Lyrics
Charlie Parker looked like Buddha
Charlie Parker, who recently died laughing at a juggler on TV
After weeks of strain and sickness
Was called the perfect musician
And his expression on his face
Was as calm, beautiful and profound
As the image of the Buddha represented in the East
The lidded eyes, the expression that says "all is well"
This was what Charlie Parker said when he played
"All is well"
He had the feeling of early in the morning
Like a hermit's joy
Or like the perfect cry of some wild gang at a jam session
Wail! Wop!
Charlie burst his lungs to reach the
Speed of what the speedsters wanted
And what they wanted was his eternal slow down
A great musician and a great creator of forms
That ultimately find expression in mores and what have you
Musically as important as Beethoven
Yet not regarded as such at all
A genteel conductor of string orchestras
In front of which he stood proud and calm
Like a leader of music in the great historic world night
And wailed his little saxophone, the alto
With piercing clear lament
In perfect tune and shining harmony
Toot!
As listeners reacted without showing it
And began talking
And soon the whole joint is rocking and talking
And everybody talking
And Charlie Parker whistling them on to the brink of eternity
With his Irish Saint Patrick patoodle stick
And like the holy mist we blop and we plop
In the waters of slaughter and white meat
And die one after one
In time
And how sweet a story it is when you hear Charlie Parker tell it
Either on records or at sessions
Or at official bits and clubs
Shots in the arm for the wallet
Gleefully he whistled the perfect horn
Anyhow it made no difference
Charlie Parker, forgive me
Forgive me for not answering your eyes