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.
Silver And Gold
Burl Ives Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold
How do you measure its worth?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Mean so much more when I see
Silver and gold decorations
Burl Ives's song "Silver and Gold" is a Christmas classic that celebrates the special commodities that everyone wishes for during the holiday season: silver and gold. The song opens with the chorus of "silver and gold, silver and gold" which repeats through the song, creating a catchy tune. The opening lines express a relatable feeling felt by many during holidays, the desire for materialistic things. However, the singer then asks how one can measure the worth of silver and gold, suggesting that it is not only the item's monetary value that makes it special. The singer then continues with the line, "just by the pleasure it gives here on earth," suggesting that the true value of Christmas treasures is found in the joy it brings.
The second verse of the song highlights the importance of decoration during Christmas with the line, "silver and gold decorations on every Christmas tree." The reference to decorations indicates that the value of silver and gold during Christmas is more than just monetary value, but also the beauty and joy that it adds to the holiday season. The song ends with the singer repeating the chorus, "silver and gold, silver, and gold," ending the song with a memorable and catchy melody.
Line by Line Meaning
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Precious metals that are highly valued
Ev'ryone wishes for silver and gold
People desire wealth and luxury
How do you measure its worth?
How do you determine the value of material possessions?
Just by the pleasure it gives here on earth
The value of material possessions is based on the happiness it brings
Silver and gold, silver and gold
Precious metals that are highly valued
Mean so much more when I see
Become even more meaningful when observed by someone
Silver and gold decorations
Ornaments made of silver and gold
On ev'ry Christmas tree
Placed on each holiday tree
Lyrics © ST. NICHOLAS MUSIC INC., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHNNY MARKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind