Piliafian participated in the National Music Camp in Interlochen, MI and was the second tuba player to win the concerto competition. Via his performance at Interlochen, he was awarded scholarships to study at both Dartmouth College and the Tanglewood Music Center. Leonard Bernstein chose Pilafian to perform in the world premier of Bernstein's Mass at the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Since then, Pilafian performed numerous times in international concerts and recordings. He founded the Empire Brass Quartet and performed in the Broadway Musicals Doctor Jazz and Much Ado About Nothing.
Pilafian was also active in the jazz scene, having played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and, since 1991, in the duo Travelin' Light with guitarist Frank Vignola. With the saxophonist Scott Zimmer, Pilafian also played the music of Maurice Ravel, Béla Bartók, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, and Captain Beefheart. Pilafian also participated in a Pink Floyd recording.
Pilafian started teaching at Arizona State University in 1994 and later at North Dakota State University in 2017.
Samuel Pilafian died in April 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Discography
Travelling Light, Telarc, 1991
Making Whoopee, 1993
Meltdown, 1998
Perception, 1998 mit Eugene Anderson, Timothy Russell, Timothy Morrison und dem Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra
Black & Blue
Sam Pilafian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pains in my head, feel like old Ned
What did I do to be so black and blue?
No joys for me, no company
Even the mouse ran from my house
All my life through I've been so black and blue
Cause I can't hide what is on my face
I'm so forlorn. Life's just a thorn
My heart is torn. Why was I born?
What did I do to be so black and blue?
I'm hurt inside, but that don't help my case
Cause I can't hide what is on my face
How will it end? Ain't got a friend
My only sin is in my skin
What did I do to be so black and blue?
Tell me, what did I do?
What did I do? What did I do?
What did I do? What did I do?
What did I do? What did I do?
What did I do? Tell me, what did I do to be so black and blue?
What did I do to be so black and blue?
The song Black & Blue by Sam Pilafian explores the theme of racism and its impact on the individual. The opening lines describe a cold and lonely atmosphere, with a hard and uncomfortable bed, and a pounding headache. The reference to feeling like ‘old Ned’ suggests a sense of hopelessness and despair. The repeated question of ‘what did I do to be so black and blue?’ implies a deep-seated confusion and frustration with the circumstances that have led to these feelings of distress.
Throughout the song, the singer highlights the isolation and lack of support they experience in their life, symbolized by the absence of even a mouse in their home. They describe feeling forlorn and their heart being torn, questioning why they were even born. The assertion that they are ‘white inside’ highlights the contrast between their internal and external selves and acknowledges the inherent unfairness of being judged for their skin color.
The repetition of the phrase ‘what did I do?’ emphasizes the feeling of powerlessness and confusion in the face of discrimination. The final line, ‘what did I do to be so black and blue?’, is a poignant plea for understanding and highlights the impact that racism can have on an individual’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead
My bed is cold and empty. The springs are so hard that they feel like lead.
Pains in my head, feel like old Ned
I have a headache that feels like an old man's ache.
What did I do to be so black and blue?
What did I do to feel this beaten up and downtrodden?
No joys for me, no company
I don't have anything that brings me joy or anyone to keep me company.
Even the mouse ran from my house
I'm so alone that even a mouse doesn't want to stay with me.
All my life through I've been so black and blue
I've felt this beaten up and downtrodden all my life.
I'm white inside, but that don't help my case
My character is pure, but that doesn't stop others from treating me poorly.
Cause I can't hide what is on my face
I can't hide the color of my skin or the emotions written all over my face.
I'm so forlorn. Life's just a thorn
I'm utterly hopeless and discouraged with life's constant struggles.
My heart is torn. Why was I born?
I feel completely torn apart inside and wonder why I was even brought into this world.
How will it end? Ain't got a friend
I don't know how it will all end, and I don't have anyone to rely on.
My only sin is in my skin
The only thing that makes me a target is the color of my skin.
What did I do to be so black and blue?
What did I ever do to deserve feeling constantly beaten up and downtrodden
Tell me, what did I do?
Can someone please tell me what I did wrong or what I can do to stop feeling this way?
What did I do? What did I do?
I keep asking, but I can't find an answer. What did I do to deserve this?
What did I do? Tell me, what did I do to be so black and blue?
I desperately want to know what I can do to stop feeling this downtrodden and beaten up all the time.
What did I do to be so black and blue?
I'm so tired of feeling like I'm constantly being beaten up and downtrodden without explanation.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind