1) John Towner Willi… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least five artists with this name;
1) John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. With a career spanning over six decades, he has composed some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in cinematic history, including those of the Star Wars series, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the Indiana Jones series, the first two Home Alone films, Hook, the first two Jurassic Park films, Schindler's List, and the first three Harry Potter films. He has a very distinct sound that mixes romanticism, impressionism and atonal music with complex orchestration. The classical music critic Marcus Paus argues that Williams' "satisfying way of embodying complex dissonances and avant-garde techniques within a larger tonal framework" makes him "one of the great composers of any century".
Williams has been associated with director Steven Spielberg since 1974, composing music for all but three of his feature films. Other works by Williams include theme music for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games, NBC Sunday Night Football, "The Mission" theme used by NBC News and Seven News in Australia, the television series Lost in Space and Land of the Giants, and the incidental music for the first season of Gilligan's Island. Williams has also composed numerous classical concertos and other works for orchestral ensembles and solo instruments. He served as the Boston Pops's principal conductor from 1980 to 1993, and is currently the orchestra's laureate conductor.
Williams has won 24 Grammy Awards, seven British Academy Film Awards, five Academy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. With 51 Academy Award nominations, Williams is the second most-nominated individual, after Walt Disney. In 2005, the American Film Institute selected Williams's score to 1977's Star Wars as the greatest American film score of all time. The soundtrack to Star Wars was additionally preserved by the Library of Congress into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Williams was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl's Hall of Fame in 2000, and was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2004 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2016. Williams composed the score for eight of the top 20 highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office (adjusted for inflation).
John Towner Williams was born on February 8, 1932 in Floral Park, New York, to Esther (née Towner) and Johnny Williams, a jazz percussionist who played with the Raymond Scott Quintet. Williams has said of his lineage, "My father was a Maine man—we were very close. My mother was from Boston. My father's parents ran a department store in Bangor, Maine, and my mother's father was a cabinetmaker. [...] People with those roots are not inclined to be lazy."
Williams married Barbara Ruick, an American actress and singer, in 1956. Together they had three children: Jennifer (b. 1956), Mark Towner Williams (b. 1958), and Joseph (b. 1960), who is the lead singer of Toto. The two remained married until her death in 1974. In 1980, Williams married Samantha Winslow, a photographer.
2) John Christopher Williams is a classical guitar player.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, on 24 April 1941, to an English father (Len Williams) and an Australian-Chinese mother, Williams was taught initially by his father. At the age of twelve he went to Italy to study under "The Maestro," Andrés Segovia. Later, he attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying piano because the school did not have a guitar department at the time. Upon graduation, he was offered the opportunity to create such a department. He seized the opportunity and ran it for the first two years. Williams has maintained links with the College (and with the Northern College in Manchester) ever since.
Williams is best known as a classical guitarist, but has explored many different musical traditions. He has collaborated with Julian Bream and Paco Peña and was a member of the fusion group Sky. He is also a composer and arranger.
Williams has commissioned guitar concertos from composers such as Stephen Dodgson, André Previn, Patrick Gowers, Richard Harvey, and Steve Gray. He has also worked with composers from his native Australia, including Phillip Houghton, Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards (composer), and Nigel Westlake, to produce guitar works that capture the spirit of his homeland.
He enjoyed a worldwide hit single with his recording of Cavatina by Stanley Myers, used as the theme tune to the Oscar-winning film The Deer Hunter (1979). The piece had originally been written for piano, for another film ten years earlier, The Walking Stick (1970) but re-written for guitar and expanded by Myers at Williams' invitation. In 1973, Cleo Laine wrote lyrics and recorded the song "He Was Beautiful" accompanied by John Williams. A year later, it was a top-five UK hit single for Iris Williams (no relation).
At the invitation of producer Martin Lewis he created a highly acclaimed classical-rock fusion duet with celebrated rock guitarist Pete Townshend of Townshend's anthemic "Won't Get Fooled Again" for the 1979 Amnesty International benefit show The Secret Policeman's Ball. The duet was featured on the resulting album and the film version of the show – bringing Williams to the broader attention of the rock audience.
The relationship with Lewis led to Williams' classical-rock fusion band Sky being invited to give the first-ever rock concert to be held at Westminster Abbey – a benefit concert for Amnesty that Lewis produced in February 1981.
He is visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
Williams and his artist wife Kathy Panama reside in London and Australia.
3) John Williams
John Williams is internationally regarded as one of the foremost players of Irish music today. With five All-Ireland titles to his credit, John is the only American-born competitor ever to win first place in the "senior concertina" category. His additional talents on flute, button accordion, bodhran, and piano distinguish him as a much sought after multi-instrumentalist in the acoustic scene around the world.
Born and raised on the Southwest Side of Chicago, John spent his summers during college on the Southwest coast of Ireland in his father’s village of Doolin, Co. Clare. Like Chicago, Doolin became a major musical crossroads for John and countless other local and international musicians to meet and exchange music. Gigging every night in the pubs of Doolin and Lisdoonvarna soon led to performances in Galway, Cork, Dublin, Belfast, Paris, Britanny, Zurich, and New York City (bio http://www.johnwilliamsmusic.com/bio.htm).
3) John Williams
A blues/jazz guitarist in Seattle, Washington, whose music is available at Magnatune.com (bio http://magnatune.com/artists/john_williams).
3) John Knowles Williams
An experimental/indie musician. Music is available at sweetnuthin.letsneverdie.net/Music/My_Recordings/ or www.myspace.com/JohnKWilliams.
Yentl: Papa Can You Hear Me
John Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Santa Clause can you hear me
Santa Clause are you near me
Santa Clause can you find me
Santa Clause
Santa Clause
I've been waiting so patiently
and now it's christmas time
Santa Clause can you hear me
Santa Clause are you near me
Santa Clause can you find me
Santa Clause (is that him coming down the chimney?
Soon he will be here
spreading love and christmas cheer
and I just can't wait
let's all scream and shout
Santa Clause can you hear me
Santa Clause are you near me
Santa Clause can you find me
Santa Clause
Santa clause
The christmas stockings are on the tree
I left a sign out on our street
and I've been as good as anyone can be
So Santa clause
I'm so excited I can't sleep a wink
We left you cookies and your favourite drink
to help you on your big day such a long way
Santa Clause can you hear me
Santa Clause are you near me
Santa Clause can you find me
Santa Clause (is that him coming down the chimney?
Soon he will be here
spreading love and christmas cheer
and in the morning
the world will be calling for
Santa Clause, Santa Clause
Santa Clause, Santa Clause
It's 4am in the morning
I open up my eyes
and to my surprise
as sure as can be Santa's here
Santa Clause can you hear me
Santa Clause are you near me
Santa Clause can you find me
Santa Clause
Santa Clause can you hear me
Santa Clause are you near me
Santa Clause can you find me
Santa Clause (is that him coming down the chimney?
The lyrics to John Williams's song "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" from the film Yentl speak to the yearning for connection and guidance, specifically from the singer's father figure. The repeated phrase "Santa Claus, can you hear me?" can be seen as a metaphorical plea for guidance and support, with Santa Claus representing the father figure. This longing is reinforced by the line "Santa Claus, are you near me?", suggesting a desire for physical presence and emotional connection.
The song conveys the anticipation and excitement of Christmas time, symbolizing a longing for the warmth and love that the holiday season brings. The line "Soon he will be here, spreading love and Christmas cheer, and I just can't wait, let's all scream and shout" reflects the hopeful anticipation of experiencing joy and happiness during this festive time.
The lyrics also express the singer's display of good behavior and eagerness to please, often associated with children seeking approval from a parental figure. The verses mentioning the preparation for Santa's arrival, such as putting out cookies and a favorite drink, highlight the desire to create a welcoming environment for this fatherly figure.
Overall, "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" portrays a longing for connection, guidance, and the comfort of a fatherly presence, amplified through the symbol of Santa Claus during the holiday season.
Line by Line Meaning
Santa Clause can you hear me
I am calling out to Santa Claus, hoping that he can hear my plea
Santa Clause are you near me
I am wondering if Santa Claus is close by, ready to fulfill my wishes
Santa Clause can you find me
I am hoping that Santa Claus will be able to locate me and grant my desires
Santa Clause (is that him coming down the chimney?
I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of Santa Claus, wondering if I can hear him coming through the chimney
Soon he will be here
Santa Claus will soon be arriving to bring joy and love during the Christmas season
spreading love and christmas cheer
Santa Claus will be spreading happiness and festive spirit throughout the holiday
and I just can't wait
I am filled with excitement and anticipation, unable to contain my eagerness
let's all scream and shout
Let us express our joy and enthusiasm by shouting and celebrating together
The christmas stockings are on the tree
I have hung the Christmas stockings on the tree, ready to be filled by Santa Claus
I left a sign out on our street
I have placed a sign on our street, directing Santa Claus to our house
and I've been as good as anyone can be
I have been exceptionally well-behaved, deserving of Santa Claus' gifts and blessings
So Santa clause
Therefore, dear Santa Claus
I'm so excited I can't sleep a wink
I am incredibly thrilled and unable to sleep at all due to the excitement for Santa's arrival
We left you cookies and your favourite drink
As a gesture of appreciation, we have prepared cookies and your preferred beverage for you
to help you on your big day such a long way
We offer these treats to assist you during your long journey on this important day
It's 4 am in the morning
The time is 4 am in the morning
I open up my eyes
I wake up and open my eyes
and to my surprise
To my astonishment and delight
as sure as can be Santa's here
Without a doubt, Santa Claus has arrived
Santa Clause, Santa Clause
Addressing Santa Claus multiple times
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John William Simmons, Leah Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind