Folk music
In 1965, together with Tam Harvey, Connolly started a group called the Humblebums. At their first gig, Connolly introduced them both to the audience by saying, "My name's Billy Connolly, and I'm humble. This is Tam Harvey, he's a bum." The band would later include Gerry Rafferty. Connolly sang, played banjo and guitar, and entertained the audience with his humorous introductions to the songs.
In his World Tour of Scotland, Connolly reveals that at a trailer show during the Edinburgh Festival, the Humblebums took to the stage just before the late Yehudi Menuhin.
The trio broke up in 1971, at which point Connolly went solo. His first solo album in 1972, Billy Connolly Live! on Transatlantic Records, features Connolly as a singer, songwriter, and musician.
His early albums were a mixture of comedy performances with comedic and serious musical interludes. Among his best known musical performances were "The Welly Boot Song", a comical ode to the working class which became his theme song for several years; "In the Brownies", a parody of the Village People classics "Y.M.C.A." and "In the Navy" (for which Connolly filmed a music video); "Two Little Boys in Blue", a tongue-in-cheek indictment of police brutality done to the tune of Rolf Harris' "Two Little Boys"; and the ballad "I Wish I Was in Glasgow" which Connolly would later perform on a guest appearance on the 1990s American sitcom Pearl (which starred Rhea Perlman). He also performed the occasional Humblebums-era song such as "Oh, No!" as well as straightforward covers such as a version of Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" which was included on his Riotous Assembly album.
In November 1975, his spoof of the Tammy Wynette song "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" had a one-week spell as the UK's No. 1 single. Wynette's original was about parents spelling out words of an impending marital split to avoid traumatizing their young child. Connolly's version "D.I.V.O.R.C.E.", on the other hand, played off of the fact that many dog owners use the same tactic when they do not wish their pet to become upset about an impending trip to the veterinarian. His song is about a couple whose marriage is ruined by a bad vet visit (spelling out "W.O.R.M." or "Q.U.A.R.A.N.T.I.N.E.", for example.)
His song "No Chance" was a parody of J.J. Barrie's "No Charge".
In 1985 he sang the theme song to Supergran, which was released as a single and in 1996 he performed a cover of Ralph McTell's In The Dreamtime as the theme to his World Tour of Australia. By the late 1980s, Connolly had all but dropped the music from his act, though he still records the occasional musical performance. In 1998 he covered The Beatles' "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" on the George Martin tribute, In My Life and he also recorded a rewritten version of Alanis Morissette's "Hand in My Pocket" entitled "The Evil Scotsman". Most recently, he sang a song during the film Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Connolly is among the artists featured on Banjoman, a tribute to American folk musician Derroll Adams, released in 2002. He plays one song, "The Rock".
Stand-up comedy
It is as a stand-up comedian that Connolly is best known. His observational comedy is idiosyncratic and often off-the-cuff. He talks about himself, who he is, where he's been, what he thinks and how he reacts to the world around him. He has outraged audiences, critics and, of course, the media with his free use of the word "fuck". He has used masturbation, blasphemy, defecation, flatulence, sex, his father's illness and his aunts' cruelty to entertain. By exploring these subjects with humour, Connolly has done much to strip away the taboos surrounding them. Yet he does not tell jokes in the conventional way. At the end of a concert the audience can be convulsed with laughter but few can remember a specific "funny" line.
One of Connolly's most famous comedy skits is "The Crucifixion", an early 1970s recording in which he likens Christ's Last Supper to a drunken night out in Glasgow. The recording was banned by many radio stations at the time. Around this same time, a joke told during a television talk show appearance (about a murderer and his bike) became a sensation that, reportedly, people still remember three decades after the appearance. (A transcript of the complete joke can be found here).
Billy Connolly also performed a sketch broadcast on TV, when talking about national anthems, and comparing the UK's slow tune to the lively ones of many other nations, Billy suggested that it should be replaced by the theme tune to The Archers.
Connolly's style has changed over the years to be less controversial and more observational. Including topics such as himself aging, stories about where he has been and other aspects of his life. He also exclaims "Oh, I must tell you!" and vocalises whatever thought occurs to him. Another feature is his ability to break off onto a tangent mid-topic and return to it later -- sometimes as long as an hour later.
Awards
Connolly was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Glasgow on 11 July, 2001. This particularly bemused his wife, who noted that she had studied for six years to obtain her Ph.D., whereas Billy merely had to turn up and collect his. 2003 saw him presented with a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement award and a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
On 4 July 2006, Connolly was awarded an honorary doctorate by Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) for his service to performing arts [5].
Trivia
* While being interviewed with his wife on the Irish Late Late Show, Connolly proved how easily he forgets many great lines that other comedians could only hope to think of. The presenter was trying to get Connolly to reproduce a funny line he had read in "Bravemouth" about Connolly knowing of an organism that lives on a human eyelid that has two penises. He asked Connolly "What was it called?" to which Connolly replied "Some latin name that I can't remember". His wife then interrupted "But the translation means lucky bastard, right", to which Connolly broke down in a fit of laughter. When he complemented his wife on the line, she had to remind him that it was his own original line which he had forgotten.
* Connolly is a lifelong supporter of Glasgow football team, Celtic, and is often seen at their home games.
* Connolly came second in The Glasgow Herald's poll, "The Most Scottish Person In The World". Number one was Wee Jimmy Krankie (see The Krankies), while third place went to Russ Abbott's impersonation of a Scotsman.
Cruisin'
Billy Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of blue
I don't know what I'm doin', Can't keep my mind off you.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I don't know where I'm goin', don't know where I've been.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of grey
It doesn't matter what I try, these feelings wont go away.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of black
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river so black
The only thing I'm sure of, don't think I'll ever be back.
Billy Connolly's song "Cruisin" is about someone who is lost in their thoughts about a person they cannot seem to shake off. The song uses the metaphor of cruising on different colored rivers to convey the different emotional states of the person.
The first stanza talks about cruising on a river of blue, which is associated with calmness and serenity. The person is feeling relaxed and peaceful, but they cannot keep their mind off the person they are thinking about.
In the second stanza, the river changes to green which symbolizes growth and new beginnings. The person is unsure about where they are going or where they have been, but they are still consumed by thoughts of this person.
The third stanza sees the person cruising on a river of grey which represents uncertainty and confusion. They have tried to shake off their feelings but they still linger, making it difficult for the person to move on.
Finally, the person is cruising on a river of black which represents darkness and finality. The person feels that they may never be able to come back from this, indicating that they have given up on trying to forget this person.
Overall, the song portrays the struggle of trying to move on from someone who has a powerful hold on your thoughts and emotions, leaving you feeling lost and helpless.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of blue
I am moving aimlessly forward, surrounded by feelings of sadness and longing.
I don't know what I'm doin', Can't keep my mind off you.
I am lost and unable to focus on anything other than my thoughts of you.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I am continuing to flow through life, uncertain of what is ahead and where I am going.
Don't know where I've been.
I am unaware of what experiences or memories have led me to where I am now.
It doesn't matter what I try, these feelings wont go away.
Despite my attempts to move on, my emotions persist and continue to overwhelm me.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of grey
I am feeling lost and unsure, as if everything around me is monotonous and unexciting.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river so black
I am resigned to a dark and lonely path in life, unsure if I will ever return to a happier place.
The only thing I'm sure of, don't think I'll ever be back.
Despite the uncertainty of my future, the only thing I know for sure is that I cannot return to the past and undo my mistakes.
Writer(s): billy connolly
Contributed by Hailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Shardric
on The evil Scotsman
It's not Billy Connolly.
It's actually called "Trouble"
It was written by George Allen and Garry Desmond and perormed by The Rockin' Jock.