Four Warm and Wise Words

"Of the wonderful things that you get out of life there are four and that may not be many but nobody needs any more ." 

Jon Hendricks

I've written before of my admiration for this groundbreaking vocalese trio.  In the instance of "Four",  a basic head arrangement first introduced by Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and popularized by Miles, lyricist Jon Hendricks reached an apex in a career filled with warm, witty and wise words. Below is the original studio recording followed by a concert performance from 1961. The complete lyrics appear below that followed by Miles' original recoring of "Four". 

Four - Original Studio Recording

Four - Live - 1961

Of the wonderful things that you get out of life there are four
And that may not be many but nobody needs any more
Of the many facts making the list of life, truth takes the lead
And to relax, knowing the gist of life, it's truth you need
And the second is honor and happiness makes number three
When you put them together you'll know what the last one must be
Baby, so to truth honor and happiness, add one thing more
Meaning only wonderful wonderful love that'll make it four

Miles solo (sung by Hendricks) :
Don't you know the score, well,
people when they're younger never realize the pleasure treasure life's got
But as they grow older, realize a lot
They got their minds on all the wrongest scenes
And things that cost a lot of money but it's really very funny
They fade away and don’t amount to a hill of beans
Funny how the things in life we really should adore
We forget, or ignore, end up poor
Making money till you’re nigh onto madness and end up in sadness
Youth is the time when we should see the light
Cause when we’re old and wasted
the dues from what we’ve tasted
run so high that we pay till we die
Then you know the youth that made us strong
is wasted on the young, so, enjoy it gaily
love life, and live it daily
You’ll find a lot of things to bring you joy
and give peace of mind
Get it while the gettin’s good
Cause everybody if they only could
Life would be a set
Life would be a groovy set
Groovy as a movie
Wail, wail, let your voice be heard
Spread the word
Everybody here’s got ears
Only gotta teach them how to use them
Not abuse them
So take a tip from me
The world’s everything it oughta be
As long as you can be sure
There is no more to life than the same old four

Horace Silver solo (Dave Lambert) :
Hard to believe, I know
But time will show
That even though you think it’s boresome
Two and two together constitute a foursome
That’s all, four is the figure
That’s all, ain’t gonna be gettin’ any bigger
Doesn’t matter how you slice it up
You’ll never change it
You count everything that fate throws into life’s pot
Still, only four is all you’ve got
Haven’t they told ya ‘bout the little pleasures that are part of all the rest
You live a little ‘n love a little ‘n take a little ‘n give a lot
Still the total is happiness
But that’s only one, you’ve just begun, there’s gonna be more
After this it’s truth and honor shinin’
and love combinin’ to make it four
No more

(Zoot Sims solo)

Of the wonderful things that you get out of life there are four
And that may not be many but nobody needs any more
Of the many facts making the list of life, truth takes the lead
And to relax knowing the gist of life, it’s truth you need
Then the second is honor and happiness makes number three
When you put them together you'll know what the last one must be
Baby so to truth, honor and happiness, add one thing more
Meaning only wonderful, wonderful love that’ll make it four
And there ain’t no more (ain’t no more).

Miles Davis with Horace Silver