He was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, where his father was a barber who loved music and inspired Billy to teach himself to play the mandolin at age 3, while suffering a case of the measles. He went on to learn a number of other instruments.
In 1941, Vaughn joined the United States National Guard for what had been planned as a one-year assignment, but when World War II broke out, he was sent abroad till the war ended in 1945. He decided to make music a career when he was discharged from the army at the end of the war, and attended Western Kentucky State College, now known as Western Kentucky University, majoring in music composition. He had apparently learned barbering from his father, because he did some while studying at Western Kentucky to support himself financially, when he was not able to get jobs playing the piano at local night clubs and lounges. While he was a student there, three other students, Jimmy Sacca, Donald McGuire and Seymour Spiegelman, who had formed a vocal trio, The Hilltoppers, recruited Vaughn to play the piano with them. He soon added his voice to theirs, converting the trio to a quartet. As a member of the group, he also wrote their first hit song, Trying, which charted in 1952.
In 1954 he left the group to join Dot Records in Gallatin, Tennessee as music director. He subsequently formed his own orchestra, which had a big hit in that same year with Melody of Love. He went on to have many more hits over the next decade and a half, and based purely on chart successes, was the most successful orchestra leader of all time.
Oh Mein Papa
Billy Vaughn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so good
No one could be, so gentle and so lovable
Oh, my pa-pa, he always understood.
Gone are the days when he could take me on his knee
And with a smile he'd change my tears to laughter
Always the clown so funny in his way
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
Deep in my heart I miss him so today.
The lyrics to Billy Vaughn's "O Mein Papa" are a touching tribute to the singer's father. The song is written from the perspective of a person who has lost their father and is reflecting on the memories they shared together. The lyrics describe the singer's father as being wonderful, good, gentle, lovable, funny, adorable, and always understanding. The words are filled with love, admiration, and longing for the father who has passed away.
The lyrics also paint a picture of the bond between a father and child. The singer recalls the times when their father would take them on his knee and make them laugh, even when they were crying. These memories are bittersweet, as the singer laments that those days are gone and that they miss their father deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so wonderful
My father was an amazing person to me.
Oh, my pa-pa, to me he was so good
My father was a good person to me.
No one could be, so gentle and so lovable
My father was so kind and loving, no one could match him.
Oh, my pa-pa, he always understood.
My father always understood me and my needs.
Gone are the days when he could take me on his knee
When I was a child, my father used to hold me on his lap.
And with a smile he'd change my tears to laughter
He always had a way of making me feel better, even when I was upset or crying.
Oh, my pa-pa, so funny, so adorable
My father was a funny and adorable person to be around.
Always the clown so funny in his way
He had a unique sense of humor and was always making us laugh.
Deep in my heart I miss him so today.
Even though he is gone, I still think about him and miss him deeply.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner, Paul Burkhard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind