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).
Time Was
Helen O'connell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the school yard swings
When we exchanged graduation rings
One lovely yesterday
Time was when we wrote
Love letters in the sand
Or lingered over our coffee and
Dreaming the time away.
Sleigh rides and never apart
Hikes in the country and
There's more than one tree
On which I've a place in your heart
Darling, every tomorrow will be complete
If all our moments are half as sweet
As all our time was then
Helen O'Connell's song "Time Was" is an ode to nostalgia and the memories of a simpler time. The opening stanza sets the scene with a picture of happy childhood memories, swinging on schoolyard swings, exchanging graduation rings, and soaking up the joys of a lovely yesterday. The second stanza focuses on the romantic aspect of nostalgia, with images of writing love letters in the sand and daydreaming over coffee. The song touches upon the shared experiences and the deep connection that comes with them, such as picnics and hayrides in the countryside, and the knowledge that there are more than one trees that hold a special place in both of their hearts. The final line, "Darling, every tomorrow will be complete if all our moments are half as sweet as all our time was then," is a statement of hope and a reminder to cherish and appreciate the memories made in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Time was when we had fun
In the past, we used to enjoy ourselves
On the school yard swings
Swinging on the swings in the school yard
When we exchanged graduation rings
When we gave each other graduation rings
One lovely yesterday
A beautiful day in the past
Time was when we wrote
In the past, we used to write
Love letters in the sand
Love letters written on the sand
Or lingered over our coffee and
Spending time talking while enjoying coffee
Dreaming the time away.
Wishing we could stay in that moment forever
Picnics and hay rides and mid-winter
Having picnics, going on hay rides, and enjoying winter together
Sleigh rides and never apart
Going on sleigh rides and never being apart from each other
Hikes in the country and
Going on hikes in the countryside
There's more than one tree
There are many places where we belong to each other
On which I've a place in your heart
I hold a special place in your heart
Darling, every tomorrow will be complete
My love, every upcoming day will be amazing
If all our moments are half as sweet
If every moment spent together is just as lovely
As all our time was then
As amazing as our past was
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW POWELL, DAVID ALAN TURNER, MARTIN ROBERT TURNER, STEVE UPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind