![]() Oh Heart (2007) [ larger cover art ] |
He plays piano in a jazz band
And I love him for the man that he could be
I asked him, "If I let you, would you play me?"
Then delighted as he tickled every key
And he could feel the ivory skin beneath his fingertips
And I would watch the notes fall one by one from his lips
And he could snap his fingers to the beat
Of my heart, but he couldn't feel the heat
And I want to be like lovers in an old romantic song
Where the music fades away before the love it can go wrong
But I am just a dreamer wearing sensible shoes
And I still dream in color even though I sing the blues
And he is playing scales up and down me
As we sing our tales of hope in perfect harmony
And measure out our love by the length of a song but
It disappears somewhere when the music is gone
Every song ever written has a final note
And I sign my name below every letter that I wrote
And lovers who part give a final kiss
Now I know it's not the player but the music that I miss
He plays piano in a jazz band
And I love him for the man that he could be
I asked him, "If I let you, would you play me?"
A song that will play forever on
Oh, but I am just a dreamer wearing sensible shoes
And I still dream in color even though I sing the blues
And I want to be like lovers in an old romantic song
Where the music fades away before the love it can go wrong
| scraig (Santa Barbara, CA) | Posted: May 15, 2013 - 09:15 I wish my music had more clarinet and accordion in it said no one ever. 3 |
| drivingunit103 (around the 4 western provinces) | Posted: Apr 10, 2013 - 23:27 Cynaera wrote: Oh, geez - you're STILL HERE? God - don't you have something else to do? Maybe plot the destruction of the world, or dig a cellar where you can torture small animals in complete privacy? I LOVE that first line, and Ms. Barber's vocals. It makes me want to watch "Cabaret" or "Victor/Victoria" again. Smoky, sexy, ambiguous, dangerous... Yep. Love this one. Stingray, go tell your mommy she wants you... Two things in life - but I forget what they are - Miss you , ma'am |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Dec 09, 2012 - 14:01 fuzzy wrote: "He plays wannabe music critic on an weehbsite forum"? This is a wonderfully retro-style song evoking smoky lounges, louche ladies, and is oh so decadent, my dear. And as it's about a jazz player then the opening line seems pretty reasonable to me. 8 from the Nottingham jury. |
| BoFiS (Brooklyn, NY) | Posted: Aug 02, 2012 - 16:25 Almost thought this was Sarah Slean... very enjoyable! |
| oldsaxon (Wales via Vancouver, BC.) | Posted: Jun 28, 2012 - 16:07 expatlar wrote: Note to aspiring songwriters: If the first line you come up with is "He plays piano in a jaahzz band", toss that piece of paper and start over. Please. It is rather important to the rest of the song, I think. |
| expatlar (Michoacan, Mexico) | Posted: Jun 11, 2012 - 18:41 Note to aspiring songwriters: If the first line you come up with is "He plays piano in a jaahzz band", toss that piece of paper and start over. Please. |
| TJS (Bradley, Il) | Posted: May 31, 2012 - 07:44 I thought this was Jewel before I looked. I like it. |
| wycado (Smoking cigarettes and plotting revenge) | Posted: May 02, 2012 - 19:51 ...Edith Piaf...... |
| bindi (North Carolina) | Posted: Apr 29, 2012 - 14:11 If you added some scratches and pops, and varied the speed a touch, this could have been recorded in the 20's or 30's - and considered timeless today. Love Jill's voice - makes me want to . . .learn to sing! |
| Byronape ("post-capitalist wreckageville") | Posted: Apr 01, 2012 - 02:41 Curse my short fingers!!!!!! I would so love to learn to play piano. This song only makes it worse. |
| ninamo | Posted: Feb 29, 2012 - 10:25 She sounds a lot like another wonderful chanteuse, Jill Tracy: http://www.jilltracy.com/ |
| ziakut (A place with air, water and chocolate.) | Posted: Feb 05, 2012 - 20:29 5 to a 7 |
| TerryS (Another SW) | Posted: Jan 21, 2012 - 22:21 Jill's man actually plays in her band, but not a piano. Not when I've seen 'em anyway, but who knows what they do after curtain close? |
| Byronape (Snorkeling in the River Styx) | Posted: Oct 02, 2011 - 02:52 Stingray wrote: "He plays piano in a jazz band..." common - don't give me bullshit! You're still commenting? common - don't give me bullshit! |
| Netto (Khimki, Russia) | Posted: Aug 23, 2011 - 14:06 shift mark 8 to 9 /very nice/ |
| Byronape (Snorkeling in the River Styx) | Posted: Jul 20, 2011 - 00:30 I think I've said it before, but this song really, REALLY, makes me want to learn to play the piano. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Jun 21, 2011 - 15:15 Cynaera wrote: Oh, geez - you're STILL HERE? God - don't you have something else to do? Maybe plot the destruction of the world, or dig a cellar where you can torture small animals in complete privacy? Arf! Hey, how do you know that Stingray's not doing these dastardly things, and posting to RP is just a bit of light relief for our resident troll? Even villains plotting world domination have to relax some time, you know :o) |
| MrKite (An Isiltir) | Posted: Jun 21, 2011 - 15:10 I thought this was Sarah Slean.. |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Jun 14, 2011 - 19:47 OHMish wrote: and let it scratch this record Okay, I get it - but your comment just made me laugh... |
| bluedogroad (Portland, OR) | Posted: Jun 14, 2011 - 19:46 Sounds a bit like Marianne Faithfull, no? |
| Cynaera (South of Neanderthal) | Posted: Jun 14, 2011 - 19:46 Stingray wrote: "He plays piano in a jazz band..." common - don't give me bullshit! Oh, geez - you're STILL HERE? God - don't you have something else to do? Maybe plot the destruction of the world, or dig a cellar where you can torture small animals in complete privacy? I LOVE that first line, and Ms. Barber's vocals. It makes me want to watch "Cabaret" or "Victor/Victoria" again. Smoky, sexy, ambiguous, dangerous... Yep. Love this one. Stingray, go tell your mommy she wants you... |
| OHMish (Copenhagen) | Posted: May 29, 2011 - 06:12 vivakitty wrote: This song makes me want to pick up a cat and let it scratch this record |
| Dave_Mack (Five bus, Jive bus!) | Posted: Mar 15, 2011 - 16:49 It's a great day for clarinet players on RP. Bill knows his audience |
| Huey (Netherlands) | Posted: Mar 12, 2011 - 02:32 Don't really know what to think about this one, heard it alot lately and am noticing it more. I'll start with a 7. |
| gvan (From inside the house!) | Posted: Mar 10, 2011 - 07:05 Oh heart, oh please. |
| peter_james_bond (West Of The Burg) | Posted: Feb 15, 2011 - 13:32 Jill's new album comes out in April. ![]() |
| pauleywalnuts (Ontario) | Posted: Jan 23, 2011 - 09:13 Nice song. I enjoy Jill's music. |
| cirruss (Curacao, Netherlands Antilles) | Posted: Jan 15, 2011 - 07:09 |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: Jan 06, 2011 - 15:58 vivakitty wrote: This song makes me want to pick up a cat and dance. "He plays piano in a jazz band..." common - don't give me bullshit! |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: Jan 06, 2011 - 15:56 HAHAHA...! Edith Barber! |
| Netto (Khimki, Russia) | Posted: Dec 14, 2010 - 20:42 What a pretty! And cover, and melody. I like it! |
| cheesemonger | Posted: Nov 04, 2010 - 08:20 vivakitty wrote: This song makes me want to pick up a cat and dance. I have no idea what this means, but I agree with it. |
| MojoJojo (Indianapolis, IN USA) | Posted: Oct 23, 2010 - 08:54 cayenne wrote: Jill sings "jazz band" the way my buddy Spaghatta Nadle would, if Spaghatta Nadle sang. I like that alot. |
| fredriley (Nottingham, UK) | Posted: Oct 12, 2010 - 09:50 rtwingo wrote: ![]() Now that sort of post really gets my goat! Nice pic :o) |
| TerryS (The other SW) | Posted: Oct 03, 2010 - 17:41 Saw JB this summer at Mission Festival with her band and like her lower register voice a lot, upper register - not so much. |
| cayenne (in over my head) | Posted: Sep 10, 2010 - 16:05 Jill sings "jazz band" the way my buddy Spaghatta Nadle would, if Spaghatta Nadle sang. |
| zipper | Posted: Sep 10, 2010 - 15:28 DaveInVA wrote: Oh Heart was released in 2004, not 2007... Are you certain? Because it seems it's been sucking for much longer. |
| DaveInVA (In a hovel in effluent Damnville, VA) | Posted: Sep 07, 2010 - 07:53 Oh Heart was released in 2004, not 2007... |
| Stingray (EUROPE) | Posted: Sep 07, 2010 - 07:51 Prefer grand-dad CHRIS! |
| Nerubo (Denver, CO) | Posted: Aug 20, 2010 - 15:25 ziakut wrote: Here we go again...um...I like this tune, but it's played too often in rotation IMO. I don't agree — 2 or 3 times a week is not too often. The FM stations often play a song 4-6 times a day. Big difference. Besides, the goal is not to play a complete random (ie, unique) set of songs. I have this theory that you have a slot in your head for a song to get stuck into, and if you're lucky a song you've heard more than once in the past week from Radio Paradise or so will get stuck there. Not a bad thing when it's a good song! |
| ziakut (Chicago, IL) | Posted: Aug 17, 2010 - 21:04 Here we go again...um...I like this tune, but it's played too often in rotation IMO. |
| Forest267 (Milwaukee) | Posted: Aug 09, 2010 - 14:55 Tired of this...just...plain...tired. |
| otaznick | Posted: Aug 06, 2010 - 07:27 She has similar voice as Katie Melua. |
| Proclivities (Carrboro, NC) | Posted: Jul 01, 2010 - 16:15 lmic wrote: So, hey Bill, how about a little of the Piaf? ![]() A little Edith Piaf goes a very long way. |
| FlatCat (Chicago) | Posted: Jul 01, 2010 - 16:07 Well, if nothing else, she knows how to squeeze all the juice out of an extended metaphor. Great song, though. |
| cohifi (Denver) | Posted: Jun 17, 2010 - 19:53 vivakitty wrote: This song makes me want to pick up a cat and dance. I have no Jill Barber. Til now since I bought the CD. It better be good. |
| vivakitty (The Girl Who Wrecks Your Dreams) | Posted: Jun 03, 2010 - 14:26 This song makes me want to pick up a cat and dance. |
| Stingray (Cologne) | Posted: May 14, 2010 - 08:22 ...like a kitsch postcard! Go home! |
| jkhandy (Near the ocean (in my mind)) | Posted: May 10, 2010 - 12:22 Cirnix wrote: not a horrible song but its corny and i dont dig her voice thanks for sharing.... |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: May 07, 2010 - 21:25 ![]() Jill Barber II by ~morgie-e ©2004-2010 ~morgie-e I Technically: no manip to scanned image, which is 7x10 inches printed on 11x14 paper. |




