Ames was born in Malden, Massachusetts to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. He was one of nine children, five boys and four girls. Ames grew up in a poor household, but was educated in Classical and Opera music, as well as in Literature, such as Shakespeare. Ames was very athletic as a child and teenager, but he always knew that music would one day become his future destiny, as well as for his brothers; Gene, Mac, Vic and Joe. Together, while still in high school, the brothers formed a quartet and often won competitions around the Boston area in Massachusetts. Three of the brothers later formed the Amory Brothers quartet and went to New York, where they were hired by bandleader Art Mooney. Abe Burrows, a playwright entertainer at the time who helped the brothers along the way, had suggested the brothers change their names to the Ames Brothers.
They were first signed on with Decca Records in 1948. However, because of the Musician Union's ban, their records from Decca were never released. Instead, they signed on with another label, Coral Records, a subsidiary of Decca. They had their first major hit in the 1950s with the double-sided "Ragg Mopp" and "Sentimental Me". Following this, the Brothers continued to have success throughout the 50s with many hits like "It Only Hurts For a Little While", "Man With The Banjo" and "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane". The brothers also made appearances regularly on variety shows, and even for a short period of time had their very own 15 minute variety show in 1955.
In 1960, The Ames Brothers disbanded, and Ed Ames, pursuing a career in acting, studied at the Herbert Berghoff School. His first starring role was in an Off-Broadway production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible, going on to starring performances in The Fantasticks and Carnival!, which was on Broadway. He was also in the national touring company of Carnival.
Although Ames was Jewish, his dark complexion led to his being cast regularly as an American Indian. His greatest success as a stage actor came when he played Chief Bromden in the Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, opposite Kirk Douglas. Talent scouts at 20th Century Fox saw Ed in the production and invited him to play the Native American Mingo on the television show Daniel Boone.
While playing Mingo on television, Ames developed some skill in throwing a tomahawk. This led to one of the most memorable moments of his career, when he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on April 29, 1965. During the course of the show, Ames and Johnny Carson were discussing Ames' tomahawk throwing abilities. When Ames claimed that he could hit a target from across the room, Carson asked Ames if he could demonstrate this skill. Ames agreed, and a wood panel with a chalk outline of a cowboy was brought on to the stage. Ames proceeded to throw the tomahawk, which hit the "cowboy" in the tip of the crotch. This led to a very long burst of laughter from the audience and Carson's famous ad-libs; "I didn't even know you were Jewish!" and "Welcome to Frontier Bris."
During the 1960s, Ed returned to singing, this time however as a solo artist. He released his first single, "Try to Remember", in 1965. The song barely made the charts. However, a bigger success came in 1967 with "My Cup Runneth Over". The song was both a Pop hit and an Adult Contemporary hit. He had less success on the Pop charts soon after, and only had Adult Contemporary hits. The hits were "When the Snow Is On the Roses", "Time Time" and "Timeless Love". He did make the Pop Top Twenty one last time in his singing career with the song "Who Will Answer" in 1968.
Ames's distinctive baritone is a regular radio presence during Christmas season, too, thanks to his version of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Written originally in response to the Cuban missile crisis, the song received its best-selling treatment from Bing Crosby in 1962, but Ames's version--recorded a few years later, during the peak of his solo recording career, is in frequent holiday rotation.
I Wanna Be Free
Ed Ames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the bluebirds flying by me,
Like the waves out on the blue sea,
If your love has to tie me,
Don't try me, say good-bye.
I wanna be free,
Don't say you love me, say you like me
But when I need you beside me,
Confide in me, whoa-oh-oh.
I wanna hold your hand,
Walk along the sand,
Laughing in the sun,
Always having fun.
Doing all those things
Without any strings to tie me down.
I wanna be free,
Like the warm September wind, babe,
Say you'll always be my friend, babe,
We can make it to the end, babe,
Again, babe, I've gotta say...
I wanna be free,
I wanna be free,
I wanna be free.
The lyrics of Ed Ames's song "I Wanna Be Free" is a declaration of independence from the shackles of love. The song speaks of the desire to be unattached and free to live life without any restraints. With the comparison to bluebirds and the waves out at sea, the singer longs to be just as free as nature's elements. The use of "if your love has to tie me, don't try me, say good-bye," indicates that the singer is not interested in being tied down by his lover's affections. He wants to be free to live his life without someone dictating his actions or emotions.
The lyrics in the second verse continue to reinforce the idea of independence. The singer requests that his lover not claim to love him, but instead only like him. He appreciates her presence but wants her to stay close enough to guide him without controlling him. The verses highlight the desire for physical freedom as well as emotional independence, with the lines "doing all those things without any strings to tie me down."
The chorus is a reiteration of the singer's desire to be free. The warm September wind is used as a metaphor for the carefree and unattached lifestyle he craves. The final lines of the song are an unambiguous reminder of his ultimate goal to be free. Ed Ames's rendition of "I Wanna Be Free" is a ballad that captures the longing for independence and the desire to live life on one's own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be free,
The singer desires freedom.
Like the bluebirds flying by me,
The singer desires a freedom akin to the carefree nature of birds.
Like the waves out on the blue sea,
The singer desires a freedom akin to the vast openness of the sea.
If your love has to tie me,
The artist cannot be tied down by love.
Don't try me, say good-bye.
The artist would rather end the relationship than be held back.
Don't say you love me, say you like me
The singer desires honesty in the relationship, and would rather their partner say what they truly feel.
But when I need you beside me,
Despite desiring freedom, the singer still wants their partner to be there for them when they need them.
Stay close enough to guide me,
While not wanting to be tied down, the artist still wants their partner to be a support system for them.
Confide in me, whoa-oh-oh.
The artist values open communication in the relationship.
I wanna hold your hand,
The artist desires physical intimacy with their partner.
Walk along the sand,
The singer desires to enjoy simple pleasures with their partner.
Laughing in the sun,
The artist wants to share moments of joy with their partner.
Always having fun.
The singer desires a lighthearted and enjoyable relationship.
Doing all those things
Continuation of desires listed in the previous lines.
Without any strings to tie me down.
The singer desires a relationship free from obligation or restriction.
Like the warm September wind, babe,
The artist desires a freedom akin to the gentle nature of the wind.
Say you'll always be my friend, babe,
The artist desires a partner who will always be there for them, even if the romantic relationship ends.
We can make it to the end, babe,
The couple can make it through any challenges that come their way.
Again, babe, I've gotta say...
Reiteration of desire for freedom.
I wanna be free,
The artist still desires freedom above all else.
I wanna be free,
Reiteration of desire for freedom.
I wanna be free.
Final statement of the artist's desire for freedom.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BOBBY HART, TOMMY BOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mostly Brenda
Ed lived to be 95, passing on May 21, 2023. He played "Mingo", a native American, on the "Daniel Boone" TV series. A famous incident occurred on the Tonight Show when Ames was demonstrating how to throw a hatchet to Johnny Carson. A wooden board with a man drawn on it was set up as a target. Ed hit the man right in groin. Ouch babe! I remember Johnny stopping Ed from retrieving the tomahawk until the crowd noise died down. Carson then adlibbed "I didn't know you were Jewish!", referring to the tradition of circumcising new born males. Huge laugh! The most surprising part? Ed Ames actually was Jewish! The family were immigrant Ukrainian Jews. Their surname was originally Urick or Eurich. I doubt that Johnny knew this at the time. R.I.P. Ed Ames
Someone Else Entirely
I remember that episode - laughed so hard! 😂
That 70's Girl
That was funny... Thank you for sharing! 😄💖
Mostly Brenda
@That 70's Girl You can find it on YT. I wrote how earlier, but the channel deleted it. ☹
That 70's Girl
@Mostly Brenda Really?
I'm sure I can find it. Thank you! 💖
Tom Smith
Ed also sang his hit single" Who Will Answer?" on this episode. He was one of Sullivan's favorite guests as he appeared over 20 times between 1950 to 1970, both as a solo artist and a member of the Ames Brothers.
Edu Fau
A beautiful ballad sung by a great voice, in my opinion, perhaps the best of all the versions that were made of this piece, among others the one by The Monkees (original version), the one by Andy Williams, the one by Jimnie Rodgers or the one by Boyce & Hart (authors of the song)... The good ones are leaving... Rest in peace.
Tom Wege
One of the great voices and personalities from the entertainment world !
lonestarfriend
Very nicely done!
tj921able
May he RIP 🙏 🪦. He is free now. Beautiful rendition of this song 🎵 ❤️. TY for sharing it. As someone who uses a walker due to disability, I feel this way. God Bless You and stay safe