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 Want to Be Happy
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to work out life's happy plan
Doing unto others as I'd like to have them doing unto me
When I find a very lonely soul
Soon be-kinda-comes my only goal
I feel so much better when I tell them my philosophy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
Life's really worth living
When we are mirth giving
Why can't I give some to you
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
I'll send the sun smiling through
I want to be happy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
I'll send the sun smiling through
I want to be happy
But I won't be happy
Till I make you happy too.
The lyrics to Sonny Rollins's song "I Want to Be Happy" portray the singer as a simple, ordinary person who is trying to figure out the key to happiness in life. The singer expresses a belief in treating others with kindness and empathy: "Doing unto others as I'd like to have them doing unto me." The singer also finds purpose in helping those who are lonely by sharing their philosophy, demonstrating a desire to spread happiness to those around them.
The chorus of the song repeatedly expresses the singer's desire to be happy, but also underscores the importance of making others happy as well. The singer believes that a fulfilling life is one in which they can give joy to others, and feels that "Life's really worth living / When we are mirth giving / Why can't I give some to you." This sentiment is reinforced in the final stanza, where the singer promises to "send the sun smiling through" the gray skies of others when they are feeling down.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a very ordinary man
I am a regular person, not special or extraordinary in any way.
Trying to work out life's happy plan
I am attempting to figure out how to be happy in life.
Doing unto others as I'd like to have them doing unto me
I treat others the way I'd like to be treated.
When I find a very lonely soul
Whenever I encounter someone who is alone and unhappy,
Soon be-kinda-comes my only goal
It becomes my primary objective.
I feel so much better when I tell them my philosophy
Sharing my perspective with them makes me feel significantly better.
I want to be happy
Being happy is my goal.
But I won't be happy
However, I won't achieve happiness.
Till I make you happy too.
Until I can also bring you joy and happiness.
Life's really worth living
Life is valuable and worth experiencing.
When we are mirth giving
When we are able to bring happiness and laughter to others.
Why can't I give some to you
I don't understand why I can't bring you happiness.
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
When you are feeling sad and depressed.
I'll send the sun smiling through
I'll try to bring happiness and positivity into your life.
But I won't be happy
However, my happiness won't be complete.
Till I make you happy too.
Until I can also bring joy and happiness to you.
When skies are gray and you say you are blue
When you are feeling sad and depressed.
I'll send the sun smiling through
I'll try to bring happiness and positivity into your life.
I want to be happy
Being happy is my goal.
But I won't be happy
However, I won't achieve happiness.
Till I make you happy too.
Until I can also bring you joy and happiness.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRVING CAESAR, VINCENT YOUMANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@unionheel1696
Honest and steadfast music. Even 60+ years later it still sounds refreshing.
@emanueldavid113
This one and The Way You Look Tonight foretell Sonny's early mastery .
He really was already a giant and he went on to solidify that spot in the pantheon
of the great Jazz minds. The album WORKTIME in late '55 shores things up
nicely even though he's still only known in small circles in NYC at this time.
Even if he had passed the following year with Brownie and Richie Powell he
still would be seen as a legendary figure in jazz much the same way as Brownie.
He was already heavily respected by his peers and even Charlie Parker spoke
of him like he was one of the cats from his era .
Still only 23 when he recorded this .
@tibornemeth2878
Fantastic record!
@luckydave328
Uplifting !
@airbornmobo747ma
Classic Music
@geraldarnaud1974
Brouillon de génies.
@samuelbeauregard9730
Aucun brouillon ici, seulement de l'or musical
@czmzb
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