A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette," where he used whistling and guitar in unison. He worked both as a bandleader and as a sideman, including many projects with composer/arranger Quincy Jones. He performed on many film soundtracks, such as Midnight Cowboy, Cinderella Liberty, Jean de Florette, The Sugarland Express, The Yakuza, Turkish Delight, the 1972 version of The Getaway, French Kiss, Dunderklumpen!, and in various television programs, including Sesame Street, whose closing credits (which did not list him accordingly) featured his performance, on harmonica, of the show's theme, the Belgian television series Witse, and in the Netherlands, for the Baantjer series.
Thielemans started his career as a guitar player. In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and others. In 1951 he went on tour with Bobbejaan Schoepen.
He moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars. He played and recorded with names like Ella Fitzgerald, The George Shearing Quintet, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina and others.
A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette" where he used whistling and guitar in unison. Bluesette became a major 1962 world-wide hit for him and this still much beloved and requested piece has been re-recorded by him and commercially released on records/CDs many times over both in various studio versions and live on-stage performances performed in several different countries. His trademark harmonica playing can also be heard in movie scores such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (where his plaintive "Moon River" solo in the opening scene brilliantly establishes the film's mood of romance noir), Midnight Cowboy, Bagdad Café, French Kiss, and in various TV programs like Sesame Street, the Belgian TV series Witse and the Dutch TV series Baantjer. His professional whistling and harmonica playing can be heard on Old Spice radio and TV commercials that have been made over the years. In 1983 he contributed to Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, and his trademark harmonica can be heard on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone."
In the 90s Thielemans embarked on theme projects that included world music. In 1998 he released the a French flavoured album titled "Chez Toots" that included the Les Moulins De Mon Coeur (The Windmills of My Heart) featuring guest singer Johnny Mathis. This CD continues to sell well.
Today Jean "Toots" Thielemans remains a strong favorite among jazz aficionados and professional critics alike. His music CDs continue to delight (many of which were recorded in the 2000s) and have introduced him to entire new generations of keen fans.
Apart from his popularity as an accomplished musician, he is well liked for his modesty and kind demeanor. In his native Belgium, he is also popular for describing himself as a Brussels "ket", which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang. He received a joint honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and in 2001 Thielemans was ennobled a baron by King Albert II of Belgium.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 20th place, in the Walloon version he ended 44th place.
Thielemans may have had a significant impact on The Beatles, (John Lennon in particular), during the group's pre-fame formative years. When performing in a 1959 Hamburg Germany with the pre-fame Beatles, John Lennon (sometimes with fellow Beatle George Harrison in tow) would often go over to the club where Toots was performing (at a noontime venue) as a member of The George Shearing Quintet. Lennon evidently was taken with Toot's harmonica playing and also for the guitar Toots was playing, an electric American made Rickenbacker with a short play neck. Based on the sound Lennon heard, he decided to purchase a natural alder wood "alderglo" colored three pickup Rickenbacker 1958 model 325 Capri guitar with a short scale as former Beatle and friend, George Harrison would recall to various interviewers many years later. (This iconic famous guitar often fondly referred to as the "Holy Grail" of all guitars, which was customized and tinkered with many times over the years by Lennon including being re-painted to jetglo black in September 1962, is the very same guitar that he played on The Beatles first and third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show during February 1964).
Toots Thielemans died peacefully in his sleep on August 22, 2016 after being hospitalized for a fall a month earlier.
Nothing Else Matters
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me tell ya,
My Mona Lisa with a smile,
Knowing all that we've been through,
Together,
We've lasted for a while.
Hasn't it been so easy?
But life can be that way,
Seem so small.
Cause when there's love,
True love,
Nothing else matters,
At all.
Those precious moments,
Are filled with so much tears and laughter;
Funny how the time does fly.
Was it all a plan,
Or some passing chances?
I won't ask the reason why.
If I say I love you,
Let me tell you like it is,
Love you till the stars stars,
All start to fall.
Cause when there's love,
True love,
Nothing else matters,
At all.
When I say I love you,
Let me tell you like it is,
Love you till the stars,
All start to fall.
Yes when there is love,
True love.
Yes when there is love,
True love.
Yes when there is love, true love;
Nothing else matters,
Nothing else matters,
Nothing else matters,
At all
The lyrics of Toots Thielemans's song "Nothing Else Matters" talk about the enduring power of true love. The singer asks himself whether he truly loves his partner, his "Mona Lisa with a smile," but the answer is clear: they've been through a lot together, and they've lasted for a while. Life may present challenges and mountains to climb, but with true love, nothing else matters. The song emphasizes the precious moments shared between two people, moments that are filled with both tears and laughter. The passing of time is also a central theme of the lyrics, as the singer muses on whether their love was part of some grand plan or just a series of chances. However, in the end, the specifics don't matter because true love endures regardless of the reasons why.
The song's lyrics are a beautiful testament to the power of love, but they are also notable for their clarity and simplicity. Toots Thielemans conveys a lot of meaning through just a few phrases, and his delivery is warm and understated. The repeating refrain of "nothing else matters" emphasizes the central theme of the song in a very effective way.
Line by Line Meaning
Do I love you?
Am I truly in love with you?
Let me tell ya,
Allow me to express it clearly.
My Mona Lisa with a smile,
You are my masterpiece, always bringing joy to my life.
Knowing all that we've been through,
Acknowledging all the experiences we have shared.
Together,
We have faced everything side by side.
We've lasted for a while.
Our love has endured the passage of time.
Hasn't it been so easy?
Things have been going smoothly, right?
But life can be that way,
Nevertheless, life can be unpredictable.
You made all the mountains,
You have supported me and made obstacles seem small.
Seem so small.
You have made everything much easier to overcome.
Cause when there's love,
Because, in the presence of love,
True love,
Genuine and deep affection,
Nothing else matters,
All other things become irrelevant and insignificant.
At all.
Completely and entirely.
Those precious moments,
Those valuable memories we hold so dear,
Are filled with so much tears and laughter;
Are a mixture of happiness and sadness.
Funny how the time does fly.
Time goes by so quickly.
Was it all a plan,
Did fate bring us together for a purpose?
Or some passing chances?
Or did we just happen to cross paths?
I won't ask the reason why.
I do not need to know the answer to that question.
If I say I love you,
Whenever I express my love for you,
Let me tell you like it is,
I am being completely honest.
Love you till the stars stars,
My love for you is infinite, as vast as the universe.
All start to fall.
Even the stars seem to crumble before our love.
Yes when there is love,
Undeniably, love has the power,
True love.
A genuine and authentic connection filled with trust and respect.
Nothing else matters,
All other things pale in comparison.
Nothing else matters,
Nothing else is relevant.
Nothing else matters,
Everything else is insignificant.
At all.
Completely and entirely.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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