Billy Fury from Liverpool, England began music lessons, on the piano, at age 11. He got his first guitar at age 14. By 1955, the skiffle music boom had begun in England and Fury was leading his own local group, while still working on a tugboat and/or as a stevedore. By 1958, he had won a talent competition and had begun to write his own songs.
In a story which was legend among the British youth of the period, Fury was discovered by impressario Larry Parnes on October 1, 1958. That night, Fury attended a performance of The Larry Parnes Extravaganza, hoping to offer his songs to Marty Wilde, one of the featured performers and a well-known rock-&-roll star because of his appearances on the television series, "Oh Boy!" Fury did get backstage, and was seen by Parnes while performing one of his own songs for Wilde. Parnes booked Fury to appear on the Extravaganze that same night and the rest, as they say, is history - the applause which Fury received earned him a permanent spot on the tour and Parnes as his agent. Parnes' established proceedure was to give his singers stage names representing emotions and attributes: Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, Vince Eager. Thus, Ronald Wycherley became Billy Fury.
By the British standards of the day, Fury's early performances were so suggestive that a curtain was brought down on one of his shows. This forced Fury to restrain himself from his more overtly sexual stage moves. Fury's recording career began in early, 1959, with "Maybe Tomorrow," a song which he had written and which charted soon after its release. Fury's television debut came soon after in "Strictly For Sparrows." After that, Fury became a fixture on musical showcases such as "Oh Boy!"
After a string of hit singles, Fury cut his debut album, "The Sound of Fury," in 1960. Fury's back-up players included Joe Brown, one of England's few serious rockabilly players at that time, and drummer Andy White, who later played on the original release version of The Beatles' debut single "Love Me Do." The album sold well and has been re-released a half-dozen times since, including a CD version in the early 1990s. In an interview during the '70s, Keith Richards declared "The Sound of Fury" one of the greatest rock 'n roll albums of its era.
In 1960, DECCA Records decided to soften Fury's sound, at least on his singles, and Fury's early 60's recordings took on a more sophisticated air. "Talkin' In My Sleep" and "Don't Worry," backed by The Four Kestrels, were two results of this change. "Halfway to Paradise," in 1961, began Fury's brief assault on the top of the charts. The orchestrated "Halfway to Paradise" hit #3. A few months later, "Jealousy" reached #2; "I'd Never Find Another You" reached #5. By 1962, Fury was England's top rock-n-roll attraction, backed by the legendary Tornadoes of "Telstar" fame, appearing regularly on television. During this time, he also ventured to America where he got to meet Elvis Presley on the set of "Girls, Girls, Girls." (Many considered Fury to be the closest that England came to producing its own Elvis Presley, capable of dark, brooding, sexual performances, as well as gentle, vulnerable ballads.)
It was the arrival of another group from Liverpool, The Beatles, which ended Fury's dominance of the British teen music scene. (Interesting aside - The Beatles had tried, and failed, to become Fury's back-up during one of his tours.) Nonetheless, Fury continued to chart records into 1964. During that summer, he starred in a semi-autobiographical movie, "I've Got a Horse." Later the same year, he got his own television show. By 1965, however, Fury's health had begun to deteriorate and his records seldom charted better than the mid-20s.
Fury left DECCA Records in 1966 and signed a five-year contract with EMI's Parlophone Records. During those five years, Fury saw some very modest success but nothing like the frenzied stardom of his first seven years in music.
Fury underwent heart surgery in 1970 and in 1971, but resumed performing in 1972. England's rock-n-roll revival during the mid-70s saw the re-release of "The Sound of Fury," as well as other parts of Fury's catalog. During those years, Fury toured England with his one-time idol Marty Wilde. When he wasn't performing, Fury looked after his other interests, including wildlife preservation.
Another heart operation, in 1976, essentially ended Fury's musical career although there were still occasional recordings and television appearances. In 1978, Fury re-recorded his classic songs for K-Tel; in the early '80s he recut his old hits yet again for Polydor, which, by that time, owned DECCA Records. In 1981, a single, "Be Mine Tonight," just missed the British charts.
On March 4, 1982, Fury collapsed and nearly died while working on his farm. Nonetheless, that summer, he again went back on tour and placed the singles "Love Or Money" and "Devil Or Angel" on the English charts. Plans were made for a new album and a national tour, but Fury was found unconscious in his home on January 28, 1983. He died that same day in hospital.
A posthumous single, "Forget Him," charted in England later that same year. Numerous re-issues, as well as releases of previously unreleased material, have continued to appear in the compact disc era, most recently the "40th Anniversary Anthology," a double CD set and Beat Goes On's two-on-one CD of "We Want Billy" and "Billy."
On 10 April 1983, a tribute concert for Billy was held at the Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex. All the artists performed for free and the money raised was donated to the Billy Fury memorial fund for research into heart disease. On the bill were such names as Marty Wilde with his daughter Kim Wilde, Joe Brown, Alvin Stardust, Dave Berry, Helen Shapiro, and John Miles.[citation needed]
In 1999 a TV documentary about Billy called Halfway to Paradise was broadcast on the BBC channel. It was narrated by Ian Dury.
Between 1999 and 2000 the song "Wondrous Place", a favourite of Fury's (he re-recorded it at least three times during his career), later received wide airplay on British television when it was used as the theme for a Toyota Yaris car advertisement.
On 19 April 2003 a bronze statue of Fury was unveiled by Jack Good at the National Museum of Liverpool Life. The sculpture, by Tom Murphy, a Liverpool sculptor, was donated by 'The Sound of Fury' fan club after the money was raised by fans.
In 2005 Spencer Leigh from BBC Radio Merseyside published a biography book about Billy Fury called Wondrous Face – The Billy Fury Story.
In 2008 a biographical documentary film Billy Fury His Wondrous Story was released on DVD.
Eight of his EMI recordings remained unreleased on mainstream CD until June 2010, when they appeared on a 29-track issue, The Complete Parlophone Singles, released by Peaksoft (PEA009). The singer's estate licensed the tracks to benefit his memorial fund, which finances equipment purchases for hospital heart units.
In November 2011, further co-operation between the estate and Peaksoft resulted in the issuing of a second CD, The Lost Album (PEA014), which attempted to construct the format of an album recorded by Fury in 1967–71, but which was never released.
In 2010 Camden Council, London, named a small formerly nameless road Billy Fury Way in his honour. It starts just off Finchley Road near Finchley & Frognal station and runs to West Hampstead Station. He had recorded at the nearby Decca Studios. The alleyway was decorated with a large mural of his face (at the West Hampstead end), which was unveiled and blessed on Friday 29 July 2011.
Play It Cool was released for the first time on DVD on 10 February 2014.
You're Having the Last Dance with Me
Billy Fury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can smile ev'ry smile for the man who held your hand 'neath the pale moonlight
But don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be
So darlin', save the last dance for me mm
Oh, I know that the music's fine like sparkling wine go and have your fun
Laugh and sing but while we're apart don't give your heart to anyone
But don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be
Baby don't you know I love you so
Can't you feel it when we touch
I will never never let you go
I love you oh so much
You can dance go and carry on till the night is gone and it's time to go
If he asks if you're all alone can he take you home you must tell him no
Cause don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arm's you're gonna be
So darlin save the last dance for me
Cause don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arm's your gonna be
So darlin save the last dance for me mm
Save the last dance for me mm
Save the last dance for me
The lyrics to Billy Fury's song "You're Having the Last Dance with Me" tell the story of a man who is watching his lover dance with another man but is asking her to save the last dance for him. The man knows that his lover can dance with anyone she wants to, but he reminds her that he's the one taking her home and in whose arms she'll be at the end of the night. He also warns her not to give her heart to anyone else and to remember that he loves her and will never let her go.
The emotions in the song are incredibly powerful, conveying the insecurity, fear, and possessiveness that often come with love. The man is aware of his lover's desires but still wants her to remain faithful to him. He is also aware of the need to grow and experience new things, but at the same time, he fears losing what he already has.
The lyrics to "You're Having the Last Dance with Me" are timeless and have been covered by many artists over the years. They speak to the universal emotions associated with love, loss, and jealousy, and they continue to resonate with listeners of all ages.
Line by Line Meaning
You can dance ev'ry dance with the guy who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight
You have the freedom to dance with the guy who's interested in you, and let him hold you close.
You can smile ev'ry smile for the man who held your hand 'neath the pale moonlight
You can smile at any man who's held your hand under the moon's shining light.
But don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be
But you should remember that I'm the one who will be taking you home and holding you in my arms.
So darlin', save the last dance for me mm
Therefore, darling, please save the last dance for me.
Oh, I know that the music's fine like sparkling wine go and have your fun
I understand that the music is excellent, and it's a time for you to enjoy yourself.
Laugh and sing but while we're apart don't give your heart to anyone
Laugh and sing, but don't give your heart to anyone else while we're apart.
Baby don't you know I love you so
My love for you is immense, and I hope you know that.
Can't you feel it when we touch
Can't you feel the love between us when we touch?
I will never never let you go
I promise never to let you go; my love for you is never-ending.
I love you oh so much
My love for you is beyond words; I love you so much.
You can dance go and carry on till the night is gone and it's time to go
Feel free to keep dancing until the night is over, and it's time to leave.
If he asks if you're all alone can he take you home you must tell him no
If any man asks to take you home, you must say no.
Cause don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arm's you're gonna be
Because you should remember that I'm the one who's taking you home and holding you in my arms.
So darlin save the last dance for me
Therefore, darling, please save the very last dance for me.
Cause don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arm's your gonna be
Because you should remember that I'm the one who's taking you home and holding you in my arms.
So darlin save the last dance for me mm
Therefore, darling, please save the very last dance for me.
Save the last dance for me mm
Please save the very last dance for me, my love.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOC POMUS, MORT SHUMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Walsh
What a lovely record. Billy Fury was a magical performer. He bought joy to millions.
Bryan Hilliard
What a lovely video and song, everybody seems in a good nature, all enjoying themselves, great song Billy
Andrew Browning
What a brilliant record by Billy England's king of Rock n Roll
Joanne Roberts
I love both Billy Fury and the Drifters and its my first time hearing this song but i think its fantastic
TrevM12
Brilliant Billy. His image summed up Rock 'n' Roll.
Martin Arndt
one of the best songs ever made....
SpiralBlue Andromeda
Pure magic!
Thank you so very much my dear friend for sharing all this tenderness with us!
maria mountain824
+SpiralBlue Andromeda Thank you so much dear Katerina. Hugs of love, maria xxx
Helen Brørs
Love this way of dancing and singing!
Alj82
Great underrated singer