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.
In the Good Old Summertime
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we always hold dear
Good old summertime
With the birds and the trees'es
And sweet scented breezes
Good old summertime
When your day's work is over
Then you are in clover
No trouble annoying
Each one is enjoying
The good old summertime
In the good old summertime
In the good old summertime
Strolling through a shady lane
With your baby mine
You hold her hand and she holds yours
And that's a very good sign
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
In the good, old summertime
Oh, to swim in the pool
You'd play hooky from school
Good old summertime
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
With Jim, Kate and Josie
Good old summertime
Those days full of pleasure
We now fondly treasure
When we never thought it a crime
To go stealing cherries
With faces brown as berries
In good old summertime
In the good old summertime
In the good old summertime
Strolling through a shady lane
With your baby mine
You hold her hand and she holds yours
And that's a very good sign
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
In the good, old summertime
The lyrics to Les Paul and Mary Ford's song "In the Good Old Summertime" paint a picture of idyllic summertime bliss. The first verse sets the scene for the season's beauty, with the flora and fauna in full bloom and sweet-smelling breezes in the air. This is followed by a celebration of the leisure time afforded during the summer months, with work ending early and carefree relaxation taking over. The second verse describes the simple pleasures of the season, like swimming, playing games with friends, and indulging in freshly picked fruit.
Overall, the lyrics to "In the Good Old Summertime" convey a sense of nostalgic longing for a simpler, more carefree time. The idea of taking time to smell the roses, spending quality time with loved ones, and enjoying the outdoors is emphasized throughout. The song invites the listener to let go of their worries and experience the pure joy of a perfect summer day.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a time each year
A specific time of the year that we anticipate with joy and affection.
That we always hold dear
This time is significant and valued to us.
Good old summertime
This special time of the year refers to the summer.
With the birds and the trees'es
The environment during summer is characterized by sight and sound of birds and lush trees.
And sweet scented breezes
The pleasant, fresh air that comes with summertime is noticeable and refreshing.
Good old summertime
This special time of the year refers to the summer, again.
When your day's work is over
The refreshing atmosphere of summer comes after a day's work.
Then you are in clover
Summer provides the opportunity to relax and find satisfaction.
And life is one beautiful rhyme
Summer is a time when everything just seems to be in harmony, and we're contented.
No trouble annoying
The ease and enjoyment that comes with summer is only punctuated with positive things.
Each one is enjoying
All appreciate the wholesome fun that summertime allows.
The good old summertime
This special time of the year refers to the summer, once more.
In the good old summertime
The phrase gets repeated for emphasis.
Strolling through a shady lane
People enjoy leisurely walks during summer, on cool, shaded streets.
With your baby mine
The person with whom you share these walks is dear to you – a special someone.
You hold her hand and she holds yours
Physical affection, the holding of hands, is a sign of the relationship between the walking pair.
And that's a very good sign
That hand-holding is indicative of the pair's bond and contentment.
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
A term of affection for the person you're walking with.
In the good, old summertime
Repetition adds weight to the idea that summer is a special time for these activities.
Oh, to swim in the pool
Swimming activities happen especially during summer, and are a highlight of the season.
You'd play hooky from school
Skipping school to enjoy fun in the swimming pool was commonplace and not frowned upon in the summer.
Good old summertime
As earlier explained – the summer is referred to as a special time.
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
Ring-a-rosie is a simple summer game that is played with others.
With Jim, Kate and Josie
The names mentioned belong to people known to the person singing about them; they are the people with whom they enjoyed their summer activities.
Good old summertime
Recurrence for emphasis.
Those days full of pleasure
The person singing reminisces about days of pleasure in summer.
We now fondly treasure
These sunny, playful moments of summer are valued and cherished, in hindsight.
When we never thought it a crime
Certain activities, if done outside of the summer context, would've been considered inappropriate. But in summer, anything was possible.
To go stealing cherries
Picking cherries was a fun summer pastime.
With faces brown as berries
The browning of faces from prolonged exposure to the sun was a badge of honor for people enjoying summer.
In good old summertime
Repetition for emphasis.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp.
Written by: GEORGE EVANS, REN SHIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dig1272
I inherited this 45 from my late parents!
@Trombonology
For me, Les & Mary are one of the brights spots of this early '50's period in pop. Their formula of dressing up a familiar old tune with slick, virtuosic guitar work and layers of harmony, as exemplified here, never grows stale -- perhaps because it sounds as if they were having fun!
@VictrolaJazz
These Les Paul and Mary Ford records are treasures. Of course, my favorite is Mockingbird Hill! Came home from second grade on my 8th birthday and saw the 78 sitting on the dining room table! Had to use the bathroom before I played it, though.
@RonaldVaughan
Will somebody remix this in STEREO? Must be possible.....
@VinnieSausagePizzaHead69
Dedicated to Mickey Mantle