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.
Son Of A Travelin' Man
Ed Ames Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ba da da ba da da da
Well, I'm the son of a traveling man
And though I'm partially shackin'
Railroad whistles and freighter horns
Turn me on, and I'm packing
Orlando or anywhere
Chicago, St. Louis
Sheboygan, I'm going there
Though I know that I love you
And the feeling's so good
If you love me too
I'm warning you
Don't count em forever
We can have a ball together
But if fun time??? come admitten' comes a feeling
I'll be splitting
Tacoma, Pomona
Don't know where
I'm heading for
There's one thing I'm sure of
Just as soon as I get there, baby
I'll be feeling like
Traveling on once more
Baby, now that you understand
Well, there's no reason for sorrow
You know, I'm the son of a travelin' man
Here today, gone tomorrow
From Boston to Charleston
Wherever the four winds blow
I'm restless, I'm ready
There's a rainbow for me to follow
Anywhere that it leads me
I must go!
Milwaukee, Muskegon
Miami, the heart is there
Atlanta, New Orleans
Columbus or anywhere
Biloxi or Philly
Toledo I'm going there
(Fade)
The lyrics of Ed Ames's "Son Of A Travelin' Man" evokes the wanderlust that the singer feels as the son of a man who's always on the move. The introductory lines of the song are simply syllables meant to create an impression of a whistling sound that accompanies the train's movement. The singer admits he is not a man who desires a settled life, although he has mixed feelings about it. The sound of railroad whistles and freighter horns turns him on and energizes him, but at the same time, he has to leave behind the person he loves.
The entire song is a warning about his nature and his need to wander, and he advises those who care about him not to expect him always to return. As he notes, he's the son of a traveling man, and it's in his blood to be always on the go. He runs through various cities, from Seattle to Savannah, Chicago to St. Louis, and Orlando and Sheboygan, all popular destinations throughout America, as he talks about his restlessness. As he says, he needs to move on to the next adventure, and he's unsure of where precisely he's going or what adventure awaits him. He can't help it; he's the son of a traveling man.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm the son of a traveling man
I come from a family of travelers and it's in my blood.
And though I'm partially shackin'
Although I have a temporary love, I can't stay put and need to keep moving.
Railroad whistles and freighter horns
The sound of trains and ships moving excites me and draws me to new places.
Turn me on, and I'm packing
I get a rush from hearing the sounds of travel and it makes me want to pack my bags and go.
Seattle, Savannah
I'm open to going anywhere, from big cities like Seattle to charming towns like Savannah.
Orlando or anywhere
I don't have a specific destination in mind, I'm just ready to explore new places.
Chicago, St. Louis
I'm willing to travel to both major cities and smaller towns.
Sheboygan, I'm going there
I'm open to visiting lesser-known places like Sheboygan.
Though I know that I love you
Even though I'm in a romantic relationship, my desire to travel and explore remains strong.
And the feeling's so good
My love for travel brings me immense joy and fulfillment.
If you love me too
If my partner also loves me, they should be aware of my desire to travel and explore.
I'm warning you
I want to make sure my partner knows what they're getting into by being with me.
Don't count em forever
Don't expect me to stay in one place for too long.
We can have a ball together
We can have fun while we're together, but it won't be forever.
But if fun time??? come admitten' comes a feeling
If my restlessness becomes too much and I need to go, my partner should understand.
I'll be splitting
I'll leave if I need to, even if it means leaving my partner behind.
Tacoma, Pomona
I have no specific destination in mind, and could travel to Tacoma or Pomona.
Don't know where I'm heading for
I don't have a plan or a specific destination in mind.
There's one thing I'm sure of
The only thing I know for certain is that I won't be able to stay in one place forever.
Just as soon as I get there, baby
As soon as I reach a destination, I'll start itching to leave again.
I'll be feeling like traveling on once more
My sense of restlessness will kick in again and I'll be ready to move on to the next adventure.
Baby, now that you understand
I hope my partner understands that my need to travel isn't a reflection of my feelings for them.
Well, there's no reason for sorrow
Don't be sad about the fact that I'll eventually leave, it's just who I am.
You know, I'm the son of a travelin' man
My love for travel is in my DNA and I can't help but feel restless.
Here today, gone tomorrow
I might only be around for a short time, but I'll always be looking for my next adventure.
From Boston to Charleston
I'm open to visiting cities along the East Coast, from Boston to Charleston.
Wherever the four winds blow
I'm open to going anywhere that my travels might take me.
I'm restless, I'm ready
I'm always ready for my next adventure and can't be tied down.
There's a rainbow for me to follow
I'm following my dreams and my desire to explore new places.
Anywhere that it leads me
I don't have a plan - I'll follow the rainbow wherever it takes me.
I must go!
My desire to travel is strong and I must heed its call.
Milwaukee, Muskegon
I'm willing to visit lesser-known towns, like Milwaukee and Muskegon.
Miami, the heart is there
I'll travel to big cities like Miami, but I'm not looking for anything permanent.
Atlanta, New Orleans
Both major cities and smaller towns interest me, from Atlanta to New Orleans.
Columbus or anywhere
I'm open to going anywhere, including cities like Columbus or towns in rural areas.
Biloxi or Philly
My travels might take me to smaller towns, like Biloxi or more well-known cities like Philly.
Toledo I'm going there
I'm open to visiting towns like Toledo, no matter how small or unknown they might be.
(Fade)
The song ends, but my love for travel never will.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Francesco Franco Migliacci, Mauro Lusini, Piero Pintucci
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tj921able
This was marvelous! Thank you for sharing this great performance. The dancers were so entertaining too. God Bless You & stay safe.
@TomElvisSmith
Ed Ames charted at number 21 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and number 92 on the Hot 100 with this song. Written by Mauro Lusini & Robert Allen. He also sang "The Windmills of Your Mind" on this episode which was posted earlier.
@Kw1161
Mr Smith every-time I hear the title "Windmills of Your Mind" it make me think of Mama's Family on the old Carol Burnett Show were Mama tells her daughter Eunice "You have splinter in the Windmills of Your Mind"....:). Have a nice week.
@TomElvisSmith
@@Kw1161 You have a nice week as well!
@hnc52
Ed had a great voice. Those dancers...I won't be able to unsee them .
@Kw1161
@@hnc52 😂👍!
@maiatoktogonova9402
beautiful song and Ed's voice is flying
@bennyadler5882
The man was an excellent vocalist. His "My Cup Runneth Over" chills you just listening.
@kover1963
RIP Ed Ames.... thank you for the years of wonderful music!
@johnhourigan6049
Amazing there was a time this would appear on network TV — while I don’t live in the past, it’s a sad realization when one considers the current state of TV when viewing these Sullivan clips.