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 One and Only Love
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like an April breeze on the wings of spring,
And you appear in all your splendor,
My one and only love.
The shadows fall and spread their mystic charms
In the hush of night while you're in my arms.
I feel your lips, so warm and tender,
The touch of your hand is like heaven,
A heaven that I've never known.
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Tells me that you are my own.
You fill my eager heart with such desire.
Ev'ry kiss you give sets my soul on fire.
I give myself in sweet surrender,
My one and only love.
The lyrics of Sonny Rollins's classic jazz ballad, My One and Only Love, express the deep and overwhelming emotions that one feels when they are in love with only one person. The line "The very thought of you makes my heart sing / Like an April breeze on the wings of spring" is a simile that suggests that the thought of the beloved is so delightful and refreshing that it evokes the same emotions as the arrival of spring. When the singer sees their beloved in all their splendor, they feel like they are the only person in the world who matters. The "shadows" that fall and spread their mystic charms can be interpreted as symbolic of the beauty and mystery that surrounds them when they are in each other's arms.
The singer's lover is the only one who is capable of making them feel so rich and contented. The touch of their hand is heavenly, and the warm blush on their cheek when the singer speaks tells them that they are their own. The singer's every desire is filled by their lover, and every kiss they receive sets their soul on fire. The singer is prepared to give themselves in sweet surrender to their one and only love, a passionate and devoted profession of their undying and all-encompassing love.
Line by Line Meaning
The very thought of you makes my heart sing
Thinking of you brings me so much joy
Like an April breeze on the wings of spring,
Reminiscent of the refreshing breeze that comes with the change of seasons in spring, your presence is a breath of fresh air to me
And you appear in all your splendor,
When I see you, you are the most stunning and exceptional person I know
My one and only love.
You are the only one I love with all my heart
The shadows fall and spread their mystic charms
As night descends, the shadows cast an enchanting spell
In the hush of night while you're in my arms.
While you are in my embrace, time stands still, and everything is peaceful
I feel your lips, so warm and tender,
Your gentle kisses bring tenderness and warmth to my soul
My one and only love.
You are the one I deeply adore and cherish
The touch of your hand is like heaven,
Your touch is a divine experience for me
A heaven that I've never known.
It's a level of beauty I have never experienced before
The blush on your cheek whenever I speak
Whenever I talk to you, your face lights up with a blush of happiness
Tells me that you are my own.
It assures me that you belong to me and my heart
You fill my eager heart with such desire.
You satisfy my heart's cravings and leave me wanting more
Ev'ry kiss you give sets my soul on fire.
Each time you kiss me, it ignites a passion in me that burns brightly
I give myself in sweet surrender,
I give myself to you in complete submission
My one and only love.
You are the only one I truly love and care for
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Guy B. Wood, Robert Mellin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tlawengmophosho4848
Who got all the quotes?
He was quoting four or five songs in his solo.
I think one was "do not stop the carnival"
He is a very great live performer, it is good to him killing a ballad.
He played the bass line to end his solo.
@jimtakahashi4638
on and off, in and out at will ... probably the greatest improviser ever.
@kempro
One of the eternal jazz stars.
@elviragonzalez4588
Very nice and it makes me think of .Trane's
@mikeschouten4732
The master of melody! Love Sonny’s balance of improvisation and storytelling.
@rbsprods3200
The "Saxophone Colossus" in a fabulous, lovely performance with yet another fantastic, extended cadenza that jumps from quote to quote. Wowza!!
@blunewhouse7528
OMG when he played the Armadillo World Headquarters and we were talking after the show backstage I was so intranse with him. He was so impressed that I had fallen so far for his music 🎶🎷 I have met many great jazz musicians at the Armadillo meeting, talking with him is on the top of my list.
@robrae7992
sonny rollins breathes life into a song that requires it.
@louiseducote
Most beautiful thing ever. Thank you for posting this.
@darioraulrey6698
Great ballad and terrific Rollins....!!!!! Thanks
@CarlaRupp
Love this song.