The San Francisco-based trio was first formed around 1954, then in a piano-guitar-bass configuration. Starting with the release of the group's self-titled debut album on Fantasy in 1956, Guaraldi would remain on the label for some time. Guaraldi's early recordings were decidedly low-key and morose compared to the work for which he would become famous, but his trademark melancholy and distinctive instrumental voicings, including his deep basslines, were indelible parts of his aesthetic framework from the very beginning.
Influenced by the Brazilian film Black Orpheus (1959)--whose soundtrack was a large part of the impending Bossa nova craze--the trio recorded the album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus (1962), having by this point settled into their now familiar piano-bass-drums lineup. The album featured renditions of songs from the film, as well as a number of originals; one such song was "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" which would, within a year, become one of the most commercially successful jazz instrumentals of its time, notably winning a Grammy for Best Instrumental Song. Several vocal versions (with lyrics by Carel Werber) would also achieve significant success.
It was thanks to Guaraldi's hit song that he was discovered by Lee Mendelson who wanted him to write music for Peanuts animation. Guaraldi's first Peanuts assignment was the music for the ill-fated Schulz documentary A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Though the special was never aired and remained unavailable to the public for several decades, the music was released as the album Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1964). For later reissues, the album was retroactively renamed after the documentary.
Despite a troubled production process, 1965 saw the premiere of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Guaraldi's ground-breaking amalgamation of Christmas music and his own unique brand of jazz was an inexorable part of the special's unforeseen success; the soundtrack, featuring originals alongside Guaraldi's interpretations of standards, continues to amass impressive sales even now. One of the songs from the special, "Linus and Lucy" (featured in the special's famous "dancing scene"), would become the de facto theme of Peanuts animations, often mistakenly referred to as the "Peanuts Theme". Another song on the soundtrack, "Christmas Time Is Here" (with lyrics by Mendelson), has become a Christmas standard in its own right.
With the passing of the '60s, Guaraldi began experimenting more and more with different sonic textures for his music, having all but replaced his acoustic piano with various electronic keyboards, most notably the Fender Rhodes. Consequently, Guaraldi would, less and less, perform and record within the context of a trio. While it was never "officially" disbanded, and Guaraldi still used this configuration from time to time, the group inevitably dissolved upon Guaraldi's untimely death in 1976.
Peanuts specials made subsequent to his death often reuse Guaraldi's recordings, or original music inspired heavily by Guaraldi's iconic scores; a testament to his importance to the identity of Peanuts. More importantly, generations of people have cited Guaraldi's inventive and playful jazz as their formative experience with the genre, imbuing a spark of the love of jazz in untold numbers of listeners that only seem to increase the more time goes by.
Autumn Leaves
Vince Guaraldi Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The Vince Guaraldi Trio's song Autumn Leaves is a poignant reflection on a relationship that has come to an end, set against the backdrop of the changing seasons. The falling leaves of autumn serve as a metaphor for the passing of time and the loss of love. The opening lines of the song describe the beauty of autumn leaves as they drift by a window, but the beauty is tinged with sadness as the listener is reminded of a past love. The singer recalls the warm summer kisses and the touch of the lover's sun-burned hands. The days grow longer since the lover has gone, and the singer knows that winter is approaching. But it is during the autumn that the singer misses the lover the most, as the falling leaves serve as a reminder of what has been lost.
The second verse of the song shifts from English to French and adds another layer of meaning to the lyrics. The singer describes the relationship between two people who loved each other deeply, but who were separated by the passage of time. The phrase "C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble" translates to "This is a song that resembles us", highlighting the universal experience of love and loss. The singer describes how the two lovers once lived together, but the time and circumstances of life slowly pulled them apart. The final line of the verse, "Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis", translates to "And the sea erases on the sand the footsteps of separated lovers", emphasizing the inevitable passing of time and the erasure of memory.
- Autumn Leaves was composed by Joseph Kosma in 1945, with lyrics by Jacques Prévert in French and later Johnny Mercer in English.
- The song has been covered by countless artists, including Nat King Cole, Bill Evans, and Eric Clapton.
- Autumn Leaves is the most popular jazz standard in the world, according to a study in the Journal of New Music Research.
- It is often used as a teaching tool for jazz improvisation and has been played by Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
- The song was used in the film Paris When It Sizzles starring Audrey Hepburn.
- The French version of the song was used in the opening credits of the anime series Cowboy Bebop.
- The song has been featured in many other films, including The Debt, Akira Kurosawa's Dreams, and The Flintstones.
- It has also been covered by non-jazz artists, such as Ed Sheeran and Eva Cassidy.
- The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
- The song has been translated into multiple languages, including Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.
Chords: Am7 D7 Dm7 G7 Cmaj7 F#dim7 B7 Em E7 Am
Line by Line Meaning
The falling leaves drift by the window
The leaves are falling and moving past the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
The leaves of autumn have red and gold colors
I see your lips, the summer kisses
I remember your lips and the kisses of summer
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
I miss holding your hands, which were sunburned in the summer
Since you went away the days grow long
The days feel longer since you left
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
Winter is approaching and its presence will be felt soon
But I miss you most of all my darling
Out of everything, I miss you the most, my beloved
When autumn leaves start to fall
The arrival of autumn leaves makes me think of you
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
This is a song that resembles us
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
You loved me and I loved you
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We lived together as a couple
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
You loved me, and I loved you
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
But life separates those who love each other
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Quietly and softly
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
And the sea erases the footprints of separated lovers on the sand
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSEPH KOSMA, JOHNNY MERCER, JACQUES PREVERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind