Marsalis is the son of jazz musician Ellis Marsalis, Jr. (pianist), grandson of Ellis Marsalis, Sr., and brother of Branford Marsalis (saxophonist), Delfeayo Marsalis (trombonist), Mboya, and Jason Marsalis (drummer).
He is the worldโs first jazz artist to perform and compose across the full jazz spectrum from its New Orleans roots to bebop to modern jazz. By creating and performing an expansive range of brilliant new music for quartets to big bands, chamber music ensembles to symphony orchestras, tap dance to ballet, Wynton has expanded the vocabulary for jazz and created a vital body of work that places him among the worldโs finest musicians and composers.
Early Years
Wynton was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 18, 1961, to Ellis and Dolores Marsalis, the second of six sons. At an early age he exhibited a superior aptitude for music and a desire to participate in American culture. At age eight Wynton performed traditional New Orleans music in the Fairview Baptist Church band led by legendary banjoist Danny Barker, and at 14 he performed with the New Orleans Philharmonic. During high school Wynton performed with the New Orleans Symphony Brass Quintet, New Orleans Community Concert Band, New Orleans Youth Orchestra, New Orleans Symphony, various jazz bands and with the popular local funk band, the Creators.
At age 17 Wynton became the youngest musician ever to be admitted to Tanglewoodโs Berkshire Music Center. Despite his youth, he was awarded the schoolโs prestigious Harvey Shapiro Award for outstanding brass student. Wynton moved to New York City to attend Juilliard in 1979. When he began to pick up gigs around town, the grapevine began to buzz. In 1980 Wynton seized the opportunity to join the Jazz Messengers to study under master drummer and bandleader Art Blakey. It was from Blakey that Wynton acquired his concept for bandleading and for bringing intensity to each and every performance. In the years to follow Wynton performed with Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sweets Edison, Clark Terry, Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and countless other jazz legends.
Wynton assembled his own band in 1981 and hit the road, performing over 120 concerts every year for 15 consecutive years. With the power of his superior musicianship, the infectious sound of his swinging bands and an exhaustive series of performances and music workshops, Marsalis rekindled widespread interest in jazz throughout the world. Wynton embraced the jazz lineage to garner recognition for the older generation of overlooked jazz musicians and prompted the re-issue of jazz catalog by record companies worldwide.
He also inspired a renaissance that attracted a new generation of fine young talent to jazz.
A look at the more distinguished jazz musicians of today reveals numerous students of Marsalisโ workshops: James Carter, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Payton, Eric Reed and Eric Lewis, to name a few.
Classical Career
Wyntonโs love of the music of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and others drove him to pursue a career in classical music as well. He recorded the Haydn, Hummel and Leopold Mozart trumpet concertos at age 20. His debut recording received glorious reviews and won the Grammy Awardยฎ for โBest Classical Soloist with an Orchestra.โ Marsalis went on to record 10 additional classical records, all to critical acclaim. Wynton performed with leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Londonโs Royal Philharmonic, working with an eminent group of conductors including: Leppard, Dutoit, Maazel, Slatkin, Salonen and Tilson-Thomas. Famed classical trumpeter Maurice Andrรฉ praised Wynton as โpotentially the greatest trumpeter of all time.โ
Record Production
To date Wynton has produced over 70 records which have sold over seven million copies worldwide including three Gold Records. His recordings consistently incorporate a heavy emphasis on the blues, an inclusive approach to all forms of jazz from New Orleans to modern jazz, persistent use of swing as the primary rhythm, an embrace of the American popular song, individual and collective improvisation, and a panoramic vision of compositional styles from dittys to dynamic call and response patterns (both within the rhythm section and between the rhythm section and horn players). Always swinging, Marsalis blows his trumpet with a clear tone and a unique, virtuosic style derived from an encyclopedic range of trumpet techniques.
The Composer
Wynton Marsalis is a prolific and inventive composer. The dance community embraced Wyntonโs inventiveness by awarding him with commissions to create new music for Garth Fagan (Citi Movement-Griot New York), Peter Martins at the New York City Ballet (Jazz: Six Syncopated Movements and Them Twos), Twyla Tharp with the American Ballet Theatre (Jump Start), Judith Jamison at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre (Sweet Release and HereโฆNow), and Savion Glover (Petite Suite and Spaces). Marsalis collaborated with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society in 1995 to compose the string quartet At The Octoroon Balls, and again in 1998 to create a response to Stravinskyโs A Soldierโs Tale with his composition A Fiddlerโs Tale. With his collection of standards arrangements, Wynton reconnected audiences with the beauty of the American popular song (Standard Time Volumes I-VI). He re-introduced the joy in New Orleans jazz with his recording The Majesty Of The Blues. He extended the jazz musicianโs interplay with the blues in Levee Low Moan, Thick In The South and other blues recordings. With Citi Movement, In This House On This Morning and Blood On The Fields, Wynton invented a fresh conception for extended form compositions. His inventive interplay with melody, harmony and rhythm, along with his lyrical voicing and tonal coloring assert new possibilities for the jazz ensemble. In his dramatic oratorio Blood On The Fields, Wynton draws upon the blues, work songs, chants, call and response, spirituals, New Orleans jazz, Ellingtonesque orchestral arrangements and Afro-Caribbean rhythms; and he uses Greek chorus-style recitations to move the work along. The New York Times Magazine said the work โmarked the symbolic moment when the full heritage of the line, Ellington through Mingus, was extended into the present.โ The San Francisco Examiner stated, โMarsalisโ orchestral arrangements are magnificent. Duke Ellingtonโs shadings and themes come and go but Marsalisโ free use of dissonance, counter rhythms and polyphonics is way ahead of Ellingtonโs mid-century era.โ Wynton extended his achievements in Blood On The Fields with All Rise, an epic composition for big band, gospel choir, and symphony orchestra - a classic work of high art - which was performed by the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Kurt Masur along with the Morgan State University Choir and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (December 1999). Marsalis collaborated with Ghanaian master drummer Yacub Addy to create Congo Square, a groundbreaking composition combining elegant harmonies from Americaโs jazz tradition with fundamental rituals in African percussion and vocals (2006). For the anniversary of the Abyssinian Baptist Churchโs 200th year of service, Marsalis blended Baptist church choir cadences with blues accents and big band swing rhythms to compose Abyssinian 200: A Celebration, which was performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Abyssinianโs 100 voice choir before packed houses in New York City (May 2008). In the fall of 2009 the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra premiered Marsalisโ composition Blues Symphony. By infusing blues and ragtime rhythms with symphonic orchestrations Wynton creates a fresh type of enjoyment of classical repertoire. Employing complex layers of collective improvisation, Marsalis further expanded his repertoire for symphony orchestra with Swing Symphony, premiered by the renowned Berlin Philharmonic in June 2010, creating new possibilities for audiences to experience a symphony orchestra swing. The New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Barbican have all signed on to perform Swing Symphony. Marsalisโ rich and expansive body of music for the ages places him among the worldโs most significant composers.
Television and Radio
In the fall of 1995 Wynton launched two major broadcast events. In October PBS premiered Marsalis On Music, an educational television series on jazz and classical music. The series was written and hosted by Marsalis and was enjoyed by millions of parents and children. Writers distinguished Marsalis On Music with comparisons to Leonard Bernsteinโs celebrated Young Peopleโs Concerts of the 50s and 60s. That same month National Public Radio aired the first of Marsalisโ 26-week series entitled Making the Music. These entertaining and insightful radio shows were the first full exposition of jazz music in American broadcast history. Wyntonโs radio and television series were awarded the most prestigious distinction in broadcast journalism, the George Foster Peabody Award. Marsalis has also written five books: Sweet Swing Blues on the Road, Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life, To a Young Musician: Letters from the Road, Jazz ABZ (an A to Z collection of poems celebrating jazz greats), and his most recent release Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life.
Awards and Accolades
Wynton Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awardsยฎ in grand style. In 1983 he became the only artist ever to win Grammy Awardsยฎ for both jazz and classical records; and he repeated the distinction by winning jazz and classical Grammysยฎ again in 1984. Today Wynton is the only artist ever to win Grammy Awardsยฎ in five consecutive years (1983-1987). Honorary degrees have been conferred upon Wynton by over 25 of Americaโs leading academic institutions including Columbia, Harvard, Howard, Princeton and Yale (see Exhibit A). Elsewhere Wynton was honored with the Louis Armstrong Memorial Medal and the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts. He was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement and was dubbed an Honorary Dreamer by the โI Have a Dream Foundation.โ The New York Urban League awarded Wynton with the Frederick Douglass Medallion for distinguished leadership and the American Arts Council presented him with the Arts Education Award. Time magazine selected Wynton as one of Americaโs most promising leaders under age 40 in 1995, and in 1996 Time celebrated Marsalis again as one of Americaโs 25 most influential people. In November 2005 Wynton Marsalis received The National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists by the United States Government. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan proclaimed Wynton Marsalis an international ambassador of goodwill for the Unites States by appointing him a UN Messenger of Peace (2001).
In 1997 Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz musician ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his epic oratorio Blood On The Fields. During the five preceding decades the Pulitzer Prize jury refused to recognize jazz musicians and their improvisational music, reserving this distinction for classical composers. In the years following Marsalisโ award, the Pulitzer Prize for Music has been awarded posthumously to Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. In a personal note to Wynton, Zarin Mehta wrote, โI was not surprised at your winning the Pulitzer Prize for Blood On The Fields. It is a broad, beautifully painted canvas that impresses and inspires. It speaks to us all ... Iโm sure that, somewhere in the firmament, Buddy Bolden, Louis Armstrong and legions of others are smiling down on you.โ
Wyntonโs creativity has been celebrated throughout the world. He won the Netherlandsโ Edison Award and the Grand Prix Du Disque of France. The Mayor of Vitoria, Spain, awarded Wynton with the cityโs Gold Medal โ its most coveted distinction. Britainโs senior conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Music, granted Mr. Marsalis Honorary Membership, the Academyโs highest decoration for a non-British citizen (1996). The city of Marciac, France, erected a bronze statue in his honor. The French Ministry of Culture appointed Wynton the rank of Knight in the Order of Arts and Literature and in the fall of 2009 Wynton received Franceโs highest distinction, the insignia Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, an honor that was first awarded by Napoleon Bonaparte. French Ambassador, His Excellency Pierre Vimont, captured the evening best with his introduction:
โWe are gathered here tonight to express the French governmentโs recognition of one of the most influential figures in American music, an outstanding artist, in one word: a visionaryโฆ
I want to stress how important your work has been for both the American and the French. I want to put the emphasis on the main values and concerns that we all share: the importance of education and transmission of culture from one generation to the other, and a true commitment to the profoundly democratic idea that lies in jazz music.
I strongly believe that, for you, jazz is more than just a musical form. It is tradition, it is part of American history and culture and life. To you, jazz is the sound of democracy. And from this democratic nature of jazz derives openness, generosity, and universality.โ
Jazz at Lincoln Center
In 1987 Wynton Marsalis co-founded a jazz program at Lincoln Center. In July 1996, due to its significant success, Jazz at Lincoln Center was installed as new constituent of Lincoln Center, equal in stature with the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera, and New York City Ballet - a historic moment for jazz as an art form and for Lincoln Center as a cultural institution. In October 2004, with the assistance of a dedicated Board and staff, Marsalis opened Frederick P. Rose Hall, the worldโs first institution for jazz. The complex contains three state-of-the-art performance spaces (including the first concert hall designed specifically for jazz) along with recording, broadcast, rehearsal and educational facilities. Jazz at Lincoln Center has become a preferred venue for New York jazz fans and a destination for travelers from throughout the world. Wynton presently serves as Artistic Director for Jazz at Lincoln Center and Music Director for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Under Wyntonโs leadership, Jazz at Lincoln Center has developed an international agenda presenting rich and diverse programming that includes concerts, debates, film forums, dances, television and radio broadcasts, and educational activities.
Jazz at Lincoln Center is a mecca for learning as well as a hub for performance. Their comprehensive educational programming includes a Band Directorโs Academy, a hugely popular concert series for kids called Jazz for Young People, Jazz in the Schools, a Middle School Jazz Academy, WeBop! (for kids ages 8 months to 5 years), an annual High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival that reaches over 2000 bands in 50 states and Canada, and online learning tools.
Giving Back
Wynton Marsalis has devoted his life to uplifting populations worldwide with the egalitarian spirit of jazz. And while his body of work is enough to fill two lifetimes, Wynton continues to work tirelessly to contribute even more to our worldโs cultural landscape. It has been said that he is an artist for whom greatness is not just possible, but inevitable. The most extraordinary dimension of Wynton Marsalis, however, is not his accomplishments but his character. It is the lesser-known part of this man who finds endless ways to give of himself.
It is the person who waited in an empty parking lot for one full hour after a concert in Baltimore, waiting for a single student to return from home with his horn for a trumpet lesson. It is the citizen who personally funds scholarships for students and covers medical expenses for those in need. Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, Wynton organized the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert and raised over $3 million for musicians and cultural organizations impacted by the hurricane. At the same time, he assumed a leadership role on the Bring Back New Orleans Cultural Commission where he was instrumental in shaping a master plan that would revitalize the cityโs cultural base. Wynton Marsalis has selflessly donated his time and talent to non-profit organizations throughout the country to raise money to meet the many needs within our society. From My Sisterโs Place (a shelter for battered women) to Graham Windham (a shelter for homeless children), the Childrenโs Defense Fund, Amnesty International, the Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, Food For All Seasons (a food bank for the elderly and disadvantaged), Very Special Arts (an organization that provides experiences in dance, drama, literature, and music for individuals with physical and mental disabilities) to the Newark Boys Chorus School (a full-time academic music school for disadvantaged youths) and many, many more - Wynton responded enthusiastically to the call for service. It is Wynton Marsalisโ commitment to the improvement of life for all people that portrays the best of his character and humanity.
HONORARY DEGREES
1988
1. Brown University (Doctor of Music)
2. Southern University at New Orleans (Doctor of Music)
1990
3. University at Buffalo - State University of New York (Doctor of Music)
1992
4. Boston University (Doctor of Music)
1993
5. Academy of Southern Arts and Letters (Doctor of Philosophy in Arts)
1994
6. University of Miami (Doctor of Music)
1995
7. Hunter College (Doctor of Humane Letters)
8. Manhattan School of Music (Doctor of Music)
9. Princeton University (Doctor of Arts)
10. Yale University (Doctor of Music)
1996
11. Brandies University (Doctor of Humane Letters)
12. Columbia University (Doctor of Music)
13. Governors State University (Doctor of Humane Letters)
14. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Doctor of Fine Arts)
15. Royal Academy of Music (Honorary Member)
16. University of Scranton (Doctor of Fine Arts)
1997
17. Amherst College (Doctor of Music)
18. Howard University (Doctor of Music)
19. Long Island University (Doctor of Music)
20. Rutgers University (Doctor of Fine Arts)
1998
21. Bard College (Doctor of Fine Arts)
22. Haverford College (Doctor of Humane Letters)
1999
23. University of Massachusetts Amherst (Doctor of Fine Arts)
2000
24. Middlebury College (Doctor of Arts)
25. University of Pennsylvania (Doctor of Music)
2001
26. Clark Atlanta University (Doctorate of Humane Letters)
27. Connecticut College (Doctor of Fine Arts)
2004
28. Bloomfield College (Doctor of Fine Arts)
2007
29. New York University (Doctor of Fine Arts)
2009
30. Harvard University (Doctor of Music)
31. Northwestern University (Doctor of Arts)
www.wyntonmarsalis.org
He And She
Wynton Marsalis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a man and a woman is a dangerous game)
Every schoolboy knows 1 plus 1 equals 2
and boys know less than girls do
A man forgets what the boy knew,
remembers what he's used to 'til you
crashed a cacophonous procession of cruel, hard fun,
(What songs do mystic bluesmen sing
'bout memory being more powerful than
the real, real thing)
Here - There the sun
O! the moon
the sun the moon and you, only you
You are Northern Lights searing the midnight
skies with
sassy splashes of unruly satin
I see only you.
My heart is a swallow swooping down to taunt the arrogant, lovestruck coward who dares
approach you disguised as a man
(What passions could cosmic bluesmen blame
if a man too scared to ask a woman her name)
You are the razor rim of some sudden primal chasm
best broached boldly
(if at all)
Well,
I will ride the rim bare
(if need be)
because I seek only you,
you and only you.
Once I saw the setting sun facing the red, red moon 'cross the big, big sky
made small by them looking so hard at each other
(so hard)
much, much majesty
waiting and watching . . . (waiting and watching)
it was Everything and Nothing all at once
The sun and the moon
O! the impassive sky
1 plus 1 equals 2
like you and me before becoming we.
Then that glorious sun was gone . . .
There the moon
O! the midnight sky
the moon, the desolate sky
and the road
Only the road and what has passed
or is passed by
(What tales do wily bluesman weave
'bout a man and a woman when that
woman leave)
Every schoolboy knows
1 plus 0 plus 1
'cept if you're the one gone like me remembering me without you.
1 plus 0 equals 0
A man forgets what
the boy knew
for true.
'Til you halted an awkward parade of
silly grownup games and stone-cold jolly
with the devastating presentness of yes.
Jumpstart my sputtering heart
I RIDES THE RIM
The barest breeze brings you on the wind
reminds me of first things:
first day of school
first crush
first slow dance
first kiss
first time you let me know what it feels like to be you
(What madness makes mocking bluesmen rhyme a man and a woman for another last time)
You remember you told me I said something I didn't say or mean to say that you thought meant something about you and me but it wasn't true that I said it or that you had even heard what I actually did say or really mean to say at all?
You and me together,
Us going through things and coming out on the
other side
still together
That's what I was saying that you misunderstood, baby.
1 plus 1 equals 3
you, me, and you and me
(What folly do sophic bluesmen find
when a man think he know a woman mind)
Then she: you're the one misunderstood.
I was talking about Everything and Nothing,
Baby.
no you - no me
1 plus 1 equals 1
us plus us equals us
Then he: 1 plus 1 equals 1, Damn!
I bet there's not a schoolboy in the whole world knows that.
Girls.
They born knowing all kinds of stuff a man ain't never even gon' ever learn.
Here - There the sun,
O! the moon
the sun and the moon
the sun, the moon, and the big, big sky
O! the moon the midnight sky, and the road
only the road and what
has passed
or is passed by.
Truly Nothing . . .
and Everything
All the tears the pious have wept 'bout a man gone and a
woman kept
All the wrongs the
righteous assail
'bout a two-timing woman and a man in jail
All the songs country bluesmen sing
'bout ever-lovin' love and
a one-night fling.
'bout how a woman can take more'n a man can ever bring
Oh yes!
a man and a woman's a dangerous thing.
a train,
a banjo,
and a chicken wing.
The lyrics of "He And She" explore the complexities and dynamics of a romantic relationship between a man and a woman. The opening lines question why country bluesmen often view love as a dangerous game, implying that the unpredictable nature of a relationship can lead to pain and heartache. The lyrics suggest that while boys may have a simplistic understanding of relationships, girls possess a deeper knowledge.
The song continues to describe the intensity of the connection between the man and the woman. The woman, compared to the Northern Lights, is portrayed as a captivating and unpredictable force, leaving the man completely enamored. The man's heart is described as a swallow, symbolizing his willingness to face any challenge in order to be with her. The lyrics suggest that the passion between them is palpable, heightening the stakes of their relationship.
The song then transitions to a scene of the setting sun and the red moon reflecting on the big sky. This moment of beauty and grandeur symbolizes the magnificence of love and its ability to consume one's world. However, just as the sun sets, the song takes a somber turn, emphasizing the desolation that follows the end of a relationship. The moon, sky, and road represent the emptiness and loneliness that accompany the absence of the woman.
As the lyrics progress, they further explore the impact of the woman's departure. The man is haunted by memories of their time together and the ways in which she disrupted his life, ultimately leaving him questioning everything he thought he knew. However, her presence and the joy she brought into his life also left a lasting impact, reminding him of the importance of their connection.
In the final section of the song, the lyrics showcase a dialogue between the man and woman, revealing a misunderstanding between them. They argue about the meaning behind their words and intentions, highlighting the challenges of communication and misinterpretation within a relationship. Eventually, they come to a realization of their shared understanding and unity, acknowledging that their union is greater than the sum of its parts. The song concludes by emphasizing the foolishness and folly of assuming one can fully comprehend the mind of their partner.
Overall, "He And She" delves into the complexities, challenges, and misunderstandings that can arise within a romantic relationship. Through its vivid imagery and poignant lyrics, the song aims to provide a profound exploration of the dynamic between a man and a woman.
Line by Line Meaning
(What cause country bluesmen to claim
a man and a woman is a dangerous game)
Country bluesmen believe that the dynamic between a man and a woman can be risky and unpredictable.
Every schoolboy knows 1 plus 1 equals 2
and boys know less than girls do
Generally, society recognizes that one plus one equals two, but it's often the case that boys have less knowledge than girls.
A man forgets what the boy knew,
remembers what he's used to 'til you
crashed a cacophonous procession of cruel, hard fun,
shook my remembering with a blinding glance
As a man grows up, he may forget the wisdom he once possessed as a boy. However, when you entered his life, you disrupted his routine of enjoying rowdy and unkind activities, making him remember what true happiness feels like.
(What songs do mystic bluesmen sing
'bout memory being more powerful than
the real, real thing)
Mystic bluesmen often sing about how memories can hold more significance and impact than the actual experiences or things themselves.
Here - There the sun
O! the moon
the sun the moon and you, only you
In this vast universe, with the sun and the moon present, you are the most essential and significant presence to me.
You are Northern Lights searing the midnight
skies with
sassy splashes of unruly satin
You are like the stunning Northern Lights, illuminating the dark night sky with vibrant and rebellious beauty.
I see only you.
My focus and attention are solely dedicated to you. You are my entire world.
My heart is a swallow swooping down to taunt the arrogant, lovestruck coward who dares
approach you disguised as a man
My heart is comparable to a graceful bird, swiftly descending to challenge and mock any conceited man who tries to win your affection by pretending to be someone he's not.
(What passions could cosmic bluesmen blame
if a man too scared to ask a woman her name)
Cosmic bluesmen would express deep disappointment if a man is too afraid to even gather the courage to ask a woman for her name, as they believe he should pursue his desires with passion.
You are the razor rim of some sudden primal chasm
best broached boldly
(if at all)
Well,
I will ride the rim bare
(if need be)
because I seek only you,
you and only you.
You possess the intense and unpredictable nature of a sharp-edged precipice, which should be approached with bravery, or perhaps not approached at all. Nevertheless, I am ready to face this challenge, even if it means taking risks, because all I desire is you and nothing else.
Once I saw the setting sun facing the red, red moon 'cross the big, big sky
made small by them looking so hard at each other
(so hard)
much, much majesty
waiting and watching . . . (waiting and watching)
it was Everything and Nothing all at once
The sun and the moon
O! the impassive sky
1 plus 1 equals 2
like you and me before becoming we.
Then that glorious sun was gone . . .
Once, I witnessed the enchanting sight of the sun and the moon gazing intently at each other against the vast sky, creating a sense of immense grandeur. It felt like an amalgamation of everything and nothing simultaneously, where the sun and the moon represented two separate entities coming together. However, this beautiful sun eventually disappeared, changing the dynamics between us.
There the moon
O! the midnight sky
the moon, the desolate sky
and the road
Only the road and what has passed
or is passed by
Now, all that remains is the moon, the lonely midnight sky, and the road. The road symbolizes the passage of time and the things that have either happened or have been left behind.
(What tales do wily bluesman weave
'bout a man and a woman when that
woman leave)
Cunning bluesmen often tell stories about the aftermath of a man and a woman's relationship when the woman decides to leave.
Every schoolboy knows
1 plus 0 plus 1
'cept if you're the one gone like me remembering me without you.
1 plus 0 equals 0
It's commonly understood that one plus zero plus one equals two, but when you're the one who has left, like me, reminiscing about who I used to be without you, the equation becomes one plus zero, which equals nothing.
A man forgets what
the boy knew
for true.
'Til you halted an awkward parade of
silly grownup games and stone-cold jolly
with the devastating presentness of yes.
Jumpstart my sputtering heart
As a man grows older, he often forgets the wisdom he had as a young boy. However, when you came into his life, you disrupted the monotonous and frivolous activities that adults normally engage in, replacing them with the profound power of saying 'yes'. This reignited his faltering heart and revitalized his spirit.
I RIDES THE RIM
I take on the challenge fearlessly and without hesitation.
