Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town southeast of Pittsburgh. At age 12, he moved to Pittsburgh. When visiting an aunt in California at age 20, Clark decided to stay and began working with saxophonist Wardell Gray. Clark went to San Francisco with Oscar Pettiford and after a couple months, was working with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco in 1953. Clark toured the U.S. and Europe with DeFranco until January 1956, when he joined The Lighthouse All-Stars, led by bassist Howard Rumsey.
Wishing to return to the east coast, Clark served as accompanist for singer Dinah Washington in February 1957 in order to relocate to New York City. In New York, Clark was often requested as a sideman by many musicians, partly because of his rhythmic comping. He frequently recorded for Blue Note Records, playing as a sideman with many hard bop players, including Kenny Burrell, Donald Byrd, Paul Chambers, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Art Farmer, Curtis Fuller, Grant Green, Philly Joe Jones, Clifford Jordan, Jackie McLean, Hank Mobley, Art Taylor, and Wilbur Ware. He also recorded sessions with Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, Billie Holiday, Stanley Turrentine, and Lee Morgan.
As a band leader, Clark recorded albums Dial "S" for Sonny (1957), Sonny's Crib (1957), Sonny Clark Trio (1957), with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, and Cool Struttin' (1958). Sonny Clark Trio, with George Duvivier and Max Roach was released in 1960.
Clark died of a heart attack in New York City, although commentators attribute the early death to Clark's drug and alcohol abuse.
Close friend and fellow jazz pianist Bill Evans dedicated the composition "NYC's No Lark" (an anagram of "Sonny Clark") to him after his death, included on Evans' Conversations with Myself (1963). John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, Ray Drummond, and Bobby Previte recorded an album of Clark's compositions, Voodoo (1985), as The Sonny Clark Memorial Quartet. Zorn also recorded several of Clark's compositions with Bill Frisell and George Lewis on News for Lulu (1988) and More News for Lulu (1992).
Dancing In The Dark
Sonny Clark Lyrics
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We're dancing in the dark and it soon ends,
We're waltzing in the wonder of why we're here,
Time hurries by, we're here and gone;
Looking for the light of a new love,
To brighten up the night, I have you love,
And we can face the music together,
The lyrics to Sonny Clark's "Dancing in the Dark" speak to the fleeting nature of life and the joys found in love and companionship. The song invites the listener to revel in the present moment and enjoy the sensation of dancing in the dark until the music stops. The first two lines of the chorus emphasize the temporary nature of existence, as the dance and the music both come to an end. Despite this, the next line suggests that there is wonder to be found in the present moment and the act of dancing. The final line of the chorus acknowledges the passage of time and the inevitability of our eventual departure.
The second verse continues this theme of impermanence, with the singer searching for a new love to brighten up the night. The final two lines, however, suggest that they have found this love and are able to face the challenges of life together. The closing line of the song, "Dancing in the dark," reinforces the idea that life is unpredictable, but that we can find joy and connection through the act of dancing.
Overall, the lyrics to "Dancing in the Dark" convey a sense of appreciation for the present moment and the people we share it with. The song encourages us to dance heedless of the darkness around us and to cherish the connections we make in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Dancing in the dark Till the tune ends,
We are enjoying the moment of dancing in the darkness until the music stops.
We're dancing in the dark and it soon ends,
We are happy and carefree while dancing, but we know this moment will soon come to an end.
We're waltzing in the wonder of why we're here,
As we dance, we are pondering the mysteries of our existence.
Time hurries by, we're here and gone;
We are aware that time flies and life is fleeting.
Looking for the light of a new love,
We are searching for a new source of happiness and love.
To brighten up the night, I have you love,
But we realize that we already have each other's love which brings joy to our lives.
And we can face the music together,
We can deal with any challenges that life throws at us, as long as we have each other's support.
Dancing in the dark.
We continue to enjoy our dance in the darkness, unafraid of the unknown future.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind