His family was in the cinema business, but it was during his National Service that he began performing as a musician. After taking a correspondence course and arranging for some of the bands of the day, he formed The John Barry Seven. Barry then met Adam Faith, and composed songs and film scores on the singer's behalf.
It was this notoriety that caught the attention of the producers of Dr. No, who were dissatisfied with the score given to them by Monty Norman. Barry and the JB7 were hired and their recording of Norman's "James Bond Theme" would go on to be one of the most famous signature tunes in film history.
This would be the turning point for Barry, as he would go on to become one of the most celebrated film composers of modern times, winning five Academy Awards and four Grammys, with such memorable scores as The Lion in Winter, Midnight Cowboy, Out of Africa, and Dances with Wolves.
Barry is often cited as having had a distinct style which concentrated on lush strings and extensive use of brass. However, he was also an innovator, being one of the first to employ synthesizers in a film score (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), and to make wide use of pop artists and original songs in Midnight Cowboy.
Living in his native England until the mid 1970s, Barry spent some time in Spain (for tax purposes) before spending much of his life in the United States, mainly in Oyster Bay, outside of New York.
Barry died of a heart attack on 30 January 2011, at his Oyster Bay home, aged 77 years.
The Bomb Part 1
John Barry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We're happy tonight,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Gone away is the bluebird,
Here to stay is a new bird
As we go along,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say: Are you married?
We'll say: No man,
But you can do the job
When you're in town.
Later on, we'll conspire,
As we dream by the fire
To face unafraid,
The plans that we've made,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Until the other kids knock him down.
When it snows, ain't it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Walking in a winter wonderland,
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I brought some corn for popping;
The lights are turned way down low,
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
When we finally say good night,
How I'll hate going out in the storm;
But if you really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.
The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,
But as long as you love me so.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
The lyrics to "Winter Wonderland" by Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith are a vivid description of a winter scene. The sleigh bells are ringing, and the snow is glistening in the lane, creating a beautiful sight for those walking in a winter wonderland. This scene is further enhanced by the appearance of a bird singing a love song, which adds to the romantic atmosphere. As the couple walks along, they build a snowman, pretending it's Parson Brown and answering his question about their martial status. Later on, they sit by the fire and dream about their future plans.
The song expresses the joy and fun that can be had during winter, despite the cold temperatures. The Eskimo way of frolicking and playing in the snow is mentioned, adding to the playfulness of the lyrics. Even when it snows and your nose gets a chill, there is still enjoyment to be had in a winter wonderland. The end of the song sees the couple saying goodnight and lamenting the end of their time together, but the idea that as long as they love each other, they can enjoy the winter while walking in a wonderland.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
The sound of jingling bells fills the air, can you hear it?
In the lane, snow is glistening
The snow-covered road sparkles and gleams in the light
A beautiful sight,
This winter wonderland is a truly breathtaking view
We're happy tonight,
In this moment, we are filled with joy and contentment
Walking in a winter wonderland.
We stroll through this magical scenery, feeling alive and carefree
Gone away is the bluebird,
The summer birds have flown south and left us behind
Here to stay is a new bird
Winter birds have arrived, making themselves at home in the cold
He sings a love song,
This new bird announces his presence with a sweet melody
As we go along,
We continue to walk and enjoy the winter landscape
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Our journey through this remarkable world continues
In the meadow we can build a snowman,
The snow invites us to create a friendly, frozen figure
Then pretend that he is Parson Brown
We imagine our snowman as a reverend, adding to his quirky charm
He'll say: Are you married?
Our silly snowman 'speaks' to us, asking us if we're betrothed
We'll say: No man,
We answer our creation in whimsical fashion, addressing his inquiry
But you can do the job
We tell him he's able to perform the wedding ceremony to anyone else
When you're in town.
We offer him up to the other citizens of the town for their use
Later on, we'll conspire,
As night falls, we plan and scheme for future adventures
As we dream by the fire
By the warm blaze, we allow ourselves to drift into fantasy and reverie
To face unafraid,
We resolve to confront our fears head-on, without apprehension
The plans that we've made,
We review and consider the schemes we've cast for our futures
Walking in a winter wonderland.
Amidst this beautiful land of ice and snow, we seek adventure
And pretend that he's a circus clown
We take part in some lighthearted fantasy with our friendly snowman
We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman,
Sharing laughs and good times with our snowman is guaranteed
Until the other kids knock him down.
Unfortunately, some other children ruin our merrymaking by destroying our creation
When it snows, ain't it thrilling,
A sudden snowfall can be tremendously exhilarating
Though your nose gets a chilling
The temperature drop can have physical consequences, but still worth it
We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
We embrace the cold and engage in some enjoyable Winter's activities
Walking in a winter wonderland.
The beauty of the season is an experience worth having
Oh, the weather outside is frightful,
The conditions outdoors have become a bit scary in nature
But the fire is so delightful,
The warm fireplace indoors is a welcome relief from the cold
And since we've no place to go,
We've no specific place in mind and are free to stay inside
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
We declare that we're happy to stay in and pass the time as it snows outside
It doesn't show signs of stopping,
It seems that the snow outside is continuing non-stop
And I brought some corn for popping;
We prepared some corn specifically for this setting
The lights are turned way down low,
We've reduced the immense light intensity to have a more natural setting
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
In the continued snowfall, we blissfully pass the time
When we finally say good night,
As night draws to a close, we prepare to retire
How I'll hate going out in the storm;
We know we're going to detest going out into the coming snowstorm
But if you really hold me tight,
If someone we truly care for is beside us, it'll make it easier to bear
All the way home I'll be warm.
The warmth of a loved one can make any situation feel a bit more pleasant
The fire is slowly dying,
The fire that's brought us comfort throughout the night is now losing its strength
And, my dear, we're still good-bye-ing,
We're saying farewell to a loved one
But as long as you love me so.
As long as we have that love and affection from someone, it can make us feel safe and secure - despite impending consequence.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
Even in the face of difficulty or turmoil, we look towards the coming snow with open hearts and minds.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Jeremy Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind