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.
When You Wish Upon a Star
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They possess a gift or two
One of them is this
They have the power to make a wish come true
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true
When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you
If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true
The song “When You Wish Upon a Star” by Sonny Rollins is a timeless classic that conveys a message of hope and belief in the power of dreams. The lyrics talk about the magical properties of a star and its ability to grant wishes to those who believe in it. The first verse talks about the special abilities of a star, that when it is born, it possesses a gift or two, with one of them being the power to make a wish come true. This represents the idea of hope that comes with a new beginning, and the belief that anything is possible when you make a wish.
The chorus of the song repeats the famous lines “When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come to you”. This is a reassuring statement that seeks to inspire people to follow their dreams and believe in their ability to achieve them. The second verse of the song emphasizes that if your heart is in your dream, there is no request too extreme. This means that if you are truly passionate about what you want, you can achieve it.
The third and final verse of the song speaks about the inevitability of fate in fulfilling our secret longings. It says that fate is kind and brings to those who love, the sweet fulfillment of their secret longing. This means that in addition to the power of believing in yourself, there is also a larger force at work that can make your dreams come true. The song ends on a positive note, saying that when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true, reinforcing the idea that with hope, belief, and the support of fate, anything is possible.
Line by Line Meaning
When a star is born
Stars are born with a special gift or two.
They possess a gift or two
Stars have unique qualities that make them special.
One of them is this
One of the qualities that stars have is the power to grant wishes.
They have the power to make a wish come true
Stars can fulfill wishes.
When you wish upon a star
If you make a wish on a star,
Makes no difference who you are
It doesn't matter who you are,
Anything your heart desires will come to you
Your wish will be granted.
If your heart is in your dream
If you truly desire something,
No request is too extreme
Even the most ambitious wishes can be granted.
As dreamers do
Like all dreamers,
Fate is kind
Your wish will be fulfilled because fate is on your side.
She brings to those who love
Fate is kind to those who truly love something.
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing
Fate grants the fulfillment of their deepest desires.
Like a bolt out of the blue
Sudden, unexpected events happen.
Fate steps in and sees you through
Fate intervenes and helps you achieve your goal.
Your dreams come true
Your wish is granted.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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