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.
The Dreamer
Andy Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The lyrics of Andy Williams’s song “The Dreamer” describe a sailor’s return home after a long and treacherous journey across the sea. The sailor expresses gratitude to the southern trades that guided him safely back to the shore, and he looks forward to the simple pleasures of being back on land: feeling the sand in his hair, the roll of the tide, and the salt in the air. He reflects on how much he has traveled and how much he has missed home, and he declares that he is a “home loving man” who never wants to sail the seven seas again.
The sailor’s perspective is contrasted with that of the crowd waiting for him on shore. They are described as having “long and drawn” faces before suddenly awakening upon seeing the ship sail in on the dawn. The sailor’s loved ones “breathe a sigh together” as he reaches to catch the rope, suggesting that they too have been anxious during his absence. The song ends with the sailor repeating his desire to be home and his gratitude for being safe.
Overall, the lyrics of “The Dreamer” paint a vivid picture of the joys and hardships of life at sea, as well as the warmth and comfort of home.
Line by Line Meaning
The harbor lights were shining,
The ship is approaching the harbor, marked by the shining harbor lights
The moon was at its high.
The moon is at its highest point in the sky
The captain said, "Thank God we're home! We've drunk the barrels dry."
The captain is relieved to have made it home safely and also humorously states that they have completely run out of alcohol on the ship
The mizzen mast was shaken,
The ship is experiencing some turbulence, causing the mizzen mast to shake
And the lanterns all burned low,
The lanterns on the ship are burning low, indicating that they have been at sea for some time
I'd never thought we'd make it But we've twenty leagues to go
The singer, who may be a crew member or passenger, did not think they would make it home safely, but they still have a distance of 20 leagues to cover
So blow you southern trades And guide me safely to the shore,
The singer is calling on the southern winds to help guide the ship to shore safely
I'll never ever gonna sail The seven seas no more
The artist has had enough of sailing the seven seas and is making a firm decision to never do it again
I don't want to miss the sand in my hair, The roll of the tide and the salt in the air Deep inside it's true I'm a home lovin' man Comin' on home to you
The artist is looking forward to the natural elements of being back on land, such as feeling the sand in their hair and smelling the salt in the air. They also express their love for being at home and are eagerly returning to their loved ones
I don't want to miss the wind in my eyes, The shimmerin' light when the seagull flies Lo, I've traveled far I'm a home loving man, Home is where you are
The artist is also excited about experiencing the beauty of nature, like feeling the wind in their eyes and watching the shimmering light as a seagull flies. They acknowledge how far they have traveled but reiterate that home is where their loved ones are
The crowd upon the quayside Their faces long and drawn Are suddenly awakened As we sail in on the dawn
The people waiting on the dock are relieved to see the ship and its passengers arrive safely after a long period of waiting
The wives, the sons, the lovers, Who never gave up hope All breathe a sigh together As they reach to catch the rope
The loved ones of the passengers and crew have been waiting anxiously for their return and are relieved when they finally make it back to shore. They reach out to catch the rope to help dock the ship
God bless you, southern trades, You got me safely back this time Oh, you'll never have the need again To save this soul of mine
The singer expresses gratitude towards the southern winds for helping them return home safely and asserts that they will no longer be embarking on such risky voyages
Yes, I don't want to miss the sand in my hair, The roll of the tides and the salt in the air Deep inside it's true I'm a home lovin' man Comin' on home to you...
The singer is emphasizing once again how excited they are to experience the simple pleasures of being back on land with their loved ones
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: HOPKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
gittipoos
One of the best songs Andy ever did! Love it!
Chris Frazer Skinner
Love this song Andy sings everything with such wonderful effortless time.
Chris Frazer Skinner
And he can hold a note for a long time 18 on this song.
lee sanna
Written by Nicky Hopkins, very nice...
Darla Smith
Thank you.
Victor
I prefer Nicky Hopkins version myself.