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.
Time Time
Ed Ames Lyrics
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Makes the stars go round
To the sky's bright song
Stirs the endless sea
Maybe time will bring
You back to me
The summer was golden
His bold arms, her rendesvous
But now leaves have fallen
And tears fill her eyes
His warm lips a memory
As she sighs
The snow's come
And gone now
And still, they're apart
How empty
Her yearning heart
But spring brings it's promise
And old memories burn
While she dreams
With summer, he'll return
Maybe time will bring
You back to me
The lyrics to Ed Ames’s song ‘Time, Time’ are sentimental and express deep emotions of love, loss, and hope. The opening lines of the song ‘rolls the hills along, makes the stars go round, to the sky’s bright song, stirs the endless sea’ emphasize time's power and influence on everything around us, whether it be the landscape or the passage of time. The idea of time’s transformative nature is clear throughout the song, with references to the changing seasons and the cyclical nature of the world.
As the song progresses, it tells the story of a love that was once young and new but has now come to an end. Time has passed, and the leaves have fallen, symbolizing the end of summer, and tears have replaced the joy that the couple once shared. The woman remembers the man’s warm embrace, but now it is just a memory, and she is left longing for his return. Despite the snow coming and then going and the passing of time, they are still apart, and her heart is empty without him.
However, the song ends on a hopeful note with the promise of spring and the possibility of a reunion. The woman dreams of the summer when her love will return, and maybe time will bring him back to her. The lyrics demonstrate the power of hope and the belief that time eventually heals all wounds, and life moves in cycles, offering new possibilities and chances to love again.
Line by Line Meaning
Rolls the hills along
Time moves forward constantly, like the rolling hills that we see in front of us
Makes the stars go round
Time is the reason for the rotation of the stars in the sky
To the sky's bright song
Time contributes to the beauty and splendor of the sky and its surroundings
Stirs the endless sea
Time is responsible for the ceaseless movement of the oceans and sea
Maybe time will bring
You back to me
Perhaps, with time passing by, the person the singer is missing may return to them
The summer was golden
Their relationship had begun during a happy, carefree season
Their love young and new
The singer and their partner were in the first stages of their relationship, filled with young love and passion
His bold arms, her rendesvous
The two of them shared many intimate moments and embraces
But now leaves have fallen
Time has passed and we're in a different, less happy season, where the leaves have died and fallen from the trees
And tears fill her eyes
The singer is now deeply affected emotionally by the absence of their partner
His warm lips, a memory
The singer thinks back on the physical touches they shared with longing and sadness
As she sighs
The singer is releasing a sigh as a sign of worry, uncertainty, and hope
The snow's come
We've moved forward in time. The snow is here
And gone now
The snow has passed, but the singer's partner has not returned
And still, they're apart
The singer is still separated from their loved one
How empty
The singer's heart feels empty without their partner there beside them
Her yearning heart
The singer deeply longs for the return of their partner
But spring brings its promise
Spring, a time of new beginnings and fresh starts, brings with it the promise of hope and a reunion with the singer's partner
And old memories burn
The singer remembers the good times they had with their partner in the past and treasures those memories
While she dreams
The singer imagines a future where her partner returns to her side
With summer, he'll return
The singer believes that their partner will come back to them during the warm and sunny days of summer
Maybe time will bring
You back to me
The song ends the way it began, with the singer hoping that time will eventually bring their partner back into their life
Contributed by Violet L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.