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.
I Can
Billy Connolly Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wish that you were near me
Gets so bad at times I talk to myself
I wish that you could hear me.
I get to thinking how it all started out, and I know, oh I know
It may not last forever
But in the meantime when the goin' is good, I know, oh I know
You gave me everything and then some more
When I was cold you opened up the door
Don't want to stop I couldn't anyhow
You know I'm in too deep and I can't stop now.
When I come home I know I don't ever have much to say
I'm just glad to be there
You ask about the people I've met and the places I've been
You ask me what I see there.
I see you, I see you everywhere I go
I see you all around me
On a ship, on a train, on a plane, no matter where I am
I feel your love surround me.
You gave me everything and then some more
When I was cold you opened up the door
Don't want to stop I couldn't anyhow
You know I'm in too deep and I can't stop now.
You gave me everything and then some more
When I was cold you opened up the door
Don't want to stop I couldn't anyhow
You know I'm in too deep and I can't stop now.
The lyrics to Billy Connolly's "I Can't Stop Now" paint a picture of a person who is deeply in love and cannot imagine their life without their significant other. We see that the singer is away from their love and deeply misses them, wishing they were near so they could talk to them. The singer reflects on how their relationship started and acknowledges that it may not last forever, but they enjoy the moments they have together while it lasts. The lyrics talk about how their love is unconditional and that they are grateful for everything their partner has done for them, such as opening the door when they were cold. They also suggest the omnipresent nature of their love, as they see their significant other everywhere they go, and can feel their love surrounding them even when they are apart.
Overall, these lyrics convey a deep sense of gratitude and love towards the singer's partner. They speak about the impact their relationship has had on their life positively and suggest that they cannot imagine living without their partner. It reminds us of the strong bond that can exist between two people when they love each other deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I'm away I think about you
I miss you whenever I'm not with you
I wish that you were near me
I want you to be close to me
Gets so bad at times I talk to myself
I miss you so much, I start talking to myself
I wish that you could hear me.
I wish you could hear how much I miss you
I get to thinking how it all started out, and I know, oh I know
It may not last forever
I think about our relationship and how it might not last forever
But in the meantime when the goin' is good, I know, oh I know
That we should be together.
But while things are good, I know we should be together
You gave me everything and then some more
When I was cold you opened up the door
Don't want to stop I couldn't anyhow
You know I'm in too deep and I can't stop now.
You've given me so much love and I can't imagine stopping now
When I come home I know I don't ever have much to say
I'm just glad to be there
When I come home, I'm so happy to be with you I don't have much to say
You ask about the people I've met and the places I've been
You ask me what I see there.
You're curious about my travels and want to know what I've experienced
I see you, I see you everywhere I go
I see you all around me
On a ship, on a train, on a plane, no matter where I am
I feel your love surround me.
I see you in everything around me, and no matter where I am, I feel your love
You gave me everything and then some more
When I was cold you opened up the door
Don't want to stop I couldn't anyhow
You know I'm in too deep and I can't stop now.
You've given me so much love and I can't imagine stopping now
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GERRY RAFFERTY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Anastajia2005
I'm from Glasgow and those bus stories are hysterical. When I was getting married, my fiancee and I were taking gifts to our flat.
We got on the bus and sat on the side seats, bus is basically empty, past peak hour.
I'm sitting next to the pole at the side and I am holding a brass pole off a floor lamp.
There is a young policeman sitting opposite me and he is going to the sub station round from our flat.
This lady sitting farther up the bus gets up to get off the bus.
Evidently bus driver is new, grinding the gears, bus jerking like crazy just as the lady passes me.
She grabs hold of the pole from my floor lamp, I was not expecting that, and I let it go.
She ends up flat on her back legs up in the air, and she is wondering what the hell happened.
I'm hysterical laughing, my husband to be, helps the woman up.
She tells him they need to repair the buses, I can't stop laughing.
My fiancee drags me off the bus, pole lamp and all and the young policeman gets off as well, 4 bus stops before he should have.
Policeman and I end up leaning against the railings of Queens Park laughing hysterically.
My fiancee, madder than hell has walked off carrying the shade to the floor lamp.
I often wonder how Billy would have told this story. I still laugh when I think about it and that was decades ago.
@imanenigma3348
I was wondering where Billy was going with this yarn.
I too have had an experience like the folks on the bus.
Some time back, pre Covid of course,
I was going to pick my better half up from the airport.
I was already late and the traffic was backed up.
I got distracted for a second and bumped the car in front of me.
We both pulled over and I'm thinking, bloody hell this is all I need,
when out got the other driver and he was a little person (dwarf?)
He looked really pissed off, so I got out and started apologising profusely.
He looked at his car, then back to mine and was fuming, I mean huffing and puffing,
I kept saying how sorry I was and he looked at me and shouted
"I'm not happy!"
I replied "which one are you then?"
My apologies to anyone big or small, offended by this story.
@thomashogg2341
My favourite story about being on a Glesga bus. I was up the toon just before Christmas, must have been around 2005 or 2006. I was on the 34 heading for Govan Cross and the bus was on Renfield St. we stop at a bus stop and a young mum, about 30ish gets on with her daughter who would be about 4 or 5. The daughter is wearing a pale blue coat with white fur trim, looking very smart and like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. In her arms she's clutching this HUGE giraffe stuffed toy. So mum gets the tickets sorted and they sit down, mum takes the window seat, little Miss takes the aisle seat, there's no room for the stuffed toy so it's now on it's side in the aisle. The driver checks his mirrors before setting off, sees the giraffe blocking the passage and shouts down the bus " Here hen, ye cannae leave that lyin there", to which Miss Innocence shouts back " Ye f*ckin stupid? It's a f*ckin giraffe, no a f*ckin lion". Took 10 minutes before the driver could stop laughing enough to continue down Renfield Street.
@spockboy
Great story. LOL Only in Scotland : )
@scotmclaughlin2113
Too funny
@ZippyThePinhead
"There's a difference between a little person and a dwarf. One is a fuckin' dwarf, and they both know which one it fuckin' is." Priceless!!! 🤣🤣🤣
@Farweasel
There's a lot of complaints about humour & jokes these days but that for that quip Bily really did stoop pretty low ;-p
@wildcampinginscotland6060
I nearly fell out the bed when he said that 😂😂
@Farweasel
@@policesquad
Thank you.
Now its obvious you aren't Happy. So are you Grumpy or just Dozy?
@donziperk
Frank Drebin has left the conversation.,
@arunabhogal2328
Billy used to pop into my dad's shop near Patrick Glasgow and would always say to my dad...I hope you're paying these weans/ children and he would giggle because he knew my dad never paid us for helping out in the shop after school. Once he bought a box of chocolates and gave them to us. He was always lovely to our dad and my dad enjoyed Billy telling him off
@paulojnr9764
I know Patrick glasgow