Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, which popularized traditional folk songs. In 1942, he appeared in Irving Berlin's This Is the Army and became a major star of CBS Radio. In the 1960s, he successfully crossed over into country music, recording hits such as "A Little Bitty Tear" and "Funny Way of Laughin'". Ives was also a popular film actor through the late 1940s and '50s. His film roles included parts in So Dear to My Heart (1948) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), as well as the role of Rufus Hannassey in The Big Country (1958), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ives is often associated with the Christmas season. He did voice-over work as Sam the Snowman, narrator of the classic 1964 Christmas television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Ives also worked on the special's soundtrack, including the songs "A Holly Jolly Christmas" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", both of which continue to chart annually on the Billboard holiday charts into the 2020s.
My Gal Sal
Burl Ives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The birds are singing for me and my gal.
Ev'rybody's been knowing to a wedding they're going.
And for weeks they've been sewing every Suzie and Sal.
They're congregating for me and my gal.
The parson's waiting for me and my gal.
And sometime I'm gonna build a little home for two for three or four or more
In love land, for me and my gal.
Burl Ives's song My Gal Sal, is a classic love song that celebrates the beauty of two people coming together in love, and the joy that is associated with such an occurrence. The lyrics of the song paint a vivid picture of the excitement that surrounds a wedding, as people from all around come together to celebrate the union of two individuals who have found love in each other. The bells are ringing, the birds are singing, and everyone is looking forward to the big day.
The first verse of the song talks about the preparation that has gone into the wedding. Everyone has been busy sewing, getting ready for the big day, and preparing to celebrate. The second verse talks about the anticipation that surrounds the wedding, with the parson waiting for the couple to arrive at the church. The final verse talks about the future that awaits the couple, as they plan to build a little home for themselves and their family in love land.
What makes My Gal Sal an even more interesting song is the historical context within which it was written. The song was composed by Paul Dresser in 1905, as a tribute to his sister's friend, Sal. Sal was a waitress in a bar who had caught Dresser's eye, and he decided to write a song about her. The song became incredibly popular, and was eventually used in a Broadway musical called "A Day in New York."
Line by Line Meaning
The bells are ringing for me and my gal.
People are celebrating and making merry on the occasion of me and my beloved partner receiving their wedlock.
The birds are singing for me and my gal.
Even the birds are chirping in delight and joy for the auspicious moment of me and my significant person tying the knot.
Ev'rybody's been knowing to a wedding they're going.
Everyone is well aware of the fact that a wedding ceremony is going to take place and are getting ready to attend the same.
And for weeks they've been sewing every Suzie and Sal.
For weeks, people have been working to make sure that the wedding ceremony of every bride and groom goes rightly so that they can enjoy the occasion completely.
They're congregating for me and my gal.
People are coming together to witness and rejoice in the nuptials of me and my better half.
The parson's waiting for me and my gal.
The priest or the religious head is waiting to officiate the wedding of me and my partner as soon as we arrive.
And sometime I'm gonna build a little home for two for three or four or more
In the near future, I hope to build a cozy and comfortable home for me and my partner, a place where our family will grow with the addition of children and more loved ones.
In love land, for me and my gal.
This little home of ours will be in the land of love, where only love, compassion, and harmony will reside between me and my soulmate forever.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: E. Ray Goetz, George W. Meyer, Edgar Leslie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind