Born in Jacksonville, Florida, USA, Boone is a direct descendant of the American pioneer Daniel Boone. He grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, attended David Lipscomb College and began recording in 1954 for Republic Records. His 1955 version of "Ain't That a Shame" was a huge hit, selling far better than Fats Domino's original version. This set the stage for the early part of Boone's career, which focused on covering R&B songs by black artists for a white market. Previously, rock 'n' roll had had only limited exposure outside of the African American community. Pat Boone's pale covers gave attention to the more authentic original artists, such as Little Richard and Fats Domino and to rhythm and blues in general. In addition, the songwriters and copyright holders benefited even when individual artists did not.
In fact, only six of Boone's many hit singles were R&B covers, and only four of those were rockers. All were released in the first two years of his long career. These were "Ain't That a Shame" by Fats Domino and "Tutti Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, and "At My Front Door (Crazy Little Mama)" by the El Dorados. The other two R&B covers were well-chosen blues ballads, "I Almost Lost My Mind" by Ivory Joe Hunter and "Chains of Love," a hit for Big Joe Turner and later B.B. King that had been written by Ahmet Ertegun. By 1957, Boone was concentrating on the middle-of-the-road music that dominated his career. He never recorded another R&B cover.
Known as "The Kid in White Buck Shoes", Boone sported a clean-cut image that appealed to white [teens]] and parents. His singing style, a rich baritone, followed in the tradition of his idol, Bing Crosby. Preferring to carry on in the Crosby tradition, he soon began turning more and more to ballads. Some of his biggest hits included "Love Letters in the Sand" (with the instrumental break featuring Boone's whistling), "April Love", "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)", and "Don't Forbid Me".
His teen idol popularity in the late 1950s was second only to that of Elvis Presley, and, like Presley, he soon tried his hand at acting. Boone's pictures included 1960's Journey to the Center of the Earth alongside Hollywood notable James Mason.
His recording of the theme song from the 1957 film April Love topped the charts for six weeks and was nominated for an Academy Award. Pat also wrote the theme song for the movie Exodus.
A devout born-again Christian, he was raised in the conservative Church of Christ, but has been a member of a Pentecostal church for more than thirty years. Boone has refused both songs and movie roles that he felt might compromise his standards, including a role opposite the decade's reigning sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. Among his other achievements, he hosted a TV series in the late 1950s and began writing in the early 1960s, a series of self-help books for adolescents, including Twixt Twelve and Twenty.
The British Invasion effectively ended Boone's career as a hitmaker, though he continued recording throughout the 1960s. In the 1970s, he switched to gospel and country, and he continued performing in other media as well, most importantly radio. He is currently working as the disc jockey of a popular oldies radio show and runs his own record company which provides a much-welcomed outlet for new recordings by 1950s greats who can no longer find a place with the major labels.
Boone married Shirley Lee Foley, daughter of country music great Red Foley and singer Judy Martin, in 1953 and they had four daughters: Cherry, Lindy, Debby, and Laury. In the 1960s and 1970s the Boone family toured as gospel singers and made gospel albums, such as The Pat Boone Family and The Family Who Prays.
In the early 1990s, Boone joined Amway and spoke at many motivational seminars. He was also a distributor. He never reached the coveted Amway rank of Diamond.
In 1997, Boone released In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, a collection of heavy metal covers revamped to fit his style. To promote the album, he appeared at the American Music Awards in black leather, shocking audiences and losing his respectability among his largest constituency, conservative Christians. He was then fired from Gospel America, a TV show on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. About a year later, the controversy died down and many fans, including Jack Hayford, accepted his explanation of the leather outfit being a "parody of himself". He was re-hired by Trinity Broadcasting and Gospel America was brought back.
In 2003, the Gospel Music Association of Nashville, Tennessee recognized his gospel recording work by inducting him into its Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Boone and his wife live in Los Angeles, California. They are members of The Church on the Way in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley. His one-time neighbor was Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Boone's cover of Osborne's song "Crazy Train" became the theme song for The Osbornes. (It appears on The Osbornes Soundrack.) Osborne said that Boone "never complained once" about living next door to his less-than-traditional family.
Boone once claimed to use his own surname in lieu of curse words when upset.
In 2006, Boone penned an article for WorldNetDaily in which he argued that Democrats and others who are against the Iraq War cannot, under any circumstances, be considered patriotic. He also recently was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox News, where he expressed his outrage against the opponents of George W. Bush (namely the Dixie Chicks) that their criticisms of the President showed they did not "respect their elders". Another article defended Mel Gibson after the actor was recorded making an anti-Semitic rant. Despite their differing political views, Pat Boone is friends with the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Let the Rest of the World Go By
Pat Boone Lyrics
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Really worth while, after all
I've been wishing today I could just run away
Out where the west winds call
With someone like you, a pal good and true
I'd like to leave it all behind and go and find
Some place that's known to god alone
We'll find perfect peace, where joys never cease
Out there beneath a kindly sky
We'll build a sweet little nest somewhere in the west
And let the rest of the world go by
Is the future to hold just struggles for gold
While the real world waits outside
Away out on the breast of the wonderful west
Across the great divide
With someone like you, a pal good and true
I'd like to leave it all behind and go and find
Some place that's known to god alone
Just a spot to call our own
We'll find perfect peace, where joys never cease
Out there beneath a kindly sky
We'll build a sweet little nest somewhere in the west
And let the rest of the world go by
The lyrics to Pat Boone’s song “Let the Rest of the World Go By” depict a world-weary narrator who is contemplating leaving the everyday strife and struggles of life to find a more peaceful existence. He wonders if the challenges of life are really worth it after all, wishing he could escape to where the west winds call. The singer yearns to find a kindred spirit, a true friend, to journey with him and leave everything behind. Together they would seek out a place concealed from the world, a refuge where they would fashion a sweet little nest and let the rest of the world go by. The song highlights the idea that perfect peace and contentment can be found by escaping the hustle and bustle of the modern world and living simply with someone you love in a secluded spot.
The song was originally composed in 1919 by Ernest R. Ball and J. Keirn Brennan as a part of a Broadway musical called “The Passing Show of 1919”. The song has remained popular for over a century, with several notable artists recording their own versions, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra. It is regarded as one of the most romantic songs of all time.
Line by Line Meaning
Is the struggle and strife we find in this life
Are the difficulties and challenges we experience in life truly worth it?
Really worth while, after all
Are they truly valuable and meaningful in the end?
I've been wishing today I could just run away
I feel overwhelmed and want to escape it all.
Out where the west winds call
To a place far away where I can find peace and freedom.
With someone like you, a pal good and true
If I had a loyal friend like you, I’d have the courage to do it.
I'd like to leave it all behind and go and find
I want to abandon everything and explore something new.
Some place that's known to god alone
I want to find a hidden place where only a higher power knows.
Just a spot to call our own
To make a place ours, for just the two of us.
We'll find perfect peace, where joys never cease
In that place, we'll find an endless, joyful peace.
Out there beneath a kindly sky
We'll be under an open, benevolent sky.
We'll build a sweet little nest somewhere in the west
We'll make a comfortable home in a quiet, far-off place.
And let the rest of the world go by
We'll forget the troubles of the world and live contentedly.
Is the future to hold just struggles for gold
Will our future only be about acquiring wealth and power?
While the real world waits outside
As the real world that goes beyond material gain waits for us.
Away out on the breast of the wonderful west
Far away into the astonishing west region.
Across the great divide
Across the significant demarcation line that separates us from the west.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERNEST R. BALL, J. KEIRN BRENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Glennsten Bergkvist
It is sad to see the photo above of Pat without Shirley.