1) Paul Hamilton Wil… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists named Paul Williams;
1) Paul Hamilton Williams Jr. (born September 19, 1940) is an American composer, singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for writing popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s, including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Out in the Country," Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World," David Bowie's "Fill Your Heart" and the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays."
Williams is also known for his musical contributions to films, including the Academy Award-nominated song "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie, and penning the lyrics to the #1 chart-topping song "Evergreen," the love theme from the Barbra Streisand vehicle A Star Is Born, for which he won a Grammy for Song of the Year and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He wrote the lyrics to the opening theme for the television show The Love Boat, with music previously composed by Charles Fox, which was originally sung by Jack Jones and, later, by Dionne Warwick.
Williams had a variety of high-profile acting roles, such as "Little Enos Burdette" in the action-comedy Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and the villainous Swan in Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise (1974), which Williams also co-scored, receiving an Oscar nomination in the process.
Williams was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Paul Hamilton Williams, an architectural engineer, and his wife, Bertha Mae (née Burnside), a homemaker.
His father died in a car accident in 1953, when Williams was 13 years old, after which Williams grew up living with his aunt. As a result, Williams moved to Long Beach, California with his family and attended Woodrow Wilson Classical High School.
One of his brothers was John J. Williams, a NASA rocket scientist, who participated in the Mercury and Apollo programs and was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, their highest honor, in 1969. His other brother was Mentor Williams, a songwriter as well who penned Dobie Gray's 1973 hit "Drift Away".
2) Paul Williams (born August 7, 1992 in Nelson, New Zealand) is a musician, singer, rapper and comedian. He has released three albums - Songs About Girls, Jungle River Adventures, and Surf Music. His music videos often feature other members of the New Zealand comedy scene, include Chris Parker, Rose Matafeo and Brynley Stent. Outside of his music, Paul is best known for being the Taskmaster's Assistant in Taskmaster NZ. His musical influences include Kanye West, The Strokes, Drake, Animal Collective, Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Kid Cudi, and MGMT.
3) Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams (July 13, 1915 – September 14, 2002) was an American rhythm and blues bandleader, songwriter and saxophonist. He composed "The Hucklebuck", a twelve-bar blues that also spawned the dance craze of the same name.
4) Paul Williams is a British guitarist and Gospel artist.
5) Paul Williams is a Canadian electronic artist.
Don't Call It Love
Paul Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have used that word before
And I sometimes mean it
Tho' it's never made me cry
Until tonight
Your falling asleep beside me
Made me feel so much alive
I thought I'd die
Don't call it love
Don't call it love
Although I've heard it sung in songs
And thought I'd tasted
Special feelings in a line
Until tonight
And nobody knows the feeling
Of your perfect body
Pressed so close to mine
But let's not call it love
Don't call it love
You and I
Aren't questioning the ages
Or the generations past
But in the time we've known
We've discovered
Feelings of our own
Don't call it love
Don't call it love
Don't call it love
If it hasn't got a name
No one can claim it
It will always be our own
To wander free
And no one will dare to tame it
We can share it and then
Watch how it grows
But let's not call it love
Don't call it love
Don't call it love
In "Don't Call It Love," Paul Williams ponders on the meaning of love and its complexities. The lyrics suggest that the singer has previously used the word love, but now hesitates to do so. He acknowledges that he sometimes meant it in the past, but it never made him cry until now, when he feels alive with his lover sleeping beside him. The singer expresses that although he has heard the word love sung in songs, he never truly understood the feeling until he is with his lover. They are not questioning their age difference or generational gap, but they have discovered their own feelings for each other.
The repetition of "don't call it love" emphasizes the singer's point that whatever they have is something different, something undefined. The singer acknowledges that this feeling they share might be their own and no one else's. They can share it and watch it grow, but they won't call it love. There's a sense of uncertainty and fear of defining their emotions, as it might set expectations and risks losing something they have found. The song's melody is soft, gentle, and melancholic, complementing the lyrics that evoke vague emotions of longing and hesitation.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't call it love
Let's give this feeling a different name and not label it as love.
I have used that word before
I've said 'I love you' in the past, but I'm not sure if this is the same feeling.
And I sometimes mean it
Sometimes I say 'I love you' and really mean it, but not always.
Tho' it's never made me cry
Even when I've said 'I love you' and meant it, it didn't make me cry like this feeling does.
Until tonight
This is the first time I've felt this way.
Your falling asleep beside me
Your presence and comfort next to me as you fall asleep is what brought out this new feeling.
Made me feel so much alive
Being with you in this moment has made me feel more alive than ever before.
I thought I'd die
This feeling is so intense that I thought it might overwhelm me.
Although I've heard it sung in songs
I've heard the word 'love' used in songs and thought I knew what it meant, but now I'm not so sure.
And thought I'd tasted
I thought I'd experienced love before, but this feeling is something new.
Special feelings in a line
I've heard lyrics that describe special feelings, but this feeling doesn't fit those descriptions.
And nobody knows the feeling
This feeling is unique to us and nobody else can understand it fully.
Of your perfect body
Being close to your body in this moment has brought out an indescribable feeling in me.
Pressed so close to mine
The physical closeness between us has intensified this feeling.
You and I
We are the only ones who can truly understand this feeling we share.
Aren't questioning the ages
We're not worried about the age difference between us, or other societal expectations.
Or the generations past
We're not concerned with what people in the past may have thought about love and relationships.
But in the time we've known
During the time we've spent together, we've discovered something new.
We've discovered
Together, we've found something special that we both share.
Feelings of our own
This feeling is unique to us and we don't need to label it or fit it into a preconceived idea of love.
If it hasn't got a name
This feeling isn't easily defined and doesn't need to be labeled as love.
No one can claim it
This feeling belongs to us and nobody else can tell us what it is or isn't.
It will always be our own
This feeling belongs to us and will always be something unique to our relationship.
To wander free
This feeling isn't tied down by expectations or norms and can exist freely between us.
And no one will dare to tame it
Nobody can control or suppress this feeling between us.
We can share it and then
We can enjoy this feeling together and let it grow over time.
Watch how it grows
We can observe this feeling as it develops and changes over time without needing to label it as love.
Contributed by Juliana T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dave Howell
An outstanding song! I loved it the moment I first heard it in the mid '70s.
Paul was so under-rated as a musician!
David Windhorst
Great song. Hadn't heard this since it got some top-40 exposure in '75 or so. I just watch the documentary, and was reminded of the tune. Many thanks.
jivinjimbo
Yep, I remember this one! Thanks for posting, as I hadn't heard it in years. I'd check youtube occasionally for it though, and now it's finally on here! Nice!
Velma Carson
I love Paul Williams. I have been listening to his music since 1970 when We've Only Just Begun came out. Can you put Lonely Hearts on here please?
Bob Plumlee
I used to have this record album bought it when it first came out in the mid 70's. It got ripped off when I was in the Army & I have been looking for this song for decades ! THANK YOU for Posting
Dr170
And the hits just keep on comin'! What technology are you using to transfer them, anyway?
Ana. L Alvarez P
I LOVE
The Paul Williams Archive
I've tried. Its sad but UMI blocks it worldwide.