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.
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
In Les Paul & Mary Ford's song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", the singer is expressing their frustration and despair over their struggle with financial instability. The song's upbeat melody and the singer's attempts to comfort their loved one by assuring them that they will find happiness and contentment despite their current circumstances. The ever-optimistic protagonist believes that winning is just around the corner and encourages their loved one to dream and scheme to find happiness, even in tough times.
The singer acknowledges that they can't provide their lover with material luxuries like diamond bracelets, but they express their deep love and devotion through the only thing they have in abundance, which is love. They promise to be patient and wait for their lover's lucky day, and until then, they will continue to love them unconditionally.
The song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" was originally composed by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields for the Broadway show "Blackbirds of 1928". Les Paul's instrumental version of the song was included in his 1951 album titled "The New Sound". The version featuring Mary Ford's vocals was released in 1950 and became a massive hit, peaking at number two on the Billboard charts.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being poor is a difficult struggle, child.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Being broke is not a laughing matter, it's a terrible fate.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
My fortunes have taken a turn for the worse, from bad to even more terrible.
Who knows, some day I will win too. I'll begin to reach my prime.
Perhaps one day I will also be successful and at my best.
Now though I see what our end is. All I can spend is just my time.
I realize that we are not destined for wealth, all I can offer is my time and love.
I can't give you anything but love, baby. That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby.
I may not have riches, but I have an abundance of love to give you.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile. We're sure to find happiness and I guess all those things you've always pined for.
Let's dream and plan together, we'll surely discover happiness and the things you've always wanted.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
I'd love to see you looking stunning and wearing beautiful jewelry that can't be bought at a discount store.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby. I can't give you anything but love.
Until that fortunate day arrives, you know very well that all I can give you is my love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid. You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
Nothing worthwhile comes easily or quickly, you have to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve your goals.
But I am willing to wait, dear. Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
I am patient and loyal, I won't forget you and our love.
You have a lifetime before you. I'll adore you, come what may.
We have a long life together ahead of us, I will always cherish and love you through whatever comes our way.
Please don't be blue for the present, when it's so pleasant to hear you say
Don't be down about our current circumstances, it's delightful to hear you speak to me with love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind