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.
Ain't It True
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No matter what you do
Someday when life is through
They're gonna bury you
Beneath the cold, cold ground, girl
Big or small
Or short or fat or tall
Someday we're gonna fall
Beneath the cold, cold ground, girl
So you best believe it
No matter what you do
Yes, you best believe it
Ain't it true, ain't it true
Ain't it true
My poor heart
Was almost torn apart
Because you played a part
You thought that you were smart
And now you're gone
Gone, gone, girl
All your life
You treated me so bad
You took the love I had
And left me feeling sad
But I'll go on, on, on, girl
Cause I know that someday
Your time will be due
Yes, you'd best believe it
Ain't it true, ain't it true
Ain't it true
I don't want to be the one
To see you in such misery
Not even for the things
You went and done, done, done, girl
There is time for
You to change your mind
And leave your cheating heart behind
And turn the righteous kind
Come back to me, girl
And I will forgive you
Here's what I'll say
On that final day
They lay you away
There was never another like you
Ain't it true, girl
Ain't it true, girl
And I will forgive you
Here's what I'll say
On that final day
They lay you away
There was never another like you
Ain't it true, girl
Ain't it true, girl
The lyrics to Andy Williams's song "Ain't It True" explore the concept of mortality and how it is something that affects everyone regardless of their physical appearance or status. The chorus "ain't it true" emphasizes that no one is exempt from the inevitability of death, which is something that many people try to ignore or escape from. The first verse grapples with the fact that no matter how one lives their life, regardless of how successful or accomplished they may be, death is a final and inescapable reality that will claim us all.
The second verse is more personal and directed towards a former lover who mistreated the singer. The lyrics convey a sense of unresolved hurt and anger, but also an underlying message of forgiveness and understanding. The lines "There was never another like you / Ain't it true, girl" could be interpreted as a bittersweet acknowledgement of the complex and unique nature of their relationship, despite its flaws and limitations.
Overall, "Ain't It True" is a contemplative and introspective song that encourages listeners to acknowledge their own mortality and appreciate the fleeting nature of life while they still can.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't it true
Isn't it the case that...
No matter what you do
Regardless of the actions taken...
Someday when life is through
Eventually, when one's life ends...
They're gonna bury you
The physical body will be laid to rest...
Beneath the cold, cold ground, girl
Underneath the earth, among the soil and darkness
Big or small
Regardless of size or shape...
Or short or fat or tall
...or any number of physical characteristics...
It's gonna get us all
All individuals will face this fate...
Someday we're gonna fall
At some point we will all succumb to death...
So you best believe it
It would be wise to accept this truth...
Yes, you best believe it
It is certainly true...
Ain't it true, ain't it true
As previously stated, is this not true?
My poor heart
My dear heart that suffered...
Was almost torn apart
Felt close to being irreparably damaged...
Because you played a part
Due to your involvement...
You thought that you were smart
You believed yourself to be clever...
And now you're gone, gone, gone, girl
You are no longer here...
All your life
Throughout the duration of your existence...
You treated me so bad
Your treatment of me was quite poor...
You took the love I had
You deprived me of the affection I felt...
And left me feeling sad
Leading to a sense of sorrow...
But I'll go on, on, on, girl
Nevertheless, I will persist...
Cause I know that someday
Because of the realization that at some point...
Your time will be due
Your own end will inevitably come...
Yes, you'd best believe it
It would be wise to comprehend that fact...
I don't want to be the one
I would rather not hold the position...
To see you in such misery
To witness you in such a state of anguish...
Not even for the things
Not even for those actions taken...
You went and done, done, done, girl
You pursued, even when it hurt others...
There is time for
There is sufficient time for...
You to change your mind
You to adjust your mindset...
And leave your cheating heart behind
To abandon any inclination toward dishonesty...
And turn the righteous kind
To reciprocate kindness and morality...
Come back to me, girl
Reunite with me...
And I will forgive you
I will be willing to pardon...
Here's what I'll say
This is what I will express...
On that final day
On the date when life is complete...
They lay you away
When you are buried...
There was never another like you
You were completely unique...
Ain't it true, girl
Is this not true?
Ain't it true, girl
Is this not true?
Contributed by Michael S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@armandomichel4084
“This Fool” brought me here
@manuelnavarro4824
Me too 😂
@LUMPVP
@@manuelnavarro4824same lol
@KISSame981
Just sucks I coulnt find it on Spotify
@rollandcourteau3038
Likewise haha!
@user-ih6vd3nv1d
Me too 😂
@hummycarton
My Dad hated this song and we weren't allowed to play it if he was around! He put a black cross on the vinyl record too.
@ginnymurray1869
I loved it in the day and still do. Thank you for presenting it to us. I never found it in his albums but never forgot it for 6 decades.
@trevorsmyth4422
Fantastic underrated track from the master. Beautiful ballad.
@LUMPVP
So funny how a tv show uses this song and leads me down a 60s rabbit hole