personified as a she, which adds to the overall theme of the song, which is the idea that nature is a living being that deserves respect and admiration. The third part of the song has the singer in a field of grass, swaying with the daisies and singing a lazy song beneath the sun. The image is one of peace and contentment, with the singer fully immersed in the natural world.
Overall, the lyrics to "Mother Nature's Son" celebrate the beauty of nature and the simple life that can be found by being connected to it. The song is a reminder to slow down and appreciate the world around us, which can be easy to forget in our fast-paced modern lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Born a poor young country boy
I came into this world without wealth and grew up in a rural area.
Mother Nature's son
I feel connected to and at one with the natural world.
All day long I'm sitting singing songs for everyone.
I spend my days creating music to share with others.
Sit beside a mountain stream
I like to spend time in peaceful, natural settings.
See her waters rise
I observe the changes and movements in the natural environment.
Listen to the pretty sound of music as she flies.
I appreciate the musical qualities of the sounds and movements of nature.
Find me in my field of grass
I feel most at home in meadows and other natural landscapes.
Mother Nature's son
I am deeply connected to and influenced by the natural world.
Swaying daisies sing a lazy song beneath the sun.
I enjoy the simple beauty and peacefulness of the natural world.
Mother Nature's son.
I am a product of and deeply connected to the natural world.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN LENNON, JOHN WINSTON LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
LEE STAMM
This album came out when I was in college in 1969. So many years ago, but the music is still great. I had the great pleasure of a conversation with him in 2009. He was a very nice and gracious man.
silverinkpot7
This is so beautiful on so many levels I can't even express it in words! <3
Peter Luck
that is just so great.... i fall in love with this album without even knowing it was beatles covers, i prefer it this way
Rich
Beautiful music to listen to and thank you tons for this post.
That's My Cut!
Charles Stepney was genius
Robert Niemann
news just broke 😔 rip to a great. running through this album in honor of him
Galen Hubbard
Maurice White on drums🔥🔥🔥🔥
krdennison
My childhood...in music.
Fernando Iturburu
didn't know about this... so many things to learn yet....beautiful
Claire Carlia-Jones
Sublime