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.
San Antonio Rose
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song of old San Antone
Where in dreams I live with a memory
Beneath the stars all alone
It was there I found beside the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
A moonlit pass that only she would know
Still hears my broken song of love
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own.
Broken song, empty words I know
Still live in my heart all alone
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone
Deep within my heart lies a melody,
A song of old San Antone
Where in dreams I live with a memory
Beneath the stars all alone
It was there I found beside the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
A moonlit pass that only she would know
Still hears my broken song of love
Moon in all your splendor know only my heart
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own.
Broken song, empty words I know
Still live in my heart all alone
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone
The lyrics of Les Paul & Mary Ford’s song “San Antonio Rose” aren’t difficult to decipher. It is a song about lost love and unrelenting desire for someone, set against the backdrop of a moonlit pass by The Alamo in San Antonio. The song talks about the singer’s heartache and the memories of love that he feels every time he thinks of this hauntingly beautiful place. He is nostalgic for his lost love, Rose, and her sweet, tender lips, which he longs to feel again. The song paints a vivid picture of the moon in all its splendor, shining down on the singer as he calls for his Rose to return to him.
The song is undoubtedly romantic and nostalgic, and it speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever wished to relive a lost love. It captures the pain, longing, and hopeless hope that comes with an unfulfilled desire, making it a classic in the history of country music.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep within my heart lies a melody
There's a constant tune that plays within me
A song of old San Antone
It's a melody from San Antonio's past
Where in dreams I live with a memory
It's a memory that I only live in my dreams
Beneath the stars all alone
I'm always by myself under the stars
It was there I found beside the Alamo
I found something special next to the Alamo
Enchantment strange as the blue up above
It was magical and mysterious, as blue skies above
A moonlit pass that only she would know
It's a secret spot that only she knew
Still hears my broken song of love
My song of love still plays there, even though it's broken
Moon in all your splendor know only my heart
Moon, only I know what's in my heart
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone
Bring back my love from San Antonio
Lips so sweet and tender like petals falling apart
Her lips were delicate and sweet, but it's all falling apart
Speak once again of my love, my own.
Please tell me again how much you loved me
Broken song, empty words I know
I know my song is incomplete, and my words are hollow
Still live in my heart all alone
But, they still live in my heart, even though I'm alone
For that moonlit pass by the Alamo
I'll always remember that place by the Alamo
And Rose, my Rose of San Antone
And my love, my Rose from San Antonio
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Robert Wills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind