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.
Without a Song
Sonny Rollins Lyrics
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Without a song the road would never bend
When things go wrong a man ain't got a friend
Without a song
That field of corn would never see a plow
That field of corn would be deserted now
A man is born but he's no good no how
Without a song
And I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul
I'll never know what makes the rain to fall
I'll never know what makes that grass so tall
I only know there ain't no love at all
Without a song
I've-a got my trouble and woe and, sure as I know, the Jordan will roll
And I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul
I'll-a never know what makes that rain to fall
I'll never know what makes the grass so tall
I only know there ain't no love at all
Without a song
The lyrics of Sonny Rollins's song "Without a Song" express the idea that life is incomplete without music. The first two lines of the verse state that the day never ends and the road never bends without the presence of a song. The use of the metaphor in the line "When things go wrong a man ain't got a friend" suggests that music can provide comfort and solace in times of difficulty. The third verse touches on the fleetingness of life with the field of corn being representative of the brevity of life, as it will be deserted and unworked without a song.
In the final verse, Rollins voices the belief that the natural world operates according to forces beyond individual human understanding. The line "I only know there ain't no love at all without a song" captures the sentiment that music permeates all realms of human existence and provides a connection to something greater than oneself. Rollins emphasizes that even in the face of trouble and hardship, music remains a constant source of strength and inspiration with the line "I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul."
Line by Line Meaning
Without a song the day would never end
The melody of music helps us to appreciate the fullness of a day's passing
Without a song the road would never bend
Music provides a sense of hope and purpose to life's journey
When things go wrong a man ain't got a friend
Amidst life's hardships, music provides comfort and companionship
Without a song
Music is always present and indispensable to our lives
That field of corn would never see a plow
Music inspires labor and productivity, without which fields would remain barren
That field of corn would be deserted now
Music sustains community and civilization, without which there would be no harvest or human progress
A man is born but he's no good no how
Human beings are incomplete without the transformative power of music
I got my trouble and woe but, sure as I know, the Jordan will roll
Music helps us to overcome life's challenges, bringing us closer to spiritual truths and higher purpose
And I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul
The strength of music in our lives is a measure of our resilience and ability to thrive
I'll never know what makes the rain to fall
Music is a mystery beyond the limits of human understanding
I'll never know what makes that grass so tall
The power of music is elusive and defies rational explanation
I only know there ain't no love at all without a song
Music is the embodiment of love and beauty, essential to our emotional and spiritual well-being
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind