Braff was a wonderfully characterful and melodic player with an immediately identifiable sound and unique tone on the cornet, an uncommon instrument in post-war jazz. He style was fundamentally based on that of earlier players including Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett and Bunny Berigan but he transcended these influences to always sounds fresh, sparky and somehow modern.
He was born in Boston and began playing in local clubs in the 1940s. In 1949, he was hired to play with the Edmond Hall Orchestra. He relocated to New York in 1953 where he was much in demand for band dates and recordings.
He died February 10, 2003, in Chatham, Massachusetts.
"Sure, they’ve made statements about my supposedly combining a modern approach with a feeling for traditional forms. Well, people say all sorts of things, because they want to categorise and label. I’ve only ever had two labels. Either it’s good or it stinks." - Ruby Braff speaking in 1968
Lullaby of Birdland
Ruby Braff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always hear when you sigh
Never in my wordland
Could there be ways to reveal
In a phrase how I feel
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love?
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
And there's a weepy old willow
He really knows how to cry
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Flyin' high in Birdland
High in the sky up above
All because we're in love
In Ruby Braff's song Lullaby of Birdland, the singer talks about the melody that he always hears when his love sighs, which is the comforting tune that puts him to sleep. He goes on to express that no matter how much he tries, he cannot find words to convey the feeling. The singer then compares their bond to two turtle doves cooing when they are in love, and the magic they make every time they kiss.
Moreover, he mentions the old willow tree which represents sadness and pain but also the relief it provides when one cries on it. The singer says that if his love leaves him, he'd cry just like the old willow does. However, he ends the song on a high note, singing about the euphoric feeling of being in love in Birdland, up in the sky, and how sweet their love's kiss tastes.
Overall, the song conveys the message that no matter the challenge or the sorrow that may come, the comfort of love will always alleviate the pain and suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I
The melody of Birdland is the constant background noise in my head
Always hear when you sigh
Every time you sigh, the sound of Birdland becomes more distinct
Never in my wordland
In my limited vocabulary and world of words
Could there be ways to reveal
I wouldn't be able to express
In a phrase how I feel
My feelings for you cannot be summed up in words
Have you ever heard two turtle doves
Have you ever noticed the sounds made by a pair of turtle doves
Bill and coo when they love?
They make music when they're in love, expressing their love with sounds
That's the kind of magic
That's how it feels, like we're creating something magical
Music we make with our lips when we kiss
The sounds we create when we kiss are like music
And there's a weepy old willow
And then there's this weeping willow
He really knows how to cry
It's an old tree, but it knows how to express sadness
That's how I'd cry in my pillow
That's how I'd cry if you left me
If you should tell me farewell and goodbye
If you were to say goodbye to me
Lullaby of Birdland whisper low
The sound of Birdland quiets down
Kiss me sweet and we'll go
Kiss me and we'll leave together
Flyin' high in Birdland
We'll feel like we're soaring high in the sky
High in the sky up above
Extremely high up in the sky above us
All because we're in love
All of this because of our love
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Shearing, George David Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gina Dyson
Love this Song!!!! Love this song by Urbie Green and his group!!
Play it !! Great song!!! I LOVE THIS SONG AND THE FLUTE AND
THE OTHER INSTRUMENTS IN THIS SONG!!!!!
I FEEL BLESSED TO DANCE TO THIS SONG , HAPPY SONG!!!
Davey Jones
im taking trumpet lessons with urbie's son Jesse, he is so amazing at piano and i love listening to his dad and watching the old tapes of Urbie. Urbie still plays amazing
Gina Dyson
This is my most favorite song !!!
K nzo [Vortex1212]
Great recording, helpful referance for leaning how to solo!
Egbert1957
Meilensteine für angehende Posaunisten aller Zeiten
barrtok
cool!
Grantas Kleinauskas
0:44 almost the licc