Largely self-taught, Red Garland established a reputation as a solid post-b… Read Full Bio ↴Largely self-taught, Red Garland established a reputation as a solid post-bop mainstream player in the 50s, playing with many of the most famous jazz musicians of the time. He achieved international fame in the late 50s as part of the Miles Davis quintet. He went on to lead his own groups, but then retired in 1968, a victim the declining demand for jazz. He reemerged in 1976 and performed regularly until his death in 1984.

Garland was known for his eloquent middle-of-the-road style. A fertile, often moving improvisor, he developed a characteristic block chord sound by combining octaves with a fifth in the middle in the right hand over left-hand comp (accompanying) chords. The style has been much imitated.

Solitude
Red Garland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In my solitude
You haunt me
With dreadful ease
Of days gone by

In my solitude
You taunt me
With memories

That never die

I sit in my chair
And filled with despair
There's no one could be so sad
With gloom everywhere
I sit and I stare
I know that I'll soon go mad

In my solitude
I'm afraid
Dear Lord above
Send back my love
I sit in my chair

Filled with despair
There's no one, no one
No onecould be so sad
With gloom everywhere
I sit and I stare
I know that I'll soon go mad

In my solitude
I'm afraid

Dear Lord above
Send back my love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Red Garland's Solitude express a longing for a lost love that haunts the singer in their solitude. The first verse sets the tone for the song by stating how the memories of this past love are so easily able to haunt and taunt the singer. Garland's use of the words "dreadful ease" and "never die" demonstrates just how deeply embedded these memories are within the singer's soul. The second verse is much more bleak, as the singer is filled with despair and realizes that they might soon go "mad" from their loneliness. The final verse brings a plea to a higher power, asking for the return of this lost love.

Overall, the song is a mournful reflection on the absence of someone who once brought great joy to the singer's life. The figurative language used by Garland, such as "haunt" and "taunt," heightens the emotional intensity of the song. This, paired with the subdued nature of the music, creates a sense of melancholy that is both poignant and haunting.

Line by Line Meaning

In my solitude
In moments alone with my thoughts

You haunt me
Your presence lingers and troubles me

With dreadful ease
Effortlessly reminding me of painful past experiences

Of days gone by
Of a time that has come and gone and cannot be changed

You taunt me
Teasing me with memories that evoke pain and longing

With memories
Recollections of happier times that are now only a memory

That never die
Persistent memories that cannot be erased or forgotten

I sit in my chair
I sit alone in my sadness

And filled with despair
Overwhelmed by hopelessness and helplessness

There's no one could be so sad
Feeling that no one else could understand the depth of my sadness

With gloom everywhere
Surrounded by a sense of bleakness and darkness

I sit and I stare
Lost in my own thoughts and feelings

I know that I'll soon go mad
Feeling like my sadness will eventually drive me insane

In my solitude
Alone with myself and my pain

I'm afraid
Feeling vulnerable and scared

Dear Lord above
My plea for help to a higher power

Send back my love
Asking for my lost love to return to me

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, EDDIE LANGE DE, IRVING MILLS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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