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.
I'll Remember April
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
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We'll sigh goodbye to all we ever had
Alone where we have walked together
I'll remember April and be glad
I'll be content you loved me once in April
Your lips were warm and love and spring were new
I'm not afraid of autumn and her sorrow
The fire will dwindle into glowing ashes
For flames live such a little while
I won't forget but I won't be lonely
I'll remember April and smile
The song “I’ll Remember April” by Sonny Rollins is a classic jazz standard that speaks about the joys and sorrows of love, particularly love that blooms in the springtime. In the first verse, the lyrics recall the wistful feeling of saying goodbye to a love that was once cherished, and how the memories of those times will live on. The singer expresses that they will remember April and be glad, despite the hurt and heartbreak that comes with the end of a relationship.
The second verse speaks of the inevitability of change and the passing of time. The singer recalls the warmth of love in the springtime and how it fades away with the coming of autumn. However, despite the sorrow that comes with the changing seasons, the memories of love will always be cherished. The final verse speaks of coming to peace with the past, accepting that the passion that once burned so brightly has now flickered out. The singer will keep the memories of that love close to their heart and smile in the knowledge that they once shared something special.
In summary, “I’ll Remember April” is a song that speaks about the complexities of love and the inevitably of change. The lyrics are a poetic reflection on how the memories of love can endure even after the relationship has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
This lovely day will lengthen into evening
This wonderful day will eventually come to an end as evening takes over
We'll sigh goodbye to all we ever had
We'll say goodbye and feel a sense of loss for everything we've cherished
Alone where we have walked together
I'll be by myself in the same place where we once walked side by side
I'll remember April and be glad
Despite feeling sadness and loneliness, I'll still cherish the memories of our time together in April
I'll be content you loved me once in April
I'll find comfort in the fact that you loved me at least once, and it happened in April
Your lips were warm and love and spring were new
When we kissed in April, your lips were warm and it felt like we were in the early stages of love and the onset of spring
I'm not afraid of autumn and her sorrow
I'm not scared of the sadness that autumn brings
For I'll remember April and you
I'll always think back to the time we spent together in April and the memories of you will bring me happiness
The fire will dwindle into glowing ashes
The passion we once had will slowly fade away over time
For flames live such a little while
Passionate flames of love do not last forever
I won't forget but I won't be lonely
I will always hold on to the memories, but I won't let it consume me with loneliness
I'll remember April and smile
I'll embrace the memories of our time together and they will make me smile
Lyrics © THE HUB MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: GERRY MULLIGAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind