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.
Blue Room
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
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Gorgeous and dressed in blue
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
Gorgeous and dressed in blue
I know it drives you crazy
When I pretend you don't exist
When I'd like to lean in close
And run my hands against your lips
Still I sense there's a rapport
So whisper me your number
I'll call you up at home
Whisper me your number
I'll call you up at home
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
Gorgeous and dressed in blue
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
I know you see me see you
As you see me walk on past
When there's nothing more I'd like to do
Then come in close and hear you laugh
Though we haven't even spoken
Still I sense there's a rapport
So whisper me your number
I'll call you up at home
Yea whisper me your number
I'll call you up at home
Whisper me your number
I'll call you up at home
Hmm whisper me your number
I'll call you up at home
The lyrics to Sonny Rollins's "Blue Room" describe an unrequited attraction between two people who have not yet spoken to each other. The singer, who is clearly quite taken with the person they are addressing, tries to play it cool by telling them not to worry and attempting to ignore their presence, even though they are clearly "gorgeous and dressed in blue." However, they can't help but imagine getting closer to them, running their hands against their lips and hearing them laugh. Though they've never spoken, the singer senses a connection between them and asks for their phone number so they can call them later. The song is tinged with both yearning and a sense of frustration, as the singer is clearly attracted to this person but unable to take the next step.
On one level, "Blue Room" can be read as a straightforward love song, expressing the universal feeling of longing for someone you can't have. However, the lyrics also have a melancholic quality, suggesting that the connection between the two people may be fleeting or even doomed. The line "I know you see me see you" suggests a kind of mutual recognition, but the fact that they haven't spoken suggests that they may never act on their attraction. The repetition of the line "Don't worry I'm not looking at you" also creates a sense of distance and disconnect between the singer and the person they are addressing, as if they are trying to convince themselves that they don't care. Overall, "Blue Room" is a beautifully crafted song that captures the bittersweet feeling of falling in love from afar.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
I am not staring at you.
Gorgeous and dressed in blue
You are beautiful and wearing a blue dress.
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
I am not staring at you.
Gorgeous and dressed in blue
You are beautiful and wearing a blue dress.
I know it drives you crazy
I am aware that it makes you insane.
When I pretend you don't exist
It seems like I ignore your existence.
When I'd like to lean in close
Although I really want to approach you.
And run my hands against your lips
I wish to touch your lips.
Though we haven't even spoken
Even though we have not talked.
Still I sense there's a rapport
I feel like we have a connection.
So whisper me your number
Share your number with me in a soft tone.
I'll call you up at home
I will contact you at your residence.
Whisper me your number
Share your number with me in a soft tone.
I'll call you up at home
I will contact you at your residence.
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
I am not staring at you.
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
I am not staring at you.
Gorgeous and dressed in blue
You are beautiful and wearing a blue dress.
Don't worry I'm not looking at you
I am not staring at you.
I know you see me see you
I am aware that you notice me noticing you.
As you see me walk on past
As I continue to walk by.
When there's nothing more I'd like to do
When there is nothing else I would prefer.
Then come in close and hear you laugh
I wish to get close to you and hear your laughter.
Though we haven't even spoken
Even though we have not talked.
Still I sense there's a rapport
I feel like we have a connection.
So whisper me your number
Share your number with me in a soft tone.
I'll call you up at home
I will contact you at your residence.
Yea whisper me your number
Yes, share your number with me in a soft tone.
I'll call you up at home
I will contact you at your residence.
Whisper me your number
Share your number with me in a soft tone.
I'll call you up at home
I will contact you at your residence.
Hmm whisper me your number
Hm, share your number with me in a soft tone.
I'll call you up at home
I will contact you at your residence.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Richard Coburn, Vincent Rose, John Schonberger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind