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.
Pearly Shells
Billy Vaughn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shining in the sun
Covering the shore
When I see them
My heart tells me that I love you
More than all the little pearly shells
For every grain of sand upon the beach
And I've got more left over
For each star that twinkles in the blue
Pearly shells
Shining in the sun
Covering the shore
When I see them
My heart tells me that I love you
More than all the little pearly shells
Pupu a o Ewa
I ka nuku
E lawe mai
Ahe aina
Mai no
Ala hula puuloa he ala hele no kaahupahau
I apau huna one i ka kahakai
Ua honi nau
Ho'i koe lawa na
Pakahi hoku 'i ka lani
Puhau
Ala hula puuloahe ala hele no kaahupahau
The song "Pearly Shells" by Billy Vaughn talks about the beauty of the ocean and how the pearly shells reflect that beauty. The song expresses love for someone special who is cherished more than anything else in the world. The lyrics suggest that every single grain of sand on the beach represents a kiss for the loved one, and there are more kisses left over for every star that twinkles in the sky. The final verse is in Hawaiian, and it adds to the romanticism of the song, mentioning the various paths to take on a voyage, leaving everything else behind to search for love.
The song was written by Webley Edwards and Leon Pober. It was first recorded in Hawaii by the Leon Pober Orchestra in 1962, and then covered by a number of artists, including Burl Ives and Don Ho. Billy Vaughn's instrumental version of the song is probably the most famous.
Line by Line Meaning
Pearly shells from the ocean
Beautiful, shining shells coming from the ocean
Shining in the sun
These shells look even more beautiful in the sunlight
Covering the shore
The beach is covered with these shiny shells everywhere
When I see them
As I lay on the sand, I see these shells all over
My heart tells me that I love you
When I see these shells, my heart is filled with love for you
More than all the little pearly shells
My love for you is greater than the number of shells on the beach
For every grain of sand upon the beach
For every speck of sand, I have a kiss just for you
I've got a kiss for you
I have an endless supply of affection for you
And I've got more left over
I have an infinite amount of love and adoration in my heart
For each star that twinkles in the blue
My love for you is as vast as the nighttime sky, with endless stars shining above
Pupu a o Ewa
A line in Hawaiian language that means 'shells of Ewa'
I ka nuku
A line in Hawaiian language that means 'in the foremost mouth'
E lawe mai
A line in Hawaiian language that means 'bring some here'
Ahe aina
A line in Hawaiian language that means 'fragrance of the land'
Mai no
A line in Hawaiian language that means 'indeed, yes'
Ala hula puuloa he ala hele no kaahupahau
A line in Hawaiian language that describes the Puuloa area and its hula traditions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Webley Edwards, Leon Pober
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ana Maria Recinos
Preciosa melodía
Jose Guzman
Que nostálgica canción!
Joan Maxymuik
So beautiful, love it!
Neilton Ferreira
Simplesmente maravilhoso! 💓
samuel kirk
A beautiful treasure from my childhood. My mom had lots of Billy Vaughns music on LP. I inherited them when she passed in 2008. I could listen to this tune forever.
Andy Meier
This is really a rare pearl in the grand repertoire of Billy Vaughn. Just groovy!
Anita Hibbs
I'm so glad somebody put Billy Vaughn's music on you tube. He was the greatest!
PL AN
What a beautiful melody that I have been constantly singing from 1970....! Excellent lyrics and incomparable orchestra by Billy Vaughn.
Education Consultant
Beautiful music to refresh your soul!
Tristian Parker
I guess I am kinda randomly asking but does anyone know of a good website to stream newly released series online?