Billy Butterfield was a trumpet sideman with all the great big bands at one… Read Full Bio ↴Billy Butterfield was a trumpet sideman with all the great big bands at one time or another. His smooth, clear tones were employed by Columbia Records in their session bands, in concert with the likes of Ray Conniff. His greatest fame came from a couple of albums he did as the featured performer with Ray Conniff (Conniff Meets Butterfield was one).

I met him one night while I lived in the West Palm Beach, Florida area. I was at the bar at a popular night spot in old Palm Beach called Chuck and Harold's. They featured a sidewalk-side eating area and a black and white checkered terrazzo floor that went past an elegant bar that led to an open-air dancing floor. Booths were arranged around the dancefloor and the richest of the rich drank their martinis and swooned to the music of a full orchestra. And there he was, Billy Butterfield, at the end of his career but still playing a number or two as the featured entertainer with the house orchestra. He thanked me for his drink, played "Rosalie", from the Conniff album and then sort of disappeared, as though he only a few of these songs left in him. But he was as great as Al Hirt, Bobby Hackett and Doc Severenson, all rolled into one. Catch him on Conniff Meets Butterfield, you won't be sorry.

All the Things You Are
Billy Butterfield Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song

You are the angel glow that lights a star
The dearest things I know are what you are

Some day my happy arms will hold you
And some day I'll know that moment divine

When all the things you are, are mine

You are the angel glow that lights a star
The dearest things I know are what you are

Some day my happy arms will hold you

And some day I'll know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine

Overall Meaning

All The Things You Are by Billy Butterfield is a love song that is based on the idea that the love interest in the song is the embodiment of all the beautiful things in life that the singer cherishes. The first line, "You are the promised kiss of springtime that makes the lonely winter seem long," creates an important visual imagery that sets the tone for the song. The imagery of springtime, which is considered the season of new beginnings and renewal, is used to describe the impact of the love interest on the singer's life. The second line, "You are the breathless hush of evening that trembles on the brink of a lovely song," describes the suspenseful feeling of exhilaration and anticipation that the singer experiences around the love interest.

The next stanza, "You are the angel glow that lights a star; the dearest things I know are what you are," makes it clear that the love interest is viewed as the best thing in the singer's life. The last stanza contains the climax of the song, with the singer declaring, "Some day my happy arms will hold you, and some day I'll know that moment divine when all the things you are, are mine." This line communicates the yearning of the singer to hold the love interest and possess them fully. The song is a beautiful ode to the beauty of love and the hope of fulfilling the promise of love.

All the Things You AreBilly Butterfield Lyrics

All the Things You Are
Billy Butterfield Lyrics