He first performed in a children's choir at his local Presbyterian church. Williams and his three older brothers Bob, Dick, and Don, formed a quartet, the Williams Brothers, in the late 1930s. The brothers performed on radio in the Midwest, first at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa, and later at WLS in Chicago and WLW in Cincinnati. Williams graduated from Western Hills High School in Cincinnati. They appeared with Bing Crosby on the hit record "Swinging on a Star" (1944). This led to a nightclub act with entertainer Kay Thompson from 1947 to 1951.
Williams's solo career began in 1952 after his brothers left the act. He recorded six sides for RCA's label "X," but none of them were popular hits. After landing a spot as a regular on Steve Allen's Tonight Show in 1955, he was signed to a recording contract with Cadence Records, a small label in New York run by conductor Archie Bleyer. His third single, "Canadian Sunset" (1956) hit the Top Ten, and was soon followed his only Billboard #1 hit, "Butterfly" (a cover of a Charlie Gracie record on which Williams imitated Elvis Presley). More hits followed, including "The Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Are You Sincere," "The Village of St. Bernadette," and "Lonely Street," before Williams moved to Columbia Records in 1961, having moved from New York to Los Angeles. In terms of chart popularity, the Cadence era was Williams's peak although songs he introduced on Columbia became much bigger standards. Two top ten hits from the Cadence era, "Butterfly" and "I Like Your Kind of Love" were apparently believed to not suit Williams's later style; they were not included on a Columbia reissue of his Cadence greatest hits in the 1960s.
During the 1960s, Williams became one of the most popular vocalists in the country and signed what was to that time the biggest recording contract in history. He was primarily an album artist, and at one time he had earned more gold albums than any solo performer except Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. By 1973 he had earned as many as 17 gold album awards. Among his hit albums from this period were Moon River, Days of Wine and Roses (number one for 16 weeks in mid-1963), The Andy Williams Christmas Album, Dear Heart, The Shadow of Your Smile, Love, Andy, Get Together with Andy Williams, and Love Story. In these recordings Williams displays an incredible vocal technique along with an uncanny ability to make each song his very own, often rivaling or surpassing the version by the original artist. These attributes, along with his natural affinity for the music of the 1960s and early 1970s, combined to make him one of the premier easy listening singers of that era.
Williams forged an indirect collaborative relationship with Henry Mancini, although they never recorded together. Williams was asked to sing Mancini and Johnny Mercer's song "Moon River" at the 1962 Oscar Awards (where it won), and it quickly became Williams's theme song. This was repeated the next year with the pair's "Days of Wine and Roses" (which also won), Mancini's "Dear Heart" at the 1965 awards and "The Sweetheart Tree" (also written with Mercer) at the 1966 awards.
Williams also competed in the teenage-oriented singles market as well and had several charting hits including "Can't Get Used to Losing You," "Happy Heart," and "Where Do I Begin", the theme song from the 1970 blockbuster film, Love Story. Building on his experience with Allen and some short-term variety shows in the 1950s, he became the star of his own weekly television variety show in 1962. This series, The Andy Williams Show, won three Emmy Awards for outstanding variety program. Among his series regulars were the Osmond Brothers. He gave up the variety show in 1971 while it was still popular and retrenched to three specials per year. His Christmas specials, which appeared regularly until 1974 and intermittently from 1982 into the 1990s, were among the most popular of the genre. Williams has recorded eight Christmas albums over the years. He hosted the Grammy Awards for three consecutive years in the 1970s. He returned to television to do a syndicated half-hour series in 1976-77.
In the early 1990s, Williams gave up most of his touring schedule in order to open his own theatre in Branson, Missouri, the Andy Williams Moon River Theater. He continues to do 8 to 12 shows a week from September to December and occasionally makes tours of Europe earlier in the year.
