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.
Old Devil Moon
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something in your eyes I see
Soon begins bewitching me
It's that old devil moon
That you stole from the skies
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
You and you glance make this romance
Stars in the night
Blazing their light
Can't hold a candle
To your razzle-dazzle
You've got me flyin' high and wide
On a magic carpet ride
Full of butterflies inside
Wanna cry, wanna croon
Wanna laugh like a loon
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
Just when I think
I'm free as a dove
Old devil moon
Deep in your eyes
Blinds me with love
The lyrics of Sonny Rollins's Old Devil Moon convey an infatuation with a lover whose eyes contain a certain magical quality that bewitches and blinds the singer with love. As soon as the singer looks into the lover's eyes, something starts to stir inside, soon becoming overwhelming. The old devil moon in their eyes seems to be the cause of this bewitchment, a celestial entity stolen from the skies that imbues the lover with a certain captivating power. The lover's gaze and the old devil moon in their eyes create an intense romance that is described as too hot to handle. The singer compares the lover's razzle-dazzle to the stars in the night sky, stating that they can't hold a candle to the lover's captivating power. The singer is so entranced by the lover that they express a desire to cry, croon, and laugh like a loon.
The lyrics of "Old Devil Moon" beautifully convey a deeply infatuated narrator experiencing an overwhelming attraction to their lover purely through the power of their gaze. The devil moon seems to heighten the passion between the singer and their love interest to an almost uncontainable level. The metaphor of the magic carpet ride, full of butterflies and other emotions, encapsulates the intoxicating nature of their romance. Despite feeling free before their interaction, the singer ultimately succumbs to the overwhelming power of their affections, drawing a stark contrast between their emotions before and after they have been bewitched.
Line by Line Meaning
I look at you and suddenly
The singer sees the person in question and immediately something changes within them
Something in your eyes I see
The singer notices some sort of expression or emotion in the other person's eyes
Soon begins bewitching me
The singer becomes entranced or charmed by this person and the emotions they are conveying
It's that old devil moon
The force that is bringing about these emotions and changes within the singer is referred to as the 'old devil moon'
That you stole from the skies
The singer believes that this 'old devil moon' has been taken from the sky and placed within the other person's eyes
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
Once again, the 'old devil moon' is said to be present in the other person's eyes
You and you glance make this romance
The connection between the singer and the other person, as well as the romantic implications of it, are a result of the other person's gaze
Too hot to handle
The romantic feelings are so intense that they are difficult to contain or manage
Stars in the night Blazing their light Can't hold a candle
The other person's radiance and allure is even more powerful than that of the stars in the night sky
To your razzle-dazzle
This phrase refers to the other person's charm and magnetism
You've got me flyin' high and wide
The other person has deeply affected the singer and sent them into a state of euphoria or elation
On a magic carpet ride
The effect of the other person's presence is being compared to a magical experience, specifically a ride on a flying carpet
Full of butterflies inside
The singer is experiencing a fluttery or nervous sensation due to their strong feelings for the other person
Wanna cry, wanna croon
The singer desires to express their emotions to the other person, either through tears or through singing
Wanna laugh like a loon
In addition to crying or singing, the singer desires to laugh uncontrollably in the presence of the other person
It's that old devil moon in your eyes
Once again, the power and effect that the other person has on the singer is attributed to the 'old devil moon' present in their eyes
Just when I think
The singer believes they have control over their emotions and feelings
I'm free as a dove
The singer believes they are no longer entranced by the other person or their 'old devil moon'
Old devil moon
Even when the singer believes they have moved on, the 'old devil moon' still has an effect on them
Deep in your eyes
This phrase refers to the power and effect that the other person has on the singer
Blinds me with love
The love the singer has for the other person is blinding and all-consuming
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Burton Lane, E. Y. Harburg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dan Usiskin
It is a little-known but scientifically proven fact that this Old Devil Moon is the greatest jazz track ever recorded
The Blue River Jazz Band Music
I had the lp/vinyl and CD and this is the first time I heard the extra talking before the tune!
Bob Sax
The form is a little screwy.I think he's changed(or skips) the last ending so It's hard to tell one chorus from the next until you hear the IV to iv-.
Eli Naragon
Yeah, he starts to play the melody to the coda but Wilbur Ware just goes into the first A again so they just go with it. Still a great rendition, of course, just don't go here if you're trying to learn the tune
BC Drummer
@Eli Naragon unless of course you want to learn the Sonny Rollins Trio version :-)
Eli Naragon
@BC Drummer Well yeah that's true. I just mentioned it because it's not how the tune was originally written, so it's important to know that foundation. I've just played with too many vocalists who either sing the coda but then come in wrong because they weren't following the form they set up or just completely skip over the coda because they don't know it's there. Knowing the foundation/history is important after all
BC Drummer
@Eli Naragon You are totally right dude I was just having a little fun with it :-) It's vital to know the correct form of any song including things like codas, or extra bars, or whatever the case may be and you were 100% right to call that out for people who came here to learn the tune. Swing on my friend!!!
Steve Hl
Who was drumming?
60otaku4
The drummer is Elvin Jones.
Otaku4 (^_^)b
Holger Nesweda
@60otaku4 BS its Roy Haynes