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).
I Can't Give You Anything But
Sonny Clark Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
In Sonny Clark's song "I Can't Give You Anything But", the singer is expressing the struggles of being broke and unable to provide material possessions for their loved one. The lyrics showcase the singer's determination to better their situation and provide for their partner in the future, despite their current financial struggles. The line "My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse" exemplifies the desperation and hardship the singer is experiencing.
The chorus, "I can't give you anything but love, baby. That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby. Dream awhile, scheme awhile. We're sure to find happiness," emphasizes the idea that the singer's love is more valuable than any material object they could offer. The lyrics "Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby. Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby," illustrate the singer's desire to make their partner feel special and loved, even if they cannot afford expensive gifts.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being poor is difficult, my dear.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
It's not funny, my dear, it's a terrible fate.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
My destiny is taking a turn for the worse, it's going from bad to worse.
Who knows, some day I will win too.
Perhaps someday I will also be successful.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
I'll start to enjoy my golden years.
Now though I see what our end is,
Now I understand what our future is,
All I can spend is just my time.
All I can afford to give is my time.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
I might not have much, but I can offer you my love, my dear.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
That's the only thing I can offer in abundance, my dear.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile We're sure to find Happiness and I guess All those things you've always pined for.
Let's dream and make plans together, we'll definitely find the happiness and fulfillment you've always wanted.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
My goodness, I would love to see you looking great, my dear. I can't afford to buy you expensive jewelry, though.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby. I can't give you anything but love.
Until I become lucky and successful enough to give you more, you must know that all I can offer is my love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
Great things take time, my dear.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
Nothing worth having comes for free, my dear.
But I am willing to wait, dear, Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
But I'm willing to be patient, my dear. And I will always remember that you're my little partner.
You have a lifetime before you.
You have your whole life ahead of you, my dear.
I'll adore you, come what may.
I'll love you no matter what happens.
Please don't be blue for the present, When it's so pleasant to hear you say
Please don't be unhappy with our current situation, especially when it's so lovely to hear you speak.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary Neeley
Man, Sonny Clark's cover of this song sends me flying!!!!!!! Thank you for including such amazing photos of that piano master.
Mary Neeley
Is your moniker a tribute to the John Cassavetes TV series. "Johnny Staccato"? I LOVED that show!
johnnystaccata
Actually my alias was taken from a person in the news around 1995 (Baltimore).