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.
My Man
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But there's one thing that I've got
It's my man
Cold and wet, tired you bet
But all that I soon forget
With my man
He's not much for looks
And no hero out of books
Two or three girls has he
That he likes as well as me
But I love him!
I don't know why I should
He isn't good, he isn't true
He beats me too
What can I do?
Oh, my man I love him so
He'll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don't care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright, all right
What's the difference if I say
I'll go away, When I know
I'll come back on my knees some day?
For whatever my man is
I am his forever more
Oh, my man I love him
Sometimes I say
If I could just get away
With my man
He'd go straight sure as fate
For it never is too late
For a man
I just like to dream
Of a cottage by a stream
With my man
Where a few flowers grew
And perhaps a kid or two
Like my man
And then my eyes get wet
I most forget till he gets hot
And tells me not to talk such rot
Oh, my man I love him so
He'll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don't care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright, all right
What's the difference if I say
I'll go away, When I know
I'll come back on my knees some day?
For what ever my man is
I am his forever more
The lyrics of Sonny Rollins's song My Man is about the unconditional love the singer has for her man, despite knowing he isn't good, he beats her, and he isn't true. She sings about the cost of loving him, but how there is one thing that she has got, which is her man. She describes how her man may not be much for looks, but he is her hero, and even though two or three girls love him besides her, she loves him anyway. The singer admits that she doesn't know why she loves him so much, and that her life is full of despair, but she doesn't care when he takes her in his arms because the world is bright.
The singer pictures a future with her man, where they can be happy together in a cottage by a stream with a few flowers growing and a kid or two. But she realizes that it's just a dream, and when her man gets angry and tells her not to talk such rot, she forgets about it. The lyrics convey a complex and conflicting relationship where the singer is aware of how her man treats her badly, but she can't help but love him deeply. The song deals with themes of love, abuse, desperation, and the power dynamics in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
It's cost me a lot
I've given up a lot of time and energy for my man.
But there's one thing that I've got
Despite the sacrifices, I have the love of my man.
It's my man
He belongs to me and I belong to him.
Cold and wet, tired you bet
I may be cold and tired, but I forget it all when I'm with my man.
But all that I soon forget
His presence makes me forget all my troubles.
With my man
He's the one person who can make me feel better.
He's not much for looks
He may not be handsome, but I love him anyway.
And no hero out of books
He's not a fictional hero, but he's a hero to me.
Is my man
He's just an ordinary man, but he's everything to me.
Two or three girls has he
He may have other women in his life.
That he likes as well as me
But I know that he truly loves me.
But I love him!
Despite his flaws, I am deeply in love with him.
I don't know why I should
I can't explain why I love him, I just do.
He isn't good, he isn't true
He may not be the best partner, but I still love him.
He beats me too
He is physically abusive towards me.
What can I do?
Despite the abuse, I am helpless to leave him.
Oh, my man I love him so
My love for him is overwhelming.
He'll never know
He doesn't understand how deeply I love him.
All my life is just despair
My life seems miserable and hopeless.
But I don't care
Despite the difficulties, I love him too much to leave him.
When he takes me in his arms
His touch makes all my worries disappear.
The world is bright, all right
When I'm with him, everything seems better.
What's the difference if I say
It doesn't matter if I threaten to leave him.
I'll go away, When I know
I may say that I'll leave, but I know I'll come back.
I'll come back on my knees some day?
I'll beg him to take me back one day.
For whatever my man is
No matter what he does, I will always love him.
I am his forever more
Our love is eternal.
Sometimes I say
I sometimes fantasize about a different life.
If I could just get away
I wish I could escape my current situation.
With my man
But I always want him with me.
He'd go straight sure as fate
I believe he would change for the better if we left.
For it never is too late
I still have hope for our future.
For a man
I believe my man can be a better person if he tried.
I just like to dream
I often daydream about a different life.
Of a cottage by a stream
I imagine a peaceful home with my man.
Where a few flowers grew
I picture a beautiful garden around the house.
And perhaps a kid or two
I dream of starting a family with my man.
Like my man
I believe our children would be just like him.
And then my eyes get wet
I become emotional thinking about what could have been.
I most forget till he gets hot
But I am reminded of his temper and the abuse.
And tells me not to talk such rot
He dismisses my dreams and hopes as nonsense.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOSE RAMON GARCIA FLOREZ, MARELLA CAYRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mara Wells
I think Miles Davis said something like, "There are no bad notes as along as you start and stop on he right notes." Deconstructing the melody to to the point that it is way outside the progression and melody is so fun when you can still toss in the cues that remind the listener that you are still grounded in the composition. Those momentary excursions to the limits of control and sanity create new meaning.
djw sam
You are so clever i m breathless
Marsel Music
Truth
Keni Washington
Sonny's total mastery of harmony and melody as he totally bends time and space is truly amazing genius! Every American school child should be learning about Sonny Rollins, Trane, Miles, Bird, Diz and all the numerous giants of that generation. My grandchildren are getting the full lesson and are grateful they know the difference between the 98% of crap that is pimped off to them as "music" and the true masters including Mozart, Bach, Ravel, Ellington -- Rollins, etc.
Geshmake
With all due respect, it's Bob CRANSHAW, not Crenshaw on bass
Steve Cournane
Beautiful version of this tune
Neil Raouf
ohh shittt. i love how rollins is playin the theme....just random notes at the rhytmically right positions....yeahhh ;-)
Marsel Music
He’s not lol
Andrés Felipe Vélez Tabares
Como maneja la armonía este señor!
Kirby Davis
I love Sonny Rollins and Don Cherry.