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.
Lover Man
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The decks are trimmed with gold,
And of jam and spice there's a paradise in the hold.
My ship's aglow with a million pearls
And rubies fill each bin,
The sun sits high in a sapphire sky when my ship comes in.
Till it appears
One fine day one spring,
But the pearls and such
They won't mean much if there's missing just one thing.
I do not care if that day arrives
That dream need never be,
If the ship I sing doesn't also bring
My own true love to me,
If the ship I sing doesn't aalso bring my own true love to me.
Sonny Rollins's song Lover Man is a romantic ballad rich in metaphorical language. The opening line, "My ship has sails that are made of silk," paints the picture of a luxurious vessel with sails that are soft and delicate, almost delicate enough to be compared to the texture of silk. The image of a deck trimmed with gold speaks of lavishness and opulence, and the reference to "jam and spice" in the hold adds a sensual element, suggesting a hidden delight to be discovered.
Rollins continues to paint a picture of wealth and beauty with the line, "My ship's aglow with a million pearls, and rubies fill each bin." The image of pearls and rubies suggests value and preciousness, and a ship aglow with a million pearls is the stuff of fairy tales. The sapphire sky mentioned in the next line further emphasizes the dreamlike quality of this picture.
However, Rollins acknowledges that none of this matters much without love. As he says, "But the pearls and such, they won't mean much if there's missing just one thing." He is willing to wait years for his true love to arrive, but he does not want the ship to only bring pearls, rubies, and other riches - he wants it to bring his true love to him.
Line by Line Meaning
My ship has sails that are made of silk,
My vessel is adorned with sails fashioned from the finest, smoothest fabric.
The decks are trimmed with gold,
The surfaces of my ship are embellished with precious metal.
And of jam and spice there's a paradise in the hold.
A treasure trove of delicious food awaits in the ship's storage area.
My ship's aglow with a million pearls
My vessel is decorated with a multitude of lustrous pearl adornments.
And rubies fill each bin,
Every container on board is packed with gleaming red rubies.
The sun sits high in a sapphire sky when my ship comes in.
My arrival is marked by a radiant blue sky and brilliant sunshine.
I can wait the years
I am willing to endure many years of anticipation.
Till it appears
Until my ship finally arrives.
One fine day one spring,
Perhaps on a beautiful spring day like today.
But the pearls and such
Even though I have such wealth.
They won't mean much if there's missing just one thing.
I won't feel content without my one true love.
I do not care if that day arrives
I am indifferent to the prospect of the ship's arrival.
That dream need never be,
I can forfeit the idea of ever receiving the ship's lavish treasures.
If the ship I sing doesn't also bring
The only way the ship could fulfill my happiness.
My own true love to me,
Is if it also carries my one and only beloved.
If the ship I sing doesn't aalso bring my own true love to me.
It would be meaningless and unfulfilling if it does not bring me the love of my life.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRA GERSHWIN, KURT WEILL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BastiatHayek
1973.