O'Connor's acting career began while he was a student in Ireland in the 1950s. Following on experiences in American and European theatre, he established himself as a versatile character actor in Hollywood during the 1960s. Between films he made guest appearances on television programs such as the U.S. Steel Hour, Kraft Television Theatre, the Armstrong Circle Theatre and many of the filmed series hits of the 1960s. But O'Connor became a television star with his portrayal of outspoken bigot Archie Bunker, the American archetype whose chair now sits in the Smithsonian Institution.
In 1968, ABC Television, which had the first rights to the series, financed production of two pilot episodes of All in The Family (then under the title Those Were the Days). But the network's trepidation about the program's socially controversial content led ABC to reject the show. Producer Norman Lear sold the series to CBS, where All in The Family was broadcast for the first time on 12 January 1971 with O'Connor as Archie Bunker. By using humor to tackle racism and other sensitive subjects, All in The Family changed the style and tone of prime time programming on television. It may also have opened the door for political and social satires such as Saturday Night Live and other controversial programs.
Throughout its thirteen seasons the show gained immense popularity (in its heyday, it was said to have reached an average of fifty million viewers weekly), and maintained a groundbreaking sense of social criticism. Archie Bunker's regular stream of racial epithets and malapropisms catalyzed strong reaction from critics. All in the Family was attacked by conservatives who thought that the show made fun of their views, and by liberals who charged that the show was too matter-of-fact about bigotry. The show's successor Archie Bunker's Place, was broadcast on CBS from 1979 TO 1983, and the earlier show also begat two successful spinoffs, Maude and The Jeffersons, one of television's longest-running series about African Americans.
From 1988 to 1994 O'Connor starred in and served as executive producer and head writer for the hit prime time drama In the Heat of the Night. Set in fictional Sparta, Mississippi, but shot on location in Covington, Georgia, In the Heat of the Night may be seen as a continuation of O'Connor's association with television programs designed to function as social commentary by addressing issues of racism and bigotry. O'Connor plays Bill Gillespie, a Southern police chief whose top detective (played by Howard Rollins) is African American. In its 1993 season, the show also featured the marriage of Chief Gillespie to an African American city administrator. The series has received two NAACP Image Awards for contributing positive portrayals of African Americans on television. When the series version of In the Heat of the Night ended, O'Connor produced several made-for-television-movies using the same locations and characters. In 1995, O'Connor's son and co-star on In the Heat of the Night, Hugh O'Connor died of a drug overdose. O'Connor chose to speak out publicly about his grief and his views on the legalization of drugs, and gave a number of well-publicized interviews on these topics on television. He continues to devote much of his time to the social problems surrounding drug addiction.
-Diane Negra
Those Were The Days
Carroll O'Connor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
songs that made the hit parade
Guys like me we had it made
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state
ev'rybody pulled his weight
gee our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days
girls were girls and men were men
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
fifty dollars paid the rent
freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win
Have yourself a dandy day
that cost you under a fin
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
those were the days
Carroll O'Connor's song Those Were the Days is an ode to the past, reminiscing on the good old days when life was supposedly simpler and better. The lyrics vividly paint a picture of an era in which everything seemed to be in its place; from the popularity of Glen Miller's chart-topping music, to the ease with which people lived their lives without being dependent on a welfare state or government assistance. The nostalgia for the past is evident in the lyrics, with lines such as "And you knew who you were then, girls were girls and men were men" serving to highlight the changes that have ensued since the good old days.
The song also yearns for a bygone era when leadership was appreciated and respected, longing for the return of men like Herbert Hoover, who was the US President from 1929 to 1933. There is a sense of wistfulness for a time when social order was apparently maintained, people were happier and seemed to be content with their circumstances, and life was less complicated. Essentially, Carroll O'Connor's song Those Were the Days is a celebration of a time that is long gone and can never be regained.
Line by Line Meaning
Boy, the way Glenn Miller played
I remember the great music of Glenn Miller
songs that made the hit parade
The songs Glenn Miller played were popular and widely loved
Guys like me we had it made
Back then, guys like me had a good life
Those were the days
I miss those times
Didn't need no welfare state
We got by without government assistance
ev'rybody pulled his weight
Everyone worked hard and contributed to society
gee our old LaSalle ran great
We had good cars that worked well
And you knew who you were then
We had a clear sense of identity and purpose
girls were girls and men were men
Gender roles were more clearly defined
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
We need strong leadership like we had with Herbert Hoover
People seemed to be content
Overall, people were happy and satisfied with their lives
fifty dollars paid the rent
Rent was much cheaper back then
freaks were in a circus tent
We had more acceptance for people who were different
Those were the days
I miss those times
Take a little Sunday spin
Going for a drive on a Sunday was a popular activity
go to watch the Dodgers win
Watching the Dodgers baseball games was a fun pastime
Have yourself a dandy day
Enjoy your day and make the most of it
that cost you under a fin
It was cheap to enjoy life's simple pleasures
Hair was short and skirts were long
Fashion styles were different than today
Kate Smith really sold a song
Kate Smith was a popular singer who had great talent
I don't know just what went wrong
I'm not sure why things changed so much
those were the days
I miss those times
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES STROUSE, LEE ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@damianperez6685
Boy, the way Glen Miller played.
Songs that made the Hit Parade.
Guys like us, we had it made.
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state.
Everybody pulled his weight
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.
Those were the days
And you knew where you were then
Girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content.
Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent.
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin,
Go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day
That cost you under a fin.
Hair was short and skirts were long.
Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong
Those Were the Days
@mattburgess286
Boy, the way Glenn Miller played
songs that made the hit parade
Guys like me we had it made
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state
ev'rybody pulled his weight
gee our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days
And you knew who you were then
girls were girls and men were men
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
fifty dollars paid the rent
freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win
Have yourself a dandy day
that cost you under a fin
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
those were the days
@rusty.ramrod
your welcome...
Lyrics
Boy, the way Glenn Miller played
songs that made the hit parade
Guys like me we had it made
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state
ev'rybody pulled his weight
gee our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days
And you knew who you were then
girls were girls and men were men
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
fifty dollars paid the rent
freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win
Have yourself a dandy day
that cost you under a fin
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
those were the days
@chris13435
Boy, the way Glenn Miller played
songs that made the hit parade
Guys like me we had it made
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state
ev'rybody pulled his weight
gee our old LaSalle ran great
Those were the days
And you knew who you were then
girls were girls and men were men
Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again
People seemed to be content
fifty dollars paid the rent
freaks were in a circus tent
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin
go to watch the Dodgers win
Have yourself a dandy day
that cost you under a fin
Hair was short and skirts were long
Kate Smith really sold a song
I don't know just what went wrong
those were the days
@denzilroland4011
For some reason, this is very nostalgic and sentimental to me... miss the simple age of TV.
@trainsntile
Agreed, Denzil, agreed!
@d.a.elliottjr.367
Like the song says, those were the days.
@musiccollector
From the Golden Age of Television.
@chill2363
REMEMBERING meat head the son inlaw 😂🤣
@invoice0001
Right! Think of how the words of that song apply to today.
@musiccollector
One of the greatest shows of ALL time! That is an understatement, in fact. I not only LOVE the theme song but also LOVE the intro and extro video of the old houses. May this iconic show live forever.
@GawgaCracka
Fact is, it's true "THOSE WERE THE DAYS"!!
@bar0326
For real
@heidimarie8179
"All in the Family." 😀 Such great memories watching this with my dad when I was a kid. This is great