Waring once touted the blender by saying, "...this mixer is going to revolutionize American drinks." Waring blenders became an essential appliance for every “modern kitchen.” It was said that Waring blenders were used by Jonas Salk for developing his polio vaccine.
When he decided to add a men’s singing group to his growing ensemble, he recruited a young man named Robert Shaw, recently out of the Pomona College glee club in California, to train his singers. Shaw, of course, went on to found the Robert Shaw Chorale, direct the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, and become America’s preeminent conductor of "serious" choral music -- although the decidedly "schmaltzy" recordings of the men of the Robert Shaw Chorale contain strong echoes of the famous Waring glee club sound.
During the war years, Waring and his ensemble appeared at countless war bond rallies and entertained the troops at training camps. He also composed and/or performed dozens of patriotic songs, his most famous being “My America.” Throughout the 1940s and early 1950s Waring and The Pennsylvanians produced a string of hits, selling millions of records, and remained among the best known musical groups in the nation. A few of his many choral hits include "Sleep," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "Button Up Your Overcoat," "White Christmas," and "Dancing In The Dark."
In 1947, Waring began holding summer choral workshops at his Pennsylvania headquarters in Shawnee-on-the Delaware. For 37 years, talented young musicians from all over America flocked to these sessions and were taught to sing with precision, sensitivity and enthusiasm by the meticulous Waring. Among the many techniques the “maestro” shared with his pupils was his method of pronouncing “every sound of every syllable of every word,” thereby making the words of a song as clear to the audience as the music. The inspired singers then went home and shared what they had learned with fellow musicians, and Waring’s approach to choral singing spread throughout the nation. His reputation as “the man who taught America how to sing” was well earned.
Waring expanded into television in 1949 with The Fred Waring Show on CBS. The program ran until 1955 and received several awards for Best Musical Program. In the 60s and 70s, popular musical tastes turned from choral music, but Waring changed with the times, introducing his “Young Pennsylvanians,” a group of fresh-faced, long-haired, bell-bottomed performers who sang both old favorites and “choralized” arrangements of contemporary songs. In this way he continued to be a popular touring attraction, logging some 40,000 miles a year.
Ron Ketelsen, a "Young Pennsylvanians" singer in the late 70s, remembers Fred Waring with both awe and affection. "Whenever he entered a room, people stood up," Ketelsen said. "He was extremely well respected. No one ever called him 'Fred' - it was always "Mr. Waring." Ketelsen also remembers his repartee with his audiences between musical numbers. As a judge of the "Miss America" competition, Waring sometimes invited contestants onto his shows, and might comment on the brevity of their outfits by saying, "The women's costumes aren't quite finished yet, but I'm sure you'll enjoy what you do see."
Throughout his career, Fred Waring received many awards, but none was as illustrious as his last one. In 1983, the 83-year-old Waring — by now considered king of popular choral music — was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest honor for a civilian, by President Ronald Reagan.
Fred Waring died suddenly on July 29, 1984 at the place where it all began — Penn State University — just after videotaping a concert with his ensemble and completing his annual summer choral workshop. He conducted many such workshops at Penn State in his later years, and in 1984 designated Penn State to house his collection of archives and memorabilia. He also served his alma mater as a trustee and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the Universit . While many believe that "Waring Hall" at Penn State is named for him, it is actually named for his grandfather, William Waring . A small meeting room by the West Wing restaurant has dozens of cartoons drawn by artists such as Al Hirschfeld in Waring's honor. Fred Waring left behind four adult children; Dixie, Fred Waring Jr. (b. 1936), William "Bill" and Malcolm. Son Fred Jr. enjoyed a long and varied musical career as conductor and jazz trombonist. Grandson Jordan Waring attained some success as a classical composer and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in music in 1996.
The always-popular bandleader/choral conductor had spent a lifetime entertaining a nation and had, indeed, taught it how to sing. For almost 70 years this untiring artist and his beloved "Pennsylvanians" had enchanted audiences too numerous to count. There is little doubt that "Mr. Waring" did more to popularize choral music in America than any other person.
Dancing In The Dark
Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Til the tune ends
We're dancing in the dark
And it soon ends
We're waltzing in the wonder
Of why we're here
Time hurries by
We're here and gone
Looking for the light
Of a new love
To brighten up the night
I have you, love
And we can face
The music together
Dancing in the dark
The lyrics of "Dancing in the Dark" by Fred Waring & His Pennsylvanians's are about feeling stuck in a rut and wanting to break free from it. The singer describes their daily routine and how they are tired of feeling bored with themselves. They want to make a change but feel like they are not getting anywhere. The chorus emphasizes the idea that in order to start something new, there needs to be a spark or a catalyst. The guns for hire line suggests the desire to hire someone to help them out of this situation.
The second verse adds to the first verse, highlighting the message that the radio is moving the place and there is something happening somewhere. The singer looks in the mirror and wants to change everything about themselves. They want to get out of their current situation and have some action in their life. The line "this laugh's on me" suggests self-deprecation and a willingness to make fun of themselves to move forward. The final chorus repeats the idea that you can't start a fire without a spark but adds the line about not worrying about the little world falling apart. This line suggests that sometimes in order to make a change, small things may need to fall apart.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up in the evening
I wake up in the evening when most people are asleep.
And I ain't got nothing to say
I have nothing significant to express to anyone when I'm awake.
I come home in the morning
My day begins when it's already a morning for others.
I go to bed feeling the same way
I retire to bed with the same emotions that I've been having all day.
I ain't nothing but tired
I am excessively fatigued, and unable to perform even basic tasks.
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
I am lacking inspiration, and I'm disappointed in myself due to the monotony of my life.
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
I need assistance, motivation, and inspiration to get through this difficult phase of my life.
You can't start a fire
A fire cannot start without a spark.
You can't start a fire without a spark
Meaning only for repetition
This gun's for hire
I am available for hire, and my services are at your disposal.
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if our efforts are not recognized, appreciated or noticed, we should keep working hard.
Message keeps getting clearer
The letter remains more evident and easier to interpret.
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I am aimlessly walking and looking around with a radio playing in the background.
I check my look in the mirror
I keep looking at myself, wondering if there's something about my appearance that needs changing.
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
I feel like everything about me is flawed, and I desire a complete makeover.
Man I ain't getting nowhere
My current attempts at making changes in my life are not yielding any results.
I'm just living in a dump like this
I am disappointed with the current state of my life, and I see it as a dump.
There's something happening somewhere
I sense that something is happening, even if I'm not sure where it is.
Baby I just know that there is
I have an intuition that something is going to happen.
You sit around getting older
Sitting down and doing nothing only makes you older.
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
There's a humor in my situation, but the punchline is at my expense.
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
I want to get rid of my problems and take control of my life again.
Come on baby this laugh's on me
I'm making light of my situation, and the joke is on me.
Stay on the streets of this town
If you continue to hang out in this neighborhood,
And they'll be carving you up alright
then you're going to be in trouble, and people will hurt you.
They say you gotta stay hungry
People often say that you need to be hungry for success.
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I am starving for success and desperate for a breakthrough.
I'm dying for some action
I crave an opportunity to take action and make progress.
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I am tired of sitting down and trying to write the next chapter of my life.
I need a love reaction
I require a positive response, affirmation, or affirmation for my efforts.
Come on now baby gimme just one look
I am knowing that even a small interest and acknowledgment from someone can make a huge difference.
You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
There's no use in spending time crying over spilled milk or lamenting over things that have already happened and can't be undone.
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
You can't be all consumed by your problems, and worrying about little things that fall apart in your life will not lead to any progress.
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Meaning only for repetition
This gun's for hire
Meaning only for repetition
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Meaning only for repetition
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Meaning only for repetition
Hey baby
Meaning only for repetition
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doug Marshall
Incredible sound quality, taking into consideration the recording techniques of the time!
George Dabrowski
From Hunger. Not a particularly listenable record. There are better. Check out others, do.