He was born as William Thomas Murray in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of immigrants from Ireland. He became fascinated with the theater and joined a traveling vaudeville troupe in 1893. He also performed in minstrel shows early in his career. He made his first recordings for a local phonograph cylinder company in San Francisco, California in 1897. He started recording regularly in the New York City and New Jersey area in 1903, when the nation's major record companies as well as the Tin Pan Alley music industry were concentrated there.
In 1906 he waxed the first of his popular duets with Ada Jones. He also performed with Aileen Stanley, the Haydn Quartet, the Premier Quartet, and the American Quartet (the latter two actually being the same group), in addition to his solo work.
He had a strong tenor voice with excellent enunciation and a more conversational delivery than common with bel canto singers of the era. On comic songs he often deliberately sang slightly flat, which he felt helped the comic effect.
While he often performed romantic numbers and ballads which sold well at the time, his comedy and novelty song recordings continue to be popular with later generations of record collectors.
Murray's popularity faded with changes in public taste and recording technology; the rise of the electric microphone in the mid 1920s coincided with the rise of the crooners. His "hammering" style, as he called it, essentially yelling the song into the recording horn, did not work in the electronic era, and it took him some time to learn how to soften his voice. While he continued to work, his singing style was considered "dated" and less in demand. In the late 1920s and early 1930s he also did voices for animated cartoons, especially the "follow the bouncing ball" type which incorporated songs from his salad days. He also did radio work.
Murray made his last recordings in 1943 and retired to Freeport, Long Island, New York in 1944. He died in nearby Jones Beach.
I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover
Billy Murray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
No need explaining, the one remaining
Is somebody I adore
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
No need explaining, the one remaining
Is somebody I adore
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
I overlooked before
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
No need explaining, the one remaining
Is somebody I adore
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
I overlooked before
I overlooked before
I overlooked before
The lyrics of Billy Murray's song, "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover," essentially speak of the singer experiencing a newfound appreciation for life and the things that he's overlooked before. Specifically, the four-leaf clover that he once ignored is now something he deems as special. He lists the leaves of the clover, noting that one represents sunshine, another for rain, and the third leaf symbolizes roses that grow in the lane.
The final leaf of the clover, which he claims is "somebody I adore," is left without explanation. It could be left open to interpretation who or what that leaf represents to him. It could be a person or a thing, but the important part is that he is now observing it with great appreciation. He repeats the chorus multiple times, expressing his newfound attention to things that he once dismissed.
The song's repetitive chorus helps to emphasize the newfound appreciation that the singer, and perhaps the listeners, gains as they acknowledge the little things that they once overlooked. The song encourages the listeners to take a closer look at their lives and learn to appreciate what's around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
I'm searching for something rare and lucky
I overlooked before
I didn't realize its value until now
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
There are good times and bad times in life
Third is the roses that grow in the lane
There are beautiful things to appreciate in the world
No need explaining, the one remaining
The final leaf's significance is obvious
Is somebody I adore
Represents a person who is loved and important
I overlooked before
Ignored or didn't fully appreciate this person before
I overlooked before
Emphasizes the regret for not noticing something sooner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MORT DIXON, HARRY WOODS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rwinger2481
It's now in the public domain.
Except for the Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn arrangements respectively heard in a number of cartoons like "Operation: Rabbit" and "Show Biz Bugs", some of favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons.
Also in these Warner Bros. Cartoons
- Holiday for Drumsticks
- Daffy Dilly
- Fast and Furry-ous
- Rabbit Hood
- Home, Tweet Home
- His Bitter Half
- It's Hummer Time
- Early Bet
- There Auto Be A Law
- Ducking the Devil
@ceplio
Jimmy Dorsey, Billy Murray, and Bix all in the same room at once
@edwardgunyo3638
Love the song, Jean is great and listen to his songs all the time when I can find them. Great songs from the 20's and 30's.
@henridelagardere264
This is a favorite song of mine as long as I can remember, and I most closely associate it with João Gilberto and Coleman Hawkins. This Goldkette has been in my collection for many years, too. Listen to the piano comping behind Joe Venuti's solo: That's pianist-arranger Paul Madeira Mertz. He wrote one of the most beautiful ballads (music & words), a standard you all know, "I'm Glad There Is You", usually credited or co-credited to Jimmy Dorsey, who is also present on this Goldkette side. After the song was published in 1942, Cole Porter sent Paul Mertz a letter, naming "I'm Glad" best song of the year. It takes one to know one. And keep in mind: After all, 1942 was the year that White Christmas, Skylark, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, I'll Remember April, I Remember You, At Last or Who Can I Turn to? saw the light of day. The name is Mertz, Paul Mertz.
@elysianfury
That broken sounding trash crash near the beginning is good stuff
@browneyedgirl3224
Agreed
@arthurindenbaum4329
Shades of Spike Jones
@peneleapai
Somewhere around 00:03 ?
@davida.logansr1692
Very much the style of the period! It’s repeated several times throughout
@RChayes71788
Thank You, so very much for sharing this
@the78prof72
You are most welcome!