The barest breeze brings you on the wind
reminds me of first things:
first day of school
first crush
first slow dance
first kiss
first time you let me know what it feels like to be you
Even the slightest breeze carries your presence and triggers memories of significant firsts in our relationship: the first day of school, the first crush, the first slow dance, the first kiss, and the first time you allowed me to experience what it's like to be in your shoes.
(What madness makes mocking bluesmen rhyme a man and a woman for another last time)
Mocking bluesmen adopt a sense of madness as they sing about the reunion of a man and a woman for one final encounter.
You remember you told me I said something I didn't say or mean to say that you thought meant something about you and me but it wasn't true that I said it or that you had even heard what I actually did say or really mean to say at all?
Do you recall the incident when you accused me of saying something that I never actually said or intended to say? It seemed to imply something about our relationship, but the truth is, I never uttered those words, and you misinterpreted everything I communicated.
You and me together,
Us going through things and coming out on the
other side
still together
That's what I was saying that you misunderstood, baby.
1 plus 1 equals 3
you, me, and you and me
When I said 'you and me together', it meant that we face life's challenges as a united force, triumphing even in difficult situations. Unfortunately, you misunderstood my intention, baby. In my perspective, one plus one equals three because it signifies the presence of both you and me, as well as our combined strength.
(What folly do sophic bluesmen find
when a man think he know a woman mind)
Sophic bluesmen discover the foolishness when a man believes he understands the complexities of a woman's mind.
Then she: you're the one misunderstood.
I was talking about Everything and Nothing,
Baby.
no you - no me
1 plus 1 equals 1
us plus us equals us
In response, she clarifies that it's actually him who misunderstands. Her intentions were to convey the concept of 'everything and nothing.' Without him, there wouldn't be her, and vice versa. In the equation of one plus one, the result is one, highlighting the inseparability of their union.
Then he: 1 plus 1 equals 1, Damn!
I bet there's not a schoolboy in the whole world knows that.
Following her explanation, he exclaims, frustrated, that one plus one equals one. He jokingly mentions that not a single schoolboy worldwide would be aware of such an unconventional equation.
Girls.
They born knowing all kinds of stuff a man ain't never even gon' ever learn.
Girls are inherently knowledgeable about various things that men can never comprehend or grasp.
Here - There the sun,
O! the moon
the sun and the moon
the sun, the moon, and the big, big sky
O! the moon the midnight sky, and the road
only the road and what
has passed
or is passed by.
Truly Nothing . . .
and Everything
Within the vastness of the world, the sun and the moon symbolize different aspects of life. The sky, moonlight, and the road represent the journey and what lies in the past or remains ignored. Ultimately, this signifies that everything and nothing hold significance simultaneously.
All the tears the pious have wept 'bout a man gone and a
woman kept
All the wrongs the
righteous assail
'bout a two-timing woman and a man in jail
All the songs country bluesmen sing
'bout ever-lovin' love and
a one-night fling.
'bout how a woman can take more'n a man can ever bring
The pious shed tears over the departure of a man and the enduring presence of a woman. The righteous condemn a deceitful woman and a man who is incarcerated. Country bluesmen sing songs about everlasting love as well as brief encounters. They explore the notion that a woman can emotionally sustain herself more than a man can ever provide.
Oh yes!
a man and a woman's a dangerous thing.
a train,
a banjo,
and a chicken wing.
Undeniably, the relationship between a man and a woman can be risky. It's akin to having a train, a banjo, and a chicken wing โ all unpredictable elements in their own ways.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Wynton Marsalis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Trumpeta7
I remember listening to this great master piece in my high schools days. Got me through some sleepless nights
Alfred B.
I love it, really inspiring music. Thanks for posting man!
Matthew Cannata
Great album
Marsha Creary
Writing Poems or Phrases and then coming across them later in a book, an album, a poem etc has become something I should probably get used to. The parallels in mind and spirit continue to amaze me
Hendra Ong
Wonderful...๐
Happy feet.... Death of the jazz... Amazed me too...
Eason Fang
this is good stuff
Jack Johnson
@Bright sounds For Acid minds: Thank you for posting this! C'est un chef-d'oeuvre!
Bright sounds For Acid minds
Jack Johnson thanks for watching, and subscribe!
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Marsha Creary
Art imitates Life, Life Imitates Art