Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, he has recorded over sixty albums as a leader. A number of his compositions, including "St. Thomas", "Oleo", "Doxy", "Pent-Up House", and "Airegin", have become jazz standards. Rollins has been called "the greatest living improviser" and the "Saxophone Colossus".

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.

How Are Things in Glocca Morra
Sonny Rollins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hear a bird, Londonderry bird,
It well may be he's bringing me a cheering word.
I hear a breeze, a River Shanon breeze,
It well may be it's followed me across the seas.
Then tell me please

How are things in Glocca Morra?
Is that little brook still leaping there?

Does it still run down to Donny cove?
Through Killybegs, Kilkerry and Kildare?

How are things in Glocca Mora?
Is that willow tree still weeping there?
Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye
Come smilin' by and does she walk away,

Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
So I ask each weepin' willow and each brook along the way,

And each lass that comes a-sighin' too ra lay
How are things in Glocca Morra this fine day?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song 'How are things in Glocca Morra?' by Sonny Rollins is a beautiful portrayal of homesickness and the longing for the familiar surroundings of your hometown. The songwriter uses the imagery of a bird and a breeze to express the connection that the singer feels with their homeland. The mention of Londonderry bird and River Shanon breeze indicate that the singer is away from Ireland and is missing the sounds of their homeland.

The most striking aspect of the lyrics is the intimate connection the singer seems to have with the place they are from. With a longing to know about the well-being of every nook and corner of their hometown, the singer asks about the little brook that used to flow down to Donny cove, through Killybegs, Kilkerry, and Kildare. They even ask about a lassie with twinkling eyes, who seems to have made an impression on the singer. The song represents the beauty of nostalgia, a feeling that everyone can relate to.

Line by Line Meaning

I hear a bird, Londonderry bird,
I can hear a bird singing and it reminds me of the city of Londonderry.

It well may be he's bringing me a cheering word.
Perhaps the bird's song is a message of hope or joy for me.

I hear a breeze, a River Shanon breeze,
I can feel the cool wind blowing from the River Shannon.

It well may be it's followed me across the seas.
Perhaps the wind has carried me and my thoughts from across the ocean.

Then tell me please How are things in Glocca Morra?
As I think of my homeland, I wonder about the current state of Glocca Morra.

Is that little brook still leaping there?
Is the small stream in Glocca Morra still rushing with energy and joy?

Does it still run down to Donny cove?
Is the brook still flowing towards Donny cove as it always has?

Through Killybegs, Kilkerry and Kildare?
Does the brook flow through these towns as well?

How are things in Glocca Mora?
Again, I wonder about the current state of Glocca Morra.

Is that willow tree still weeping there?
Is the willow tree still standing and shedding its leaves in sadness?

Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye Come smilin' by and does she walk away,
I wonder if the girl I used to know still walks by with a bright smile and then continues on her way.

Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
I wonder if she's sad and wistful not to see me there as well.

So I ask each weepin' willow and each brook along the way,
As I continue on my journey, I ask each tree and stream I pass the same questions I have about Glocca Morra.

And each lass that comes a-sighin' too ra lay
I even ask every girl I meet who might be yearning for love as well.

How are things in Glocca Morra this fine day?
I end my musings by asking once more about the state of my homeland Glocca Morra.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: BURTON LANE, E. Y. HARBURG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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