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.
It's All Been Said Before
Paul Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These emotions have been well rehearsed
Who can satisfy a common thirst
Only a fool would try
Borrowed phrases that are mine to give
Stollen maybe but they're mine to give
Others felt it no one's meant it more
For the moment let's be lovers
We have love enough to give
Take the moment make the memory
Cross you heart and hope to live
Lovers passion isn't wrong or right
Classic love affairs can last one night
Leave tomorrow as an open door
'Cause it's all been said before
Yes it's all been said.....
The first verse of Paul Williams’ It’s All Been Said Before, is a contemplative look at love and relationships. The singer acknowledges that this is not his first experience with romantic feelings- they are familiar and well rehearsed. The line “Who can satisfy a common thirst, only a fool would try,” suggests a cynicism about the possibility of finding true love. The use of the word “common” here can be seen as a commentary on how love is often thought of or experienced as something ordinary, that is not unique to any one person or relationship.
The second verse takes a more hopeful tone, even if it is tempered by the realization that everything that can be said about love has already been said. The line “Borrowed phrases that are mine to give, stolen maybe but they’re mine to give” shows that despite knowing that nothing about love is original or new, the singer is willing to give it their own spin. The final line of the verse, “And it’s all been said before,” is repeated and takes on a more positive meaning. This time it is not meant to be cynical, but rather celebratory- it speaks to the idea that despite the universality of love and the stories that we tell about it, it is still something worth experiencing.
The chorus of the song seems to offer a solution to the dilemma of love’s familiarity. “For the moment let’s be lovers, we have love enough to give, take the moment make the memory, cross your heart and hope to live,” suggests that love should be enjoyed in the present – it doesn’t matter if it’s been done before, because it can still be beautiful and powerful. The final verse reiterates this idea, saying that neither passion nor a short-lived affair are right or wrong, and that leaving the future open is not a bad thing, as everything that needs to be said about love has already been said.
Line by Line Meaning
Not my only love and not my first
I have loved other people before, and I will love others again.
These emotions have been well rehearsed
These feelings are familiar to me, and I have experienced them many times before.
Who can satisfy a common thirst
No one person can completely satisfy the desire that is common to all of us.
Only a fool would try
It is foolish to attempt to fulfill that universal desire with only one person.
Borrowed phrases that are mine to give
While these expressions may not be entirely original, I am using them to express my own feelings.
Stolen maybe but they're mine to give
I may have borrowed these words from somewhere else, but I am making them my own by using them to express my own emotions.
Others felt it no one's meant it more
I am not the only one who has experienced these feelings, but I feel them deeply and passionately.
And it's all been said before
These feelings and expressions have been experienced and used countless times throughout history.
For the moment let's be lovers
Let us enjoy our love in the present, without thinking too far ahead.
We have love enough to give
We have an abundance of love to share with each other.
Take the moment make the memory
Let us cherish this moment and create a lasting memory from it.
Cross you heart and hope to live
Let us make a sincere promise to each other, and hope that our love continues to thrive.
Lovers passion isn't wrong or right
The intensity of our love is not a judgement of its validity or morality.
Classic love affairs can last one night
Even the most iconic and powerful relationships can be brief and fleeting.
Leave tomorrow as an open door
Let us not worry about the future, and leave ourselves open to all the possibilities it may hold.
'Cause it's all been said before
No matter what happens, we should not be surprised, because love and its expressions are timeless and familiar.
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.