note the spelling Willson ... www.last.fm/music/Meredith+Willson
Born Robert Meredith Reiniger in Mason City, Iowa, Willson attended Damrosch Institute (later The Juilliard School) in New York City. A flute and piccolo player, Willson was a member of John Philip Sousa's band (1921 - 1923) and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under Arturo Toscanini (1924 - 1929). Willson then moved to San Francisco, California as the concert director for KFRC, and then as a musical director for the NBC radio network in Hollywood.
His work for films included the music for Charlie Chaplin's 1940 film The Great Dictator, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. During World War II, he worked for the United States' Armed Forces Radio Service. His work with the AFRS teamed him with George Burns, Gracie Allen and Bill Goodwin. (He would work with all three as the bandleader, and a regular character, on the Burns and Allen radio program.) Returning to network radio after WWII, he created the Talking People, a choral group which spoke in unison while delivering radio commercials.
Willson's most famous work, The Music Man, premiered on Broadway in 1957 and was adapted twice for film (in 1962 and 2003). He referred to the play as "an Iowan's attempt to pay tribute to his home state." It took Willson some eight years and thirty revisions to complete the musical, for which he wrote more than forty songs. The cast recording of The Music Man won the very first Grammy award ever issued.
His second musical, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, ran on Broadway for 532 performances from 1960 to 1962 and was made into a 1964 motion picture starring Debbie Reynolds.
His third (and apparently last) musical was an adaptation of the film Miracle On 34th Street, called Here's Love! (1963).
His Symphony No. 1 In F Minor, A Symphony Of San Francisco, and Symphony No. 2 In E Minor, Missions Of California, were recorded in 1999 by William T. Stromberg conducting the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra.
Willson penned a number of very well-known songs, such as "Seventy-Six Trombones," "Gary Indiana," "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas," and even "Till There Was You," which was a hit for the Beatles in 1963. He also wrote the University of Iowa's fight song.
In general, it was recognized that Willson wrote surprisingly well-crafted, complex, and subtle music that classical music fans could appreciate, with intricate and sometimes startling counterpoint, well-crafted melody, and subtle orchestration, all while still appealing to mass audiences.
Willson and his wife lived for years in the Mandeville Canyon section of Brentwood, California. In the 1960s, Willson was fondly remembered by friends and neighbors as a warm and gregarious host who loved nothing more than to play the piano and sing at numerous parties. Willson often gave out autographed copies of his record album, Meredith Willson Sings Songs from The Music Man.
Iowa Stubborn
Meredith Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.
There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude
We've never been without
We can be cold
As a falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But what the heck, you're welcome,
Join us at the picnic.
You can eat your fill
Of all the food you bring yourself.
You really ought to give Iowa a try.
Provided you are contrary,
We can be cold
As our falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
And we're so by God stubborn
We can stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
But we'll give you our shirt
And a back to go with it
If your crop should happen to die.
Farmer:
So, what the heck, you're welcome,
Glad to have you with us.
Farmer and Wife:
Even though we may not ever mention it again.
Townspeople:
You really ought to give Iowa
Hawkeye Iowa
Dubuque, Des Moines,
Davenport, Marshalltown,
Mason City, Keokuk, Ames,
Clear Lake
Ought to give Iowa a try!
The lyrics of Meredith Willson's Iowa Stubborn reflect the reputation of Iowans for being stubborn and having a chip on their shoulder. The townspeople proudly proclaim that there is nothing halfway when it comes to the Iowa way of treating people. The attitude of being stubborn is something that Iowans have never been without and is very much a part of their identity. The people of Iowa can be as cold as a falling thermometer in December when it comes to the weather and they can stand touching noses with someone else for weeks without seeing eye-to-eye. Despite this attitude, they welcome visitors to their picnics and encourage them to try their food. With a touch of humor, the townspeople suggest that visitors should give Iowa a try, but only if they are contrary.
The lyrics of Iowa Stubborn paint a picture of a people who are fiercely proud of their state and their way of life. They believe that their reputation is well-earned and are unapologetic about it. However, they are also welcoming and hospitable to outsiders, even if they don't always see eye-to-eye. The song highlights the contradictions that can exist within a people and a place, and it celebrates those contradictions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.
We Iowans are unapologetic in our approach and won't hesitate to ignore you if necessary.
There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude
We've never been without
That we recall.
We Iowans have a unique attitude that we've always had and will never change.
We can be cold
As a falling thermometer in December
If you ask about our weather in July.
We Iowans can be quite unfriendly if you ask the wrong questions at the wrong time.
And we're so by God stubborn
We could stand touchin' noses
For a week at a time
And never see eye-to-eye.
We Iowans are a stubborn bunch who will never give in, even if we're standing nose-to-nose for a week.
But what the heck, you're welcome,
Join us at the picnic.
You can eat your fill
Of all the food you bring yourself.
Despite our stubbornness, we're still welcoming and invite you to join us for a picnic, but make sure to bring your own food.
You really ought to give Iowa a try.
Provided you are contrary,
We recommend you give Iowa a chance, but only if you have a contrary nature and appreciate the unique Iowan attitude.
Farmer:
So, what the heck, you're welcome,
Glad to have you with us.
As a farmer, I welcome you to Iowa and am happy to have you join us.
Farmer and Wife:
Even though we may not ever mention it again.
Although we may not say it, we appreciate having you here, even if we don't mention it again.
Townspeople:
You really ought to give Iowa
Hawkeye Iowa
Dubuque, Des Moines,
Davenport, Marshalltown,
Mason City, Keokuk, Ames,
Clear Lake
Ought to give Iowa a try!
We recommend you give different towns in Iowa a try, such as Hawkeye Iowa, Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City, Keokuk, Ames, and Clear Lake.
Contributed by Brooklyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.