Les Paul (Lester William Polsfuss, June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) and Mary Ford (Iris Colleen Summers, July 7, 1924 – September 30, 1977) were introduced to each other by Gene Autry in 1946 and married in 1949.
They first appeared in the pop charts in 1950. Between the years 1950 and 1954, Les Paul and Mary Ford had 16 top-ten hits. They had five top-ten hits within nine months. "Tennessee Waltz", "Mockin' Bird Hill", "How High the Moon" (#1 for nine weeks), "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" and "Whispering". From August 1952 to March 1953 they had five more top-ten hits; "My Baby's Coming Home", "Lady of Spain", "Bye Bye Blues", "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" and "Vaya Con Dios" (#1 for 11 weeks). Their 1954 version of "I'm a Fool to Care" went to #6, and was featured in a memorable Southern Comfort commercial in 2013 that got over 1 million views on YouTube.
In 2009, they were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Les Paul and Mary Ford are famous for creating a makeshift recording studio in their garage. In their garage studio, they used multitrack recording to record many of their hits including ‘Lover’, ‘Nola’, ‘Brazil’ and ‘Whispering' with only the two of them.
YouTube has a large selection of clips from their syndicated TV show "Les Paul & Mary Ford At Home" (1954-'55).
Les Paul and Mary Ford divorced acrimoniously in December 1964, which also ended the collaboration between the two.
The duo have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Les Paul had hosted a 15-minute radio program, The Les Paul Show, on NBC in 1950, featuring his trio (himself, Ford, and rhythm player Eddie Stapleton) and his electronics, recorded from their home and with gentle humour between Paul and Ford bridging musical selections, some of which had already been successful on records, some of which anticipated the couple's recordings, and many of which presented dazzling re-interpretations of such jazz and pop selections as "In the Mood," "Little Rock Getaway," "Brazil," and "Tiger Rag." Several recordings of these shows survive among old-time radio collectors today.
The show also appeared on television a few years later with the same format, but excluding the trio and retitled The Les Paul & Mary Ford Show (aka Les Paul & Mary Ford At Home) with "Vaya Con Dios" as a theme song. Sponsored by Warner Lambert's Listerine, it was widely syndicated during 1954–55 and was only five minutes long (one or two songs) on film and therefore used as a brief interlude or fill-in on programming schedules. Since Les created the entire show himself, including audio and video, he maintained the original recordings and was in the process of restoring them to up-to-date quality at the time of his death.
Bye Bye Blues
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never dreamed that it could be
But now I realize since I saw you smile
There's only happiness for me
So
Bye bye blues
Bye bye blues
Birds sing
Sun is shining
No more pining
Just we two
Smiling thru
Don't sigh
Don't cry
Bye bye blues
Blues
The song Bye Bye Blues by Les Paul & Mary Ford is a classic tune about the end of sadness and the arrival of happiness. The lyrics describe the feeling of having a big surprise when seeing someone smile, which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer explains that they never realized that this person's smile could bring them such happiness, but now that they know, they can say goodbye to the blues.
The second half of the song illustrates the newfound happiness that the singer experiences. Bells ring, birds sing, and the sun is shining, creating an idyllic setting. They are no longer pining away for something or someone they cannot have, as now they have found happiness in the form of the smiling person. The phrase "just we two" signifies a sense of romantic connection between the singer and the person they are seeing smile. The song concludes with a reminder to not sigh or cry because, as the title suggests, it is time to say bye bye to the blues.
Overall, the lyrics to Bye Bye Blues display an optimistic outlook on life by portraying how one small thing, such as a smile, can bring immense happiness and change someone's perspective on the world. It is a timeless message that can resonate with people from all walks of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a big surprise when I saw you smile
I was astounded when I witnessed the sight of you smiling
I never dreamed that it could be
I never imagined that this moment would manifest itself
But now I realize since I saw you smile
But now I know that since you've smiled at me
There's only happiness for me
My heart is now filled with nothing but joy
So
Therefore,
Bye bye blues
Goodbye sadness
Bells ring
Bells are chiming
Birds sing
Birds are singing
Sun is shining
The sun is brightly shining
No more pining
I will no longer yearn or long for anything
Just we two
Only the two of us
Smiling thru
We'll be smiling through it all
Don't sigh
Don't let out a forlorn breath
Don't cry
Don't shed any tears
Bye bye blues
Goodbye sadness
Blues
Sadness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bert Lown, Chauncey Gray, David Bennett, Frederick L Hamm
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind