Jazz poets: Chet Baker: Almost Blue – Last concert Japan: Lyrics, Video

Almost Blue is a song written and performed by Elvis Costello that’s included on his 1982 album Imperial Bedroom. Some say it was inspired by Chet Baker’s version of the song The Thrill Is Gone.

Chet recorded the song for Bruce Weber’s documentary film: Let’s Get Lost (1988) — about Baker’s life. Baker also performed the song at concerts and it was recorded for his last live and most acclaimed album: Chet Baker in Tokyo.

The song evokes melancholic and romantic feelings as in most of Chet’s songs.

Almost blue
Almost doing things we used to do
There’s a girl here and she’s almost you
Almost all the things that you promised with your eyes
I see in hers too
Now your eyes are red from crying

Almost blue
Flirting with this disaster became me
It named me as the fool who only aimed to be

Almost blue
Almost touching it will always do
There’s a part of me thats always true… always
All the things that you promised with your eyes
I see in hers too
Now your eyes are red from crying

Almost you
Almost me
Almost blue

It’s like the trumpet is a voice that is trying to cry and tell me it’s problems, and the piano is comforting me with it’s sweet melody, saying that everything can be beautiful and alright… a passed middle aged woman, once beautiful, still but consumed by age, in a dark cold room of a motel, outside last days of fall, lazy drops on the window, room is filled with cigarette’s smoke and bottles of cheap wine. She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, remembering a love as a teen, this music from a grammophone from a crackling vinyl, a tear dance to this. There’s smell of old books and withered roses, music is silent …

Tonic for a weary soul. So interesting how art can turn hardship and sadness into something this lovely and expressive. It allows one to not wallow in their sad feelings, but rather to hear them reflected back as a universal part of the human condition, and to transcend them for a short time. It really is like a medicine for the aching soul.

This extraordinary piece of music expresses great and deep despair, feeling of no purpose, feeling of being lost and unfulfilled, mankind has made great progress they say, but deep within, we are still not satisfied, with the same anxiety and confusion of our ancient ancestors, Science answered nearly all questions, except the ones related to who are we and what’s our purpose.