Darren's role in the gritty 1961 World War II film The Guns of Navarone was an attempt to break out of his teen image. He then achieved success co-starring as impulsive scientist and adventurer Tony Newman in the science fiction television series, The Time Tunnel (1966-67).
In the 1970s, Darren appeared as a celebrity panelist on Match Game.
Later, Darren had a regular role as Officer James Corrigan on the television police drama T.J. Hooker from 1983-1986. Subsequently he worked as a director on many action-based television series, including Hunter, The A-Team, and Nowhere Man, as well as dramas such as Beverly Hills, 90210 and Melrose Place.
In 1998 he achieved renewed popularity as a singer through his appearances on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the role of holographic crooner and advice-giver Vic Fontaine; many of his performances on the show were recorded for the album This One's From the Heart (1999). The album showed Darren, a close friend of the late Frank Sinatra, comfortably singing in the Sinatra style; the 2001 follow-up Because of You showed similar inspiration from Tony Bennett.
Some animation fans may know him as the singing voice of Yogi Bear in the 1964 animated film, Hey There, it's Yogi Bear, on the song "Ven-e, Ven-o, Ven-a". Prior to that, he was the singing and speaking voice of "Jimmy Darrock" on an episode of The Flintstones.
Darren has been married twice. His first wife was Gloria Terlitsky with whom he has one son, Jim Moret, who formerly worked as a CNN reporter. His second wife is Evy Norlund, with whom he has two sons.
I've Got The World On A String
James Darren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sittin' on a rainbow.
Got the string around my finger.
What a world! What a life! I'm in love.
I've got a song that I sing,
I can make the rain go
Any time I move my finger.
Lucky me! Can't you see I'm in love?
As long as I hold that string.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let it go.
I've got the world on a string,
Sitting on a rainbow.
Got the string around my finger.
What a world! What a life! I'm in love.
(Instrumental Part)
Life is a beautiful thing
As long as I hold that string.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let it go.
I've got the world on a string,
Sitting on a rainbow.
Got the string around my finger.
What a world! What a life!
What a world! What a life!
What a world! What a life!
I'm in love
The title of the song “I’ve Got the World on a String” essentially means the singer has everything going for him. He feels like he has control of the world and anything is possible. The opening line “sitting on a rainbow” emphasizes that the singer is experiencing an extraordinary moment, living with endless possibilities. The delight that he is feeling is so immense that it’s like he has a string around his fingers allowing him to hold onto this moment forever.
The next lines suggest that the singer is in love and he now has a song to sing about his love. He feels that he has the ability to make the rain go away by moving his finger, highlighting how powerful and confident he feels. The lyrics “life is a beautiful thing as long as I hold that string” means that the singer is at the highest point of his life and he doesn’t want to lose it. He believes he would be a “silly so-and-so” if he were to let go of this string, which represents his high point in life.
Overall, this song highlights the feeling of being complete and whole, wrapped in the idea of the world being at your fingertips. It speaks of a moment of immense joy and happiness, where everything seems possible and nothing can go wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the world on a string,
I am in control of everything in my life and have everything going my way.
Sittin' on a rainbow.
I am in a state of euphoria and happiness.
Got the string around my finger.
I have complete control over my life and everything is going according to plan.
What a world! What a life! I'm in love.
I am in awe of how great my life is and how much love I have for everything around me.
I've got a song that I sing,
I am full of joy and have a song in my heart that represents my happiness.
I can make the rain go
I can control the world around me and everything goes my way.
Any time I move my finger.
I can make things happen with ease and have full control over every situation.
Lucky me! Can't you see I'm in love?
I am incredibly fortunate to be living a life full of love and joy, and it is evident to those around me.
Life is a beautiful thing
Life is wonderful and full of beauty and happiness.
As long as I hold that string.
As long as I am in control and have everything going my way, life will continue to be beautiful and full of happiness.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
I would be foolish to give up my control and let things happen to me instead of taking control of my life.
If I should ever let it go.
If I were to lose control, it would be a terrible mistake and would result in me losing everything I have worked hard to achieve.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind