Rollins was born in New York City to parents from the United States Virgin Islands. The youngest of three siblings, he grew up in central Harlem and on Sugar Hill, receiving his first alto saxophone at the age of seven or eight. He attended Edward W. Stitt Junior High School and graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in East Harlem. Rollins started as a pianist, changed to alto saxophone, and finally switched to tenor in 1946. During his high school years, he played in a band with other future jazz legends Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew, and Art Taylor.
As a saxophonist he had initially been attracted to the jump and R&B sounds of performers like Louis Jordan, but soon became drawn into the mainstream tenor saxophone tradition. The German critic Joachim Berendt described this tradition as sitting between the two poles of the strong sonority of Coleman Hawkins and the light flexible phrasing of Lester Young, which did so much to inspire the fleet improvisation of bebop in the 1950s. Other tenor saxophone influences include Ben Webster and Don Byas. By his mid-teens, Rollins became heavily influenced by alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. During his high school years, he was mentored by the pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, often rehearsing at Monk's apartment.
Rollins has played, at various times, a Selmer Mark VI tenor saxophone and a Buescher Aristocrat. During the 1970s he recorded on soprano saxophone for the album Easy Living. His preferred mouthpieces are made by Otto Link and Berg Larsen. He uses Frederick Hemke medium reeds.
4 Stairway To The Stars
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And climb that stairway to the stars
With love beside us to fill the night with a song
We'll hear the sound of violins
Out yonder where the blue begins
The moon will guide us as we go drifting along
Can't we sail away on a lazy daisy petal
Over the rim of the hill?
And settle high on the crest of a thrill!
Let's build a stairway to the stars
A lovely stairway to the stars
The song '4 Stairway To The Stars' by Sonny Rollins, portrays a dreamy and enchanting romantic relationship between two lovers, as they desire to climb a stairway leading to the stars, in each other's company. The song expresses the power of love and its ability to make everything seem possible, even reaching the stars. The lyrics introduce the idea of an idyllic world, where love is the center of everything, filling the night with a profound song that echoes the sound of violins.
Rollins's lyrics also evoke the idea of drifting along with the moon as a guide, creating the notion of being lost in the stars with the person you love. The lyrics "Can't we sail away on a lazy daisy petal over the rim of the hill / Can't we sail away on a little dream and settle high on the crest of a thrill" creates the image of two lovers having the desire to constantly rise up to new heights with each other, pushing past their limits to achieve things that were once impossible.
In summary, '4 Stairway To The Stars' is a poetic and romantic song that speaks about the power of love to make anything possible, taking the listener on a journey of love and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's build a stairway to the stars
Let's strive for something great, something that is seemingly unattainable like reaching the stars by building a staircase.
And climb that stairway to the stars
Once we've set our goals high, let's put in the work and effort to achieve it, step by step, until we ultimately reach our destination.
With love beside us to fill the night with a song
In our journey towards achieving our goals, we must not forget to enjoy the moments we share with our loved ones who keep us inspired and motivated, even in the dark times.
We'll hear the sound of violins
The sweet melody of life and success that we are heading towards, will be brought with joy and satisfaction, equivalent of listening to the soothing sound of violins.
Out yonder where the blue begins
We don't know the exact path to our goals, but we know where it all begins. We start our journey from the edge of the unknown, where the vast blue horizon lies.
The moon will guide us as we go drifting along
Even in the darkness, we must not be afraid to move forward, for the moon will be our guiding light, lighting our way and helping us through our journey.
Can't we sail away on a lazy daisy petal
Sometimes, the journey towards success can be difficult and tiring. So just like a lazy daisy petal floats effortlessly in the wind, can't we also sail away and take a break from the journey every now and then?
Over the rim of the hill?
Can't we sail away beyond the peak of our obstacles, where the other side is fresh and full of opportunities?
Can't we sail away on a little dream
Can't we just let our imagination run wild and follow our dreams, no matter how small they may be?
And settle high on the crest of a thrill!
If we keep pushing forward, working hard and following our heart, we will eventually reach that point, where our success will come like a burst of excitement, giving us that happy thrill we deserve.
Let's build a stairway to the stars
This line is repeated to emphasize the significance of aiming high, and persevering with unwavering will towards our goals, till we build a staircase to the stars.
A lovely stairway to the stars
The staircase that we build through our hard work and determination towards our goal will be a lovely one, full of the love and support of our family and friends, which will take us to the stars, to finally realize our dreams.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW SCOTT, BRIAN CONNOLLY, MICHAEL TUCKER, STEPHEN PRIEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lennart Länk aka helluvagun
Mr. Rollins has it all!
Don Won
Sonny is the true heavy weight champion
BlimpyBoy
Well, it's already been said, but: Awe-some! Sonny is smokin'.
PlatypusofCalifornia
he is just throwing himself onto the tune..wow
Lennart Länk aka helluvagun
Hofner guitar