Dick Haymes (September 13, 19… Read Full Bio ↴Powerful, milky smooth, rich baritone.
Dick Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was one of the most popular American male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s.
He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His Irish-born mother, Marguerite Haymes (1894-1987), was a well-known vocal coach and instructor. He became the vocalist in a number of big bands, worked in Hollywood on radio and in many films throughout the forties and fifties.
He never became a United States citizen and avoided military service during World War II by asserting his non-belligerent status as a citizen of Argentina, which was neutral. Years later (1955), this act of his nearly caused his deportation to Argentina on an unrelated technicality in immigration law. During World War II, he was briefly detained at Ellis Island.
Haymes was married six times and had six children. His most famous marriages were to film actresses Joanne Dru (1941-1949) and Rita Hayworth (1953-1955). His daughter Stephanie Haymes was married to Sir Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin
He died in Los Angeles from lung cancer, at the age of 61.
Oh! What It Seemed To Be
Dick Haymes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's all that it was
But, oh, what it seemed to be
It was like a masquerade ball
With costumes and all
'Cause you were at the dance with me
That's all that it was
But, oh, what it seemed to be
It was like a trip to the stars
To Venus and mars
'Cause you were on the train with me
And when I kissed you, Darling
It was more than just a thrill for me
It was the promise, Darling
Of the things that fate had willed for me
It was just a wedding in June
That's all that it was
But, oh, what it seemed to be
It was like a royal affair
With everyone there
'Cause you said "Yes, I do" to me
The lyrics of Dick Haymes's song Oh! What It Seemed To Be describe the overwhelming feeling of falling in love and the emotions associated with it. The song is divided into 4 stanzas, each describing a seemingly mundane event that turns into a magical experience just because the singer is with the person they love. The song opens with the singer describing a simple neighborhood dance, but it seems like a grand ball with costumes and all because he was there with the person he loves. The second verse talks about a train ride that turns into a trip to the stars because his lover was there with him. In the third verse, a simple kiss turns into a promise of a future together. And the fourth and final verse talks about a wedding that feels like a royal affair because, with everyone present, his lover said "Yes, I do" to him.
The lyrics of the song are extremely poetic, and the use of figurative language is prominent throughout. The verse "It was like a masquerade ball, with costumes and all" and "It was like a trip to the stars to Venus and Mars" convey the feeling of being in love and how everything seems surreal and dream-like. The lyrics conveys the feeling that being in love can make ordinary events much more extraordinary and magical.
Line by Line Meaning
It was just a neighborhood dance
It was a simple dance happening in the neighborhood
That's all that it was
There was nothing much happening, just a casual dance
But, oh, what it seemed to be
It felt like something extraordinary was happening
It was like a masquerade ball
The dance felt like a fancy masquerade ball
With costumes and all
People were dressed in fancy and elaborate costumes
'Cause you were at the dance with me
The presence of someone special made it all magical
It was just a ride on a train
It was a simple train ride
But, oh, what it seemed to be
It felt like a journey to a whole new world
It was like a trip to the stars
The train ride felt like a journey to the stars
To Venus and Mars
The ride felt like traveling to planets like Venus and Mars
'Cause you were on the train with me
Being accompanied by someone special made the journey all the more special
And when I kissed you, Darling
When I kissed you, my love
It was more than just a thrill for me
It meant a lot more to me than just excitement
It was the promise, Darling
It was a promise of a bright future
Of the things that fate had willed for me
It was the fulfilling of all the good things fate had in store for me
It was just a wedding in June
It was a simple wedding in the month of June
That's all that it was
Nothing more was happening, just a wedding
But, oh, what it seemed to be
It felt like a grand and royal wedding
It was like a royal affair
The wedding felt like a grand and majestic affair
With everyone there
Everyone was present to bless the union
'Cause you said "Yes, I do" to me
The promise of being together forever became a reality when you said "Yes, I do"
Lyrics © IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: BENNIE BENJAMIN, FRANKIE CARLE, GEORGE DAVID WEISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chuckacker3521
when music was music,... not the noise of today
@Trombonology
This one and "Together" have always been my two favorites among the beautiful Haymes-Forrest duets. Dick and Helen, old pals from their time in the Harry James orch. were superb singers and had great artistic rapport. Something about this performance always makes me tear up.
@SalemHill
Trombonology Erstwhile Thanks for all your erudite comments. You're providing a great service to the legacy of the bandleaders, musicians, singers and composers of this great music.
@Trombonology
@@SalemHill Thank you, James, for your very kind words. ... I can't seem to resist sharing my love for this wonderful music.
@swingman5635
This duo was just what post war America needed, weren't they? Singing songs like this one,and "Together ", conveyed hope for a bright,and loving future to a population that had lived through much sacrifice,and tough times. "Some Sunday Morning ",another that this pair recorded, fits this category, too.
@ntnrocket1
Was this the original version??? I always wondered why the repeating 3rd verse in the Sinatra version, the wedding verse; but hearing this one, it makes a lot more sense that it could have been a duet originally.
@Trombonology
@@ntnrocket1 Composer Frankie Carle's band had the first recording, with his daughter, Marjorie Hughes, handling the vocal. All of the three versions we're discussing are great, but I think the song works best as a duet. Too, I just find the Forrest-Haymes treatment especially poignant.
@VictrolaJazz
Another beautiful version! Actually like this vocal better than Frank's.