His 1967 recording of "Music to Watch Girls By" was a surprise UK hit in 1999, when it reached number 9 after featuring in an advert (beating the original peak of number 33 in 1967). In 2002 he took part in a new duet of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" with British actress and singer Denise van Outen. Nearly everything Williams ever recorded has now been made available on CD through a series of compilations from 1997 to 2004.
Williams met Claudine Longet when he pulled over to aid her on a Las Vegas road. She was a dancer at the time at the Folies Bergere. They married on Christmas Day, 1961, and had three children, Noelle, Christian, and Robert. They separated in 1969 and finally divorced 6 years later. In 1976 Longet was charged with fatally shooting her boyfriend, skier Vladimir "Spider" Sabich and Williams supported her. He married a second time in May 1991 to the former Debbie Haas. They make their homes at Branson, Missouri and La Quinta, California. Williams' homes have been featured in Architectural Digest, and he is a noted collector of modern art. Williams is an avid golfer. He hosted a major golf tournament in San Diego for many years, which was known as the Andy Williams San Diego Open during that time.
Williams' birthplace is a tourist attraction open most of the year.
Music to Watch Girls By
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eye to eye, they solemnly convene to make the scene
Which is the name of the game, watch a guy watch a dame on any street in town
Up and down and over and across, romance is boss
Guys talk girl talk, it happens everywhere
Eyes watch girls walk with tender lovin' care
It's keepin' track of the fact watching them watching back
That makes the world go 'round
What's that sound, each time you hear a loud collective sigh
They're making music to watch girls by
Guys talk girl talk, it happens everywhere
Eyes watch girls walk with tender lovin' care
It's keepin' track of the fact watching them watching back
That makes the world go 'round
What's that sound, each time you hear a loud collective sigh
They're making music to watch girls by
The boys watch the girls while the girls watch the boys who watch the girls go by
Eye to eye, they solemnly convene to make the scene
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
Andy Williams's song "Music to Watch Girls By" is a fun and catchy tune that explores the dynamics of people-watching and the power of romance. The lyrics reveal the concept of observation, where the boys enjoy watching the girls while the girls appreciate the boys who watch them. The song describes the interaction between the two groups with such attention to detail that the listener can picture them standing on any street in town and making eye contact while they make the scene. The lyrics imply that romance is the boss, and observing the actions of others is what makes the world go round.
The concept of people-watching isn't new, but the song gives off a lighthearted feeling about it, creating a nostalgic vibe, taking you back to a time where observation leads to a smile, a blush and sometimes a kiss. The boys watch the girls, while the girls watch the boys who watch the girls, and there is something whimsical about that. The song is timeless, and it's easy to envision a group of young people in the '60s, people-watching outside of a cafe or bar, with the music playing in the background.
In conclusion, Andy Williams's "Music to Watch Girls By" is a classic tune that captures the essence of people-watching and romance. The song's upbeat tempo, catchy lyrics, and groovy melodies make it a classic that's still enjoyed and danced to, fifty years after its release.
Line by Line Meaning
The boys watch the girls while the girls watch the boys who watch the girls go by
People of different genders watch each other as they pass by
Eye to eye, they solemnly convene to make the scene
They meet eyes to create a scene or a vibe
Which is the name of the game, watch a guy watch a dame on any street in town
The aim is to watch men watch women wherever you go
Up and down and over and across, romance is boss
Love is the ultimate goal and it can happen anywhere and in any direction
Guys talk girl talk, it happens everywhere
Men talk about women all the time
Eyes watch girls walk with tender lovin' care
Men watch women walk with affection
It's keepin' track of the fact watching them watching back
It's about paying attention to the fact that women are also watching men
That makes the world go 'round
This is what drives the world and makes it turn
What's that sound, each time you hear a loud collective sigh
When you hear a sigh from a group of people, it's because they're admiring someone
They're making music to watch girls by
Watching women is like creating music, it's something to be enjoyed
La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la
This is just a catchy tune with no inherent meaning
La la la la la la la la la la la la la
This is just a catchy tune with no inherent meaning
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SID RAMIN, TONY VELONA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind