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 summer time
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 song "In The Good Old Summertime" is a celebration of the beautiful, idyllic days of summer. The lyrics evoke images of lazy afternoons spent strolling through shady lanes, sweet scented breezes, days full of pleasure and cherries stolen from trees. The song begins by acknowledging the special time of the year when "birds and the trees'es" bloom, and the scents, the sounds, and the beauty of nature come alive. These are the days when people can truly relax and enjoy themselves - "when your day's work is over, then you are in clover, and life is one beautiful rhyme".
The second verse of the song takes us on a nostalgic journey of summertime memories. Whether it's swimming in the pool, playing hooky from school, or playing games like "ring-a-rosie" with friends, these are the moments that are now treasured and looked back upon. The final refrain repeats the song's main message, that strolling through shady lanes with your loved one is one of life's greatest pleasures, especially in the good old summertime.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a time each year
Every year, there comes a special time
That we always hold dear
Something that we always cherish
Good old summertime
Summer, a wonderful season
With the birds and the trees'es
Birds singing and the trees and foliage in all their glory
And sweet scented breezes
Cooling and refreshing breezes which bring the delightful scent of summer
When your day's work is over
After you are done with your work for the day
Then you are in clover
You are happy and relaxed
And life is one beautiful rhyme
Everything seems harmonious and in tune with each other
No trouble annoying
No problems or difficulties to worry about
Each one is enjoying
Everyone is having a great time
The good old summertime
Summer, a time of enjoyment and freedom
Oh, to swim in the pool
The joy of swimming in water
You'd play hooky from school
Skipping school to have fun
You'd play "ring-a-rosie"
Playing games with friends
With Jim, Kate and Josie
Spending time with friends
Those days full of pleasure
Memories of a time when we had fun and enjoyment
We now fondly treasure
We hold those memories dear to our hearts
When we never thought it a crime
When we were innocent and carefree
To go stealing cherries
Picking cherries from trees without permission
With faces brown as berries
Our faces brown from the sun, just like the cherries
In good old summertime
During the summer season
In the good old summertime
During summer, a time of joy and freedom
Strolling through a shady lane
Taking a leisurely walk in a tree-lined street
With your baby mine
With your significant other beside you
You hold her hand and she holds yours
An affectionate gesture that shows mutual love and care
And that's a very good sign
This gesture signifies a strong emotional bond
That she's your tootsey-wootsey
A term of endearment for your special someone
In the good, old summertime
During summer, a time of joy and freedom
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGE EVANS, REN SHIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind