Shirley Horn was born and raised in Washington, D.C.. Encouraged by her grandmother, an amateur organist, Horn began piano lessons at the age of four. Aged 12, she studied piano and composition at Howard University, later graduating from there in classical music. Horn was offered a place at the Juilliard School, but her family could not afford to send her there. Horn formed her first jazz piano trio when she was 20. Horn's early piano influences were Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, and moving away from her classical background, Horn later said that "Oscar Peterson became my Rachmaninov, and Ahmad Jamal became my Debussy." She then became enamored with the famous U Street jazz area of Washington (largely destroyed in the 1968 riots), sneaking into jazz clubs before she was of legal age.
Horn first achieved fame in 1960, through her association with Miles Davis. Davis' praise had particular resonance in two respects: because he was so highly respected as a musician, and because he rarely offered public praise for fellow musicians at that time. Horn had, though, recorded several songs with violinist Stuff Smith in 1959 both as a pianist and a singer. After her discovery by Davis, she recorded albums on different small labels in the early 1960s, eventually landing contracts with larger labels Mercury Records and Impulse Records. She was popular with jazz critics, but did not achieve significant popular success.
Quincy Jones attempted to make Horn into a pure vocalist in several recording sessions, something he later hinted may have been a mistake. Horn was also disturbed by the changes in popular music in the 1960s following the arrival of The Beatles. Largely rejecting efforts to remake her into a popular singer, she stated: "I will not stoop to conquer."[4] From the late-1960s, she concentrated on raising her daughter Rainy with her husband, Shepherd Deering (whom she had married in 1955), and largely limited her performances to her native Washington, D.C.
Miles Davis made a rare appearance as a sideman on Horn's 1991 album You Won't Forget Me. Although she preferred to perform in small settings, such as her trio, she also recorded with orchestras, as on the 1992 album Here's to Life, the title song (lyrics by Phyllis Molinary, music by Artie Butler) of which became her signature song. A video documentary of Horn's life and music was released at the same time as "Here's To Life" and shared its title. At the time, arranger Johnny Mandel commented that Horn's piano skill was comparable to that of the noted jazz great Bill Evans. A follow-up was made in 2001, named You're My Thrill.
Horn worked with the same rhythm section for 25 years: Charles Ables (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Don Heckman wrote in the Los Angeles Times (February 2, 1995) about "the importance of bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams to Horn's sound. Working with boundless subtlety, following her every spontaneous twist and turn, they were the ideal accompanists for a performer who clearly will tolerate nothing less than perfection".
Her albums Here's to Life, Light Out of Darkness (A Tribute to Ray Charles) and I Love You, Paris all reached number one on the Billboard jazz charts.
Due to health problems in the early 2000s, Horn had to cut back on her performances. After 2002, a foot amputation (from complications of diabetes) led her to leave the piano playing to pianist George Mesterhazy. In late 2004, Horn felt able to play piano again, and recorded a live album for Verve, at Manhattan's Au Bar with trumpet player Roy Hargrove, which did not satisfy her.[citation needed] It remains unreleased except for tracks on But Beautiful - The Best of Shirley Horn.
A breast cancer survivor, she had been battling diabetes when she died of complications from the condition, aged 71. She is interred at Ft. Lincoln Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
Horn was nominated for nine Grammy Awards during her career, winning the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance at the 41st Grammy Awards for I Remember Miles, a tribute to her friend and mentor (the album's cover featuring a Miles Davis drawing of them both).
She was officially recognized by the 109th US Congress for "her many achievements and contributions to the world of jazz and American culture", and performed at The White House for several U.S. presidents. Horn was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the Berklee College of Music in 2002.
She was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2005 (the highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians).
Lazy Afternoon
Shirley Horn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the beetle bugs are zoomin'
And the tulip trees are bloomin'
And there's not another human in view
But us two.
It's a lazy afternoon
And the farmer leaves his reapin'
And the speckled trout stop leapin' up stream
As we dream.
A fat pink cloud hangs over the hill
Unfoldin' like a rose
If you hold my hand and sit real still
You can hear the grass as it grows.
It's a hazy afternoon
And I know a place that's quiet, 'cept for daisies running riot
And there's no one passing by it to see
Come spend this lazy afternoon with me
The song "Lazy Afternoon" by Shirley Horn is a jazzy, romantic ballad that invokes a serene and tranquil environment, inviting the listener to join her on a leisurely afternoon. The song is written by John Latouche and Jerome Moross and was initially composed for the Broadway musical "The Golden Apple." The ballad is a duet that tells of the delights of an afternoon spent outside in nature, disconnected from the hustle and bustle of society. The beetles are buzzing, the trees are blooming, and the trout aren't biting, and yet still, it is a perfect day because there is nothing else the two protagonists would instead be doing.
As the song progresses, the imagery becomes more vibrant as the singers describe a fat pink cloud hanging over a hill unfolding like a rose. They continue to paint the picture by saying that if one were to hold their hand and listen intently, they could hear the grass growing beneath them. The song then repeats some of the previous lyrics, albeit with a more melodic tone. They mention finding a quiet place where daisies run wild but no one else is around. The chorus invites someone to join their lazy afternoon, and the song fades away with them repeating the title.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a lazy afternoon
The day is calm and unhurried.
And the beetle bugs are zoomin'
The insects are flying around quickly.
And the tulip trees are bloomin'
The trees are in flowering season.
And there's not another human in view
There is no one else around except for us two.
But us two.
We are the only people present at the moment.
And the farmer leaves his reapin'
The farmer has stopped working in the fields.
In the meadow cows are sleepin'
The cows are resting in the open field.
And the speckled trout stop leapin' up stream
The fish are not jumping in the nearby water anymore.
As we dream.
We are lost in thought and imagination.
A fat pink cloud hangs over the hill
A thick pink-colored cloud is visible in the sky.
Unfoldin' like a rose
The cloud looks like a flower that is opening up.
If you hold my hand and sit real still
If we remain calm and hold hands.
You can hear the grass as it grows.
We can hear the sound of the grass growing.
It's a hazy afternoon
The day is full of mist and haze.
And I know a place that's quiet, 'cept for daisies running riot
I know a peaceful place where only daisies are in abundance, spreading wildly.
And there's no one passing by it to see
No one is walking by to witness the beauty.
Come spend this lazy afternoon with me
Join me and share this relaxed day together.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Latouche, Jerome Moross
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Janet Smith
When was the last time you heard “beetle bugs” in lyrics? This tune is without a doubt the most chilling, ethereal, and breathtakingly beautiful piece ever written!!! Lazy Afternoon indeed! 💖 ❤️ ♥️
eric st-laurent
I heard this 30 years ago and never forgot it. This is the first time I hear it since and it is exactly as I remembered it - stunningly beautiful.
Geoffrey Arend Sr.
Kaye Ballard debuted this tune in her great play "Golden Apple" on Broadway during the early 1950s. Here Shirley delivers so well that if you turn up the music in the back yard during late August the cicadas will ride along with the music as it moves up and down.
Janet Smith
.......and the beetle bugs are zoomin’ .....and the tulip trees are bloomin’. Lazy Afternoon. A masterpiece!!!!!! Shirley Horns presentation? The best in the 🌎!!!!!
loulou2lou
As always Shirley, in her taffy pulling manner,interprets this beautiful song.
shellybellysf
loulou2lou taffy pulling?
Barbara Paris
Awesome..... Shirley Horn blessed us with her interpretation everytime. I will always remember the evening we had dinner together on the Norwegian Cruise Ship, the afternoon on Saint Martin shopping, the evening I heard her at the Chatelet Theater in Paris.....I will always treasure the many memories of moments with her and remember Shirley Horn fondly. Though far away....we can still hear her heart beat in her music.
Edward Desenne
Agreed ! One of the best vocal versions to do justice to the lyrics and to the lovely tune and she's accompanying herself on piano, isn't she ? Bob Wilber does gerat version on his soprano sax also .
Janet Smith
‘And the beetle bugs are zoomin”. Now, who writes lyrics like this?????? NOBODY!!!! IMHO LazY Afternoon is the most poignant tune ever written and I mean THE most poignant melody that ever been written and that includes lyrics. Lazy Afternoon has been around a long time and I just re-discovered it! What a blessing! What a melody! What lyrics! WHAT A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
toyne38
A beautiful interpretation of a beautiful song.