He was born Joseph Goreed in Cordele, Georgia and moved to Chicago as a child. He was raised by his mother and grandmother. He grew on the south side of Chicago, surrounded by jazz, blues, and gospel music. In the 1930s, as a teenager, he was a member of "The Jubilee Boys" and performed in Chicago churches.
He worked as a singer and bouncer in Chicago in the late 1930s and early 1940s. In 1943, he was hired by the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. He toured with Hampton for several years but never achieved breakthrough success.
He rose to national prominence as the singer for Count Basie's Orchestra in 1954. He remained with Basie for several years. "Everyday I have the Blues" is his biggest hit.
After leaving the Basie band, Williams continued to have a successful career working with his own jazz combo. He and Basie remained on good terms and he would regularly appear with the band.
Bill Cosby cast Williams as his father-in-law "Grandpa Al" Hanks in a recurring role on the 1980s sit-com The Cosby Show.
Williams enjoyed a successful career and worked regularly until his death. He died at age 80, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joe Williams shares a birthday with Frank Sinatra who was also born Dec. 12, three years before Williams
If I Should Lose You
Joe Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The stars would fall from the skies
If I should lose you
The leaves would wither and die
The birds in May-time
Would sing a lonely refrain
And I would wander around
With you beside me
No wind in winter would blow
With you beside me
A rose would bloom in the snow
I gave you my love
But I was living a dream
And living would seem in vain
If I lost you
Joe Williams’s song "If I Should Lose You" is a tender ballad about the heartbreak of losing a loved one. The line "If I should lose you, the stars would fall from the skies" evokes the idea that the loss of a lover would cause the world to lose its light and beauty. This is further reinforced by the line "If I should lose you, the leaves would wither and die". Williams is emphasizing just how important his lover is to him and conveys the feeling of missing an essential piece of life.
The second verse expands on this theme. Williams sings about the loneliness he would feel without his lover's presence. He imagines the world singing a "lonely refrain" and him wandering around, hating even the sound of rain. This imagery is incredibly poignant and allows the listener to empathize deeply with Williams's pain.
The final verse sums up the entire theme of the song - that without his lover, life is not really worth living. Williams sings "I gave you my love, but I was living a dream" which suggests that the relationship was so wonderful that it almost felt too good to be true. Now that it seems to be slipping through his fingers, the thought of losing his lover fills him with emptiness and fear.
Line by Line Meaning
If I should lose you
My world would crumble and fall apart without you
The stars would fall from the skies
The beauty of the universe would pale in comparison to the void of losing you
The leaves would wither and die
The joy of life would drain away, leaving me barren in your absence
The birds in May-time would sing a lonely refrain
Even the promise of renewal and new beginnings would be soured by the bleakness of losing you
And I would wander around hating the sound of rain
Every natural beauty would become a reminder of the pain and loss I feel without you, making life unbearable
With you beside me, no wind in winter would blow
Your love would shield me from the harsh realities of life, making every hardship easier to bear
With you beside me, a rose would bloom in the snow
You bring beauty and light to my life, even in the darkest, coldest times
I gave you my love, but I was living a dream
I loved you to the best of my ability, but now I see how fragile and fleeting that love was
And living would seem in vain if I lost you
Without you, there would be no point to living - all I would see is darkness and despair
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RALPH E GRAHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind