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.
Johnny Is The Boy For Me
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always knew, that he would be.
But I never caught his eye,
He would always pass me by.
Never had a glance for me,
Though I loved him from the start
And I told my eager heart:
Johnny is the boy for me.
Always knew, that he would be,
Though he doesn't know my name.
Knowing he would come to me.
Ever since the world began
Woman always got a man,
And Johnny is the boy for me.
Johnny is the boy for me.
Always knew, that he would be.
And one day he came my way
Having only this to say:
Darling, would you marry me?
It was easy to decide.
Yes my darling, I replied.
Johnny, you're the boy for me.
Johnny, you're the boy for me.
The song "Johnny Is The Boy For Me" sung by Les Paul feat. Mary Ford is a classic love ballad about a woman who has had her eyes set on a particular man, Johnny, for a while. The opening lines present her conviction that Johnny is the one for her, though she has never been the object of his affection. Despite this, she keeps her hope alive that someday, he will notice her and they would fall in love. The woman's belief in fate, that "knowing he would come to me" reflects her unwavering faith in destiny bringing them together, as it has been the case with women and men for centuries.
The woman's initial disappointment on realizing that Johnny does not see her the way she sees him yet does not stop her from loving him even more. Throughout the song, she repeats that "Johnny is the boy for me" emphasizing how certain she is about him. When Johnny finally asks the question she has been waiting for, "Darling, would you marry me?," she does not hesitate to say yes, and finally, she gets the confirmation she has been waiting for- that he is indeed the one for her.
In conclusion, "Johnny Is The Boy For Me" is not just a love song, but a statement on the faith and hope that we hold on to when we are in love. It also shows how destiny plays a crucial role in the process of finding love.
Line by Line Meaning
Johnny is the boy for me.
I have always been in love with Johnny and know that he is the perfect partner for me.
Always knew, that he would be.
I have always had a feeling that Johnny would be the ideal person for me.
But I never caught his eye, he would always pass me by.
Even though I had feelings for Johnny, he never noticed me and would ignore me whenever he passed me by.
Never had a glance for me, though I loved him from the start and I told my eager heart
Despite my love for Johnny from the beginning, he never showed any interest in me, but my heart kept telling me to hold on to my feelings.
Johnny is the boy for me. Johnny is the boy for me. Always knew, that he would be, though he doesn't know my name.
I have always known that Johnny is the perfect fit for me, even though he doesn't know who I am.
Ever since the world began woman always got a man, and Johnny is the boy for me.
Throughout history, women have always been able to find a suitable partner, and for me, that person is Johnny.
And one day he came my way having only this to say: Darling, would you marry me?
One day, Johnny finally approached me and proposed marriage.
It was easy to decide. Yes my darling, I replied. Johnny, you're the boy for me. Johnny, you're the boy for me.
I quickly made the decision to accept Johnny's proposal and let him know that he is the person I have always wanted to be with.
Writer(s): Robert, Paul, Stellman
Contributed by Declan A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@yurie1975
"Sanie cu zurgălăi" (Romanian for "Sleigh with bells") is a Romanian language song composed in 1936 by Jewish-Romanian composer Richard Stein. Romanian language lyrics were written by Liviu Deleanu. The song was recorded in 1937 by Silvian Florin and by Petre Alexandru. The song was later covered and re-arranged by numerous musicians in different languages. Most notable covers are by Les Paul, under the title "Johnny Is the Boy for Me" (1952) in English, by Edith Piaf (1953) and Vaya con Dios (1988) as "Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange" in French, and by Zvonko Bogdan as "Svaku ženu volim ja" (1988) in Serbo-Croatian.
The song was the cause of a long-lasting court battle between Stein and Paul over plagiarism charges. Stein eventually won the case.
"Sanie cu zurgălăi" was composed in 1936 by composer Richard Stein (1909-1992) especially for Maria Tănase, who refused to sing it considering the song of low quality. The lyrics were written by Liviu Deleanu, Jewish-Romanian poet and playwright.
Subsequently, the song was recorded by Silvian Florin for His Master's Voice (cat. no. JB 163) and Radio Romania archives. It was also recorded the same year by Ionel Pascu, for less known label Pan (formerly Lifa, cat. No. P 9). On the cover of the original music sheet, which appeared in late 1937, the song was subtitled "Cling, cling, cling".
The modern version of the song, the best known today, was recorded in 1949 by folk singer Maria Lătărețu for Colombia Records. The chorus was added and some lyrics changed.
In 1953, American jazz, country and blues guitarist Les Paul covered the Mary Lătăreţu version of the song under the title "Johnny Is the Boy for Me". English language lyrics, not connected to the Romanian original, were written by English lyricist and singer Paddy Roberts and Belgian producer and songwriter Marcel Stellman. Vocals were provided by Mary Ford, Paul's wife. Paul's version was recorded in 1953 for Capitol Records (cat. No. 2486).
Few months later, "Johnny" was heard by Édith Piaf, who recorded her cover of Paul's version in December 1953 for Columbia Records (cat. No. BF 596) with French lyrics under the title "Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange". French lyrics were written by Francis Lemarque (1917-2002). On the Piaf's record, the music was credited to Paul.
Stein subsequently become a lawyer and sued Paul for plagiarism in the 1950's. It was one of the first lawsuits for plagiarism in music. Stein won the case.
In 1988, Belgian band Vaya Con Dios recorded a cover of Piaf's "Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange" in French on their debut album Vaya Con Dios. On the record, the song was attributed to Édith Piaf, Les Paul and Francis Lemarque. In July 2001, nine years after Stein's death, UCMR-ADA (Romanian Musical Performing and Mechanical Rights Society) sued Vaya Con Dios for plagiarism because the band paid royalties to Les Paul instead of Stein.
@Yuli95Sagitta
I heard this song in Fallout 4 and immediately remembered about "sanie cu zurgălăi" :) nice.
@sirjazz5776
So do I, thanks to a modded live... but what was the name of the mod ? There's a tone of nice songs in it.
@Yuli95Sagitta
http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/637/?
@sirjazz5776
Iulian Ghita Thank you ! Now I've got music for days ! ^^
@TheReaper569
im looking for one more " we believe he kicked the bucket " lyrics
@kayn15
iti amintesti de " sanie cu zurgalai" pentru ca pulamecul de "less paul" a furat linia melodica,
@yurie1975
"Sanie cu zurgălăi" (Romanian for "Sleigh with bells") is a Romanian language song composed in 1936 by Jewish-Romanian composer Richard Stein. Romanian language lyrics were written by Liviu Deleanu. The song was recorded in 1937 by Silvian Florin and by Petre Alexandru. The song was later covered and re-arranged by numerous musicians in different languages. Most notable covers are by Les Paul, under the title "Johnny Is the Boy for Me" (1952) in English, by Edith Piaf (1953) and Vaya con Dios (1988) as "Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange" in French, and by Zvonko Bogdan as "Svaku ženu volim ja" (1988) in Serbo-Croatian.
The song was the cause of a long-lasting court battle between Stein and Paul over plagiarism charges. Stein eventually won the case.
"Sanie cu zurgălăi" was composed in 1936 by composer Richard Stein (1909-1992) especially for Maria Tănase, who refused to sing it considering the song of low quality. The lyrics were written by Liviu Deleanu, Jewish-Romanian poet and playwright.
Subsequently, the song was recorded by Silvian Florin for His Master's Voice (cat. no. JB 163) and Radio Romania archives. It was also recorded the same year by Ionel Pascu, for less known label Pan (formerly Lifa, cat. No. P 9). On the cover of the original music sheet, which appeared in late 1937, the song was subtitled "Cling, cling, cling".
The modern version of the song, the best known today, was recorded in 1949 by folk singer Maria Lătărețu for Colombia Records. The chorus was added and some lyrics changed.
In 1953, American jazz, country and blues guitarist Les Paul covered the Mary Lătăreţu version of the song under the title "Johnny Is the Boy for Me". English language lyrics, not connected to the Romanian original, were written by English lyricist and singer Paddy Roberts and Belgian producer and songwriter Marcel Stellman. Vocals were provided by Mary Ford, Paul's wife. Paul's version was recorded in 1953 for Capitol Records (cat. No. 2486).
Few months later, "Johnny" was heard by Édith Piaf, who recorded her cover of Paul's version in December 1953 for Columbia Records (cat. No. BF 596) with French lyrics under the title "Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange". French lyrics were written by Francis Lemarque (1917-2002). On the Piaf's record, the music was credited to Paul.
Stein subsequently become a lawyer and sued Paul for plagiarism in the 1950's. It was one of the first lawsuits for plagiarism in music. Stein won the case.
In 1988, Belgian band Vaya Con Dios recorded a cover of Piaf's "Johnny, tu n'es pas un ange" in French on their debut album Vaya Con Dios. On the record, the song was attributed to Édith Piaf, Les Paul and Francis Lemarque. In July 2001, nine years after Stein's death, UCMR-ADA (Romanian Musical Performing and Mechanical Rights Society) sued Vaya Con Dios for plagiarism because the band paid royalties to Les Paul instead of Stein.
@nitkov
It is also popular in ex yugoslavia by zvonko bogdans Cover version, kada padne prvi sneg
@virgo387
@@nitkov Zvonko Bogdan original title "Svaku Ženu volim ja! for PGP 1988.
@Mikito456
Johnny was my first dog. He was the boy for me too, and now this song makes me cry a little now. Idk why I still listen to it.