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.
What Is This Thing Called Love
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leading a life apart
When love flew in through my window wide
And quickened my hum-drum heart
Love flew in through my window
I was so happy then
But after love had stayed a little while
Love flew out again
What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?
I saw you there one wonderful day
You took my heart and threw it away
That's why I ask the Lord in Heaven above
What is this thing called love?
You gave me days of sunshine
You gave me nights of cheer
You made my life an enchanted dream
'Til somebody else came near
Somebody else came near you
I felt the winter's chill
And now I sit and wonder night and day
Why I love you still?
The lyrics to Les Paul And His Trio's What is This Thing Called Love express the classic story of a person who falls in love and loses that love, leaving them befuddled and heartbroken in the aftermath. The singer describes themselves as a "humdrum person" leading an uneventful and uninspired life until love "flew in through [their] window wide" and shook things up, giving them a newfound joy and excitement. However, as is so often the case with love, it was fleeting and disappeared just as quickly as it came, leaving the singer to question the nature of this emotion and wonder what its purpose is.
The song's chorus asks the titular question, "What is this thing called love?" and acknowledges the fact that it is often a mysterious and confusing force that can make a fool of us all. The singer speaks of being hurt and heartbroken by someone they loved, someone who "took [their] heart and threw it away," and yet they still cannot shake their feelings for this person.
Overall, the lyrics of What is This Thing Called Love are a poignant and relatable depiction of the highs and lows of love, and the ways in which it can leave us feeling both fulfilled and lost.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a humdrum person
I led a mundane, uneventful life
Leading a life apart
Living a solitary life without much social interaction
When love flew in through my window wide
When I fell in love unexpectedly
And quickened my hum-drum heart
It made my heart beat faster and brought excitement into my life
Love flew in through my window
I fell in love unexpectedly
I was so happy then
I felt elated and overjoyed
But after love had stayed a little while
But the feeling of love started to fade
Love flew out again
I fell out of love as quickly as I fell in love
What is this thing called love?
I am baffled by the concept of love
This funny thing called love?
Love seems mysterious and inexplicable to me
Just who can solve its mystery?
I wonder who can understand the nature of love
Why should it make a fool of me?
I feel foolish and vulnerable in love
I saw you there one wonderful day
I saw you and fell in love instantly
You took my heart and threw it away
You broke my heart and crushed my feelings
That's why I ask the Lord in Heaven above
That's why I turn to God for answers and guidance
You gave me days of sunshine
You made my life full of joy and happiness
You gave me nights of cheer
You made my nights lively and enjoyable
You made my life an enchanted dream
You made my life magical and special
Til somebody else came near
Until someone else entered your life
Somebody else came near you
Someone else caught your attention
I felt the winter's chill
I felt lonely and miserable
And now I sit and wonder night and day
I think about you constantly
Why I love you still?
Why do I still love you despite everything that happened?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind