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
Sometimes I'm Happy
Joe Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes I'm blue
My disposition
Depends on you
I never mind
The rain from the sky
If I can find
Sometimes I love you
Sometimes I hate you
But when I hate you
It's 'cause I love you
That's how I am
So what can I do?
I'm happy when I'm with you
Sometimes I love you
Sometimes I hate you
But when I hate you
It's 'cause I love you
That's how I am
So what can I do?
I'm happy when I'm with you
I'm happy when I'm with you
The lyrics to Joe Williams's song "Sometimes I'm Happy" delve into the complexity of his emotional state. He sings about how his happiness or sadness is entirely dependent on the person he loves. The first stanza explains how he can feel both happy and blue, and his mood is determined by his lover's actions. The second stanza elaborates on this idea as he explains that rainfall does not bother him if he has his lover's eyes to gaze upon.
The third stanza is particularly poignant as he confesses that sometimes he loves his partner, and other times he hates them. However, even when he hates them, it is because he loves them, which reveals the depth of his emotions. The final stanza sees him accepting that this is how he is, and he has no control over it. He ends the song by saying that he is happy when he is with them.
The lyrics to "Sometimes I'm Happy" can be interpreted in different ways, but at its core, it is a love song about a person's intense emotional attachment to their significant other. It highlights how love can both inspire extreme happiness and intense sadness, and how one's emotions can be entirely intertwined with another person's actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I'm happy
My mood can be joyful at times
Sometimes I'm blue
My mood can become sad at times
My disposition
My emotional state
Depends on you
Is controlled by your actions towards me
I never mind
I do not care
The rain from the sky
When it is pouring outside
If I can find
As long as I see
The sun in your eyes
Happiness in your eyes or in you in general
Sometimes I love you
My emotions towards you can be positive
Sometimes I hate you
My emotions towards you can be negative
But when I hate you
However, I only feel this way because I also love you
That's how I am
This is just my nature
So what can I do?
There is nothing I can do to change how I feel
I'm happy when I'm with you
I feel content when I am in your company
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Clifford Grey, Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Raul Richards
Wonderful rendition.♫♪♫ Smooth Musicians.♫♫♫♫♫ Jazz Jazz.!!!
Rafael Hovanesian
Master!