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.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Hear what I hear, hear what I hear?)
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see? (do you see what I see?)
Way up in the sky, little lamb
Do you see what I see? (do you see what I see?)
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear? (Do you hear what I hear?)
A song, a song high above the tree
With a voice as big as the the sea
With a voice as big as the the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know? (what I know, what I know?)
In your palace warm, mighty king
Do you know what I know? (what I know, what I know?)
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say! (what I say, what I say)
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Listen to what I say! (what I say, what I say)
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
The song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" by Andy Williams is a Christmas song that tells a story of communication between the night wind, a little lamb, a shepherd boy, a mighty king, and the people. The song starts with the night wind asking the little lamb if it sees a star in the sky with a big tail. The lamb then asks the shepherd boy if he hears a song ringing through the sky with a voice as big as the sea. The shepherd boy then asks the mighty king if he knows that a child is shivering in the cold and suggests that they bring him silver and gold. Finally, the king tells the people to pray for peace and that the Child, who is sleeping in the night, will bring them goodness and light.
The message in this song is about a child who is born during Christmas that brings hope to the world. The communication between the different characters in the song shows that the message of the Child's birth is being passed on from person to person, from the night wind to the little lamb, from the lamb to the shepherd boy, from the shepherd boy to the mighty king, and from the king to the people.
Overall, the song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" is a heartwarming Christmas song that emphasizes the importance of sharing and spreading the message of hope and peace during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you hear what I hear?
Can you perceive the sounds that I am perceiving?
Said the night wind to the little lamb
The nighttime wind spoke to the young sheep.
Do you see what I see? (do you see what I see?)
Are you observing the same phenomenon that I am?
Way up in the sky, little lamb
The object of interest is located high above us in the atmosphere.
A star, a star, dancing in the night
A celestial body, resembling a luminescent point, is shifting in the nocturnal sky.
With a tail as big as a kite
The star's tail is massive, akin to the dimensions of a kite.
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
The young sheep communicated with the young boy who tended to the flock.
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy
The sound is resonating through the aerial expanse, shepherd boy.
A song, a song high above the tree
A melody is being sung, hovering atop the tall foliage.
With a voice as big as the the sea
The voice has a grandiose quality, like the vast ocean.
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
The young shepherd conversed with the powerful ruler.
Do you know what I know? (what I know, what I know?)
Are you privy to the information I have?
In your palace warm, mighty king
The monarch is situated within a comfortable abode.
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold
An infant is suffering from chills in the low temperature.
Let us bring him silver and gold
We should gift him with valuable materials, such as silver and gold.
Said the king to the people everywhere
The ruler announced to the populace.
Listen to what I say! (what I say, what I say)
Pay attention to my decree!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere
Hope for tranquility, all of you who inhabit this world.
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
The infant, who slumbers at nighttime, is under discussion.
He will bring us goodness and light
The Child will provide us with positivity and illumination.
Lyrics © O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: Noel Regney, Gloria Shayne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elbert Camerino
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
Carolyn Lyon
My parents bought this album from a gas station back in the day. I remember all of these songs.
I remember Andy Williams. What a powerful song!
I listen to many different types of music.
A voice like this, WOW.
You should hear Bowie & Bing!
Wanda Sills
How could anyone give a thumbs down to this wonderful rendition? Andy Williams was a wonderful singer!!
Peggy Liu
What a wonderful voice...great job!!!
Intuitive
Absolutely
serenityforsquirrels
This is the best version of this song ever .. by far, thanks for posting it. It's so powerul, shivers me timbers!
Chris Grant
This is one of my favourite Christmas records. We had a friend who brought back a copy from the States in the late 60's. It still gets played every year here in the UK!
Timothy Jones
Andy's voice was never stronger and he never sang with more authority. Best version ever.
K Zellers
My most favorite version of this song. Sang with clear, steadfast, commitment with Authority.
Culminating to the grand declaration. The listener's soul rising higher to greet the King bearing promised gifts of Goodness and Light Crescendo
Jamz Bond
Andy Willliams' voice was one of my very top favorites. His vocal cords must have been made from pure gold! What quality! I saw him perform with Henry Macini and His Orchestra in Wichita back in about 1972.
WMJCPA
As I remember, each year during the 60's there would be released some of the greatest Christmas albums, with wonderful heart warming sounds for the season. It brings back many memories of my youth playig these beautiful songs while decorating the Christmas tree with my parents. Wonderful memories of wonderful times.
Intuitive
Absolutely 1960,s