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.
Down and Out
Paul Williams Lyrics
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Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out
You don't have to sit around
Complaining 'bout the way your life has wound up
Think of all the time you waste
Sure you've hit the bottom
But remember you'll be building from the ground up
Every day's another step
That takes you even closer to the sky, so give a try
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out
You don't have to sit around
Depressed about the way that luck deceived you
Fortune sailed away, you missed that boat
And found that you'd been left behind
Fight and fight some more
Until you know the world is ready to receive you
Lady luck is fickle
But a lady is allowed to change her mind
You don't have to sit around
Complaining 'bout the way your life has wound up
So be a man you know you can't be certain
That you'll lose until you try
You don't have to sit around
Complaining 'bout the way your life has wound up
So be a man you know you can't be certain
That you'll lose until you try, so give it a try
We as one shout
Up, up, up and out
We as one shout
Up, up, up and out
The song "Down and Out" by Paul Williams is an uplifting anthem that encourages the listener to not give up when they feel like they've hit rock bottom. The repeating chorus of "Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out" emphasizes the feeling of being in a low and hopeless position. However, the song encourages the listener to not dwell on their current situation and instead take action to improve their circumstances. The lyrics suggest that time is precious and should not be wasted, and that every day is an opportunity to make progress towards a brighter future.
The song also acknowledges the factor of luck in life but suggests that one should not be discouraged by setbacks. Rather, one should keep fighting until they reach their goal because luck can change at any time. The call-to-action at the end of the song, "We as one shout, up, up, up and out," is a powerful message of unity and support, suggesting that together we can overcome our struggles and rise up.
Line by Line Meaning
Down, down, down, down, down, down, down and out
Feeling extremely low and lost
You don't have to sit around
You can change your circumstances
Complaining 'bout the way your life has wound up
Stop complaining about what has happened
Think of all the time you waste
Reflect on how you use your time
And time's a precious thing to let go by
Don't waste your precious time in life
Sure you've hit the bottom
Acknowledging rock bottom
But remember you'll be building from the ground up
Start from scratch and work your way up
Every day's another step
Each day can be a step towards progress
That takes you even closer to the sky, so give a try
Each step closer to a brighter future
Depressed about the way that luck deceived you
Feeling down about unexpected misfortune
Fortune sailed away, you missed that boat
Missed an opportunity for good fortune
And found that you'd been left behind
Realizing that others have moved forward
Fight and fight some more
Keep fighting for a better future
Until you know the world is ready to receive you
Keep persevering until the world is ready for you
Lady luck is fickle
Luck can come and go unexpectedly
But a lady is allowed to change her mind
Luck can change as suddenly as it appeared
So be a man you know you can't be certain
You can't be sure of the outcome, but keep trying
That you'll lose until you try
You won't know if you'll fail until you try
We as one shout
Coming together as a group to support each other
Up, up, up and out
Moving towards a brighter future
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PAUL H. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind