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.
Put a Ring on My Finger
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A kiss on my cheek
And you can bet your life
I'll marry you in the best side of the week
Just say you love me
Be faithful and true
And there's nothing in this great big world
I wouldn't do for you
When it comes to making love
Some folks must too forward
And others need a shove
I studied love most carefully
And this way you can't miss
Offer me all your love,
A ring and a kiss
Just put a ring on my finger
A kiss on my cheek
And you can bet your life
I'll marry you in the best side of the week
The lyrics of the song "Put a Ring on My Finger" by Les Paul & Mary Ford is a straightforward request from the singer to their lover to propose to them, suggesting that they would be easy to please and agreeable if they were to do so. The song begins with the singer asking for a mere ring on their finger and a kiss on their cheek, indicating that they are not asking for much but only need a proposal to go further in the relationship.
The singer then promises to marry their lover within the week if they say they love them and are faithful and true. This suggests that the singer is committed and ready to take the relationship to the next level, but only if their lover reciprocates the same kind of commitment. Finally, the singer suggests that some people might have trouble expressing their love, and that they have studied love to understand it better. Therefore, they would be willing to do anything for their lover if they only put a ring on their finger and a kiss on their cheek.
Overall, the song is about one person's desire to be proposed to by their lover, promising that they will reciprocate the same kind of love and commitment in return. It's a simple but romantic message that has been conveyed in countless songs over the years, and Les Paul & Mary Ford's heartfelt rendition makes it all the more touching.
Line by Line Meaning
Just put a ring on my finger,
If you give me a ring, it means you are ready to commit to me and I am ready to accept it.
A kiss on my cheek
A simple kiss on my cheek would make me feel loved and appreciated.
And you can bet your life
I am so confident in my love for you that I can guarantee that I will marry you soon.
I'll marry you in the best side of the week
I will marry you soon, maybe even in the next few days.
Just say you love me
If you are willing to tell me that you love me, it means that you are serious about our relationship.
Be faithful and true
I expect you to be honest and committed to our relationship if we are going to move forward.
And there's nothing in this great big world
I am willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy and build a life together.
I wouldn't do for you
I love you so much that there is nothing I wouldn't do to make you happy and build a future together.
Now some folks are so bashful
Some people are shy or embarrassed when it comes to expressing their feelings, but I am not one of them.
When it comes to making love
When it comes to building a lasting relationship, it takes more than just physical intimacy.
Some folks must too forward
Some people might come on too strong or seem too intense, but I am just being honest about my feelings.
And others need a shove
Some people might need a little push or encouragement to take the next step in a relationship, and that's okay.
I studied love most carefully
I have thought long and hard about what it takes to build a successful relationship.
And this way you can't miss
If you follow my lead and are honest and committed to me, you can't go wrong in building a relationship with me.
Offer me all your love,
I want you to give me your all, your heart, your soul, and your commitment.
A ring and a kiss
A symbol of commitment and affection would mean the world to me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@walterhaight5382
What a sound these two had!! Thanks for posting!
@jeffboettcher2531
Got this record about 15 years ago, cause it's such a catchy song. The original version of this is posted elsewhere (first done by a British singer), but it's Les' guitar that truly makes it their song! Imagine how this would have sounded if it were done in stereo!! :)
@jessicahainesmusic
Duke, one of Joe Meek's pseudonyms :)
@colinpurssey9875
Correct , and a pretty good song too !
@zorenofzennor
I wonder if the song Lucky lips was inspired by this its got that same feel
@Maryfordqueen
<3
@jojolamoo
<3