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.
Everything Happens To Me
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until I'm almost mad
I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
Cause all my luck is bad
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
I guess I'll go through life
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains
Everything happens to me
I never miss a thing
I've had the measles and the mumps
And every time I play an ace
My partner always trumps
Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps
Everything happens to me
At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
That love would turn the trick to end despair
But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I've telegraphed and phoned
I send an "Airmail Special" too
Your answer was "Goodbye"
And there was even postage due
I fell in love just once
And then it had to be with you
Everything happens to me
The lyrics to Sonny Rollins's Everything Happens To Me explore the idea of experiencing a run of bad luck that seems to never end. The singer describes how they continually encounter setbacks, mishaps, and misfortunes. For example, black cats cross their path and they feel as though they've "roused the devil's wrath." Even everyday activities like golfing or having a party seem to go awry, with rain ruining the former and neighbors complaining about the latter. The singer seems resigned to the fact that they will always be plagued by bad luck, as if they're caught in a perpetual cycle of missed opportunities, setbacks, and disappointments.
The repeated refrain of "Everything happens to me" reinforces the singer's sense of helplessness and fatalism. They are convinced that they will never be able to escape their ill-fated circumstances. Even when they have a glimmer of hope in the form of a romantic relationship, the singer feels that this too is doomed. They've "mortgaged all [their] castles in the air" and invested so much in this relationship, but despite their best efforts to communicate and connect ("telegraphed and phoned"), their partner ultimately rejects them ("your answer was 'goodbye'"). The singer laments that they've fallen in love only once, and that person just had to be the one who contributed to their ongoing series of misfortunes.
Line by Line Meaning
Black cats creep across my path
I am often followed by bad luck or misfortune.
Until I'm almost mad
This misfortune is so frequent and intense that it affects my mental state.
I must have 'roused the devil's wrath
I must have done something to anger the devil or someone else who can cause bad luck.
Cause all my luck is bad
As a result of this anger, all my luck seems to be negative and against me.
I make a date for golf and you can bet your life it rains
Whenever I plan something, the opposite seems to happen - if I plan to go golfing, it will inevitably rain.
I try to give a party and the guy upstairs complains
Even when I try to do something nice or fun for others, there are still obstacles or complaints that make it difficult to enjoy.
I guess I'll go through life
Based on my experiences, I can only assume that my future will include more bad luck.
Just catchin' colds and missin' trains
These are specific examples of misfortune that I experience frequently and cannot seem to avoid.
I never miss a thing
Despite my bad luck, I am always aware of what is going on because I cannot escape my own circumstances.
I've had the measles and the mumps
I have experienced common illnesses and difficulties that many people face.
And every time I play an ace
Even when I think I am succeeding or doing well, something or someone else will outdo me.
My partner always trumps
My opponent or competitor always seems to have the upper hand - this could be in reference to a card game or a broad life competition.
Guess I'm just a fool who never looks before he jumps
I accept that I may have made mistakes or taken risks that contributed to my run of bad luck.
At first my heart thought you could break this jinx for me
I had hoped that love or a specific person could help me turn things around, but this did not happen.
That love would turn the trick to end despair
I believed that love would be enough to snap me out of my streak of bad luck and make everything better.
But know I just can't fool this head that thinks for me
I have become aware that my mind and life experiences dictate how I feel and think, rather than emotion or external factors like love.
I've mortgaged all my castles in the air
I have invested in impractical or impossible dreams and expectations instead of facing the realities of my life.
I've telegraphed and phoned
I have tried to communicate with others, seeking guidance or understanding.
I send an "Airmail Special" too
I have gone to great lengths to communicate and perhaps even impress others.
Your answer was "Goodbye"
Despite my attempts to reach out, I have been rejected and dismissed by others.
And there was even postage due
Not only did this communication fall flat, I had to pay extra or suffer an additional cost.
I fell in love just once
I have only experienced true love once.
And then it had to be with you
This love was specifically directed at the person I am singing to - this could be a testament to their unique importance in my life, or emphasize the pain of their rejection.
Everything happens to me
This phrase is repeated to hammer home the idea that no matter where I go or what I do, misfortune follows me - I am trapped by my circumstances and my own mind.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOAGY CARMICHAEL, JOHNNY MERCER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Sonny Rollins! The greatest and my most favorite tenor sax player, if not outright saxophone player. I've listened to him in collaboration with the MJQ, Max Roach and Clifford Brown. Abbey Lincoln and a string of other outstanding performers in Jazz. I always never get enough of the man. He was an absolute genius. Thanks for the rich heritage he left all Jazz lovers. Thanks for sharing. May all the cats around the world continue to enjoy the amazing genius of Sonny Rollins. From South Africa
custardapple777
What a fun, light-hearted treatment. I love how Sonny can swing a ballad.
rujazz
+custardapple777
Thank you so much :) Have a Happy New Year!!
custardapple777
+rujazzka Thanks for your awesome channel. Greetings from Sydney Australia.
Gustavo Pelli
Great interpretation of this tune!
Ariel Luzi
Hermoso👏👏👏
Søren Siegumfeldt
He looked super cool with the Buescher Aristocrat tenor on the cover.
According to interviews he rarely played anything but Kings and Selmers - but there are pictures of Sonny arriving at the studio with more than one tenor.
3340steve
A MILLION STARS. Happy Birthday SONNY ROLLINS.
Ni Ma
What a beautiful sound
Warren Grady
He is one of the great ones