Helen O'Connell joined the Jimmy Dorsey band in 1939 and achieved her best selling records in the early forties with "Green Eyes", "Amapola", and "Tangerine". In each of these Latin-influenced numbers, Bob Eberly crooned the song which Helen then reprised in an up-tempo arrangement. Helen won the 1940 Metronome magazine poll for best female vocalist. She was one of the first "girls" on NBC's The Today Show, and at one point had her own television show.
Helen retired from show business upon her first marriage in 1943. Helen had four daughters and eight grandchildren. When the first marriage failed, she embarked on a solo career in 1951, achieving some chart success and becoming a regular television performer. Helen has married a total of four times.
She co-hosted the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants with Bob Barker from 1972 to 1980.
In her last marriage, she was married to arranger/conductor/composer Frank De Vol when she died in San Diego, California from a battle with hepatitis C resulting in primary liver cancer (hepatoma).
In the Still of the Night
Helen O'connell Lyrics
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As I gaze out of my window
At the moon in it's flight
My thoughts all stray, stray to you
In the still of the night
While the world lies in slumber
Oh the times without number
Do you love me
Just like I love you
Are you my life to be
That dream come true
Or will this dream of mine
Will it fade way out of sight
Just like that moon growing dim
Way out on the rim of the hill
In the still of the night
The song "In the Still of the Night" by Helen O'Connell is a reflective and wistful ballad that expresses a longing for a lost love. The lyrics create a vivid image of the singer gazing out of her window at the moon as it glides through the night sky. As she watches the world around her slip into slumber, her thoughts are drawn to the person she loves. She wonders if they share her feelings and ponders whether their love could be what she has been searching for.
As the song progresses, the singer's emotions become more intense. She pleads with her lover to reveal their true feelings and confess their love for her. The dreamlike quality of the moonlight and the stillness of the night create a sense of urgency, making it clear that time is running out. The singer fears that her dreams of being with the one she loves will fade away like the moon disappearing over the horizon.
Overall, "In the Still of the Night" is a beautiful and melancholic tribute to the power of love and the fleeting nature of time.
Line by Line Meaning
In the still of the night
Amidst the silence of the night
As I gaze out of my window
While staring out the window
At the moon in its flight
Observing the moon moving through the sky
My thoughts all stray, stray to you
My mind wanders only to you
While the world lies in slumber
As the rest of the world sleeps
Oh the times without number
So many times before
When I say to you
I ask you this
Do you love me
Do you feel the same way about me?
Just like I love you
As deeply as I love you?
Are you my life to be
Will you be the one I spend my life with?
That dream come true
The one who fulfills my dreams?
Or will this dream of mine
But what if this dream of mine
Will it fade way out of sight
Slowly fades away from reality?
Just like that moon growing dim
Like the moon losing its light
Way out on the rim of the hill
Far off in the distance
In the still of the night
During the peaceful night
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind