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.
Phantom's Theme
Paul Williams Lyrics
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Is it only in my mind
Or is it someone calling me someone I failed and left behind
To work it out I let them in
All the good guys and the bad guys that I've been
All the devils that disturbed me and the angels that defeated them somehow
Come together in me now
Face to face I greet the cast
Set in silence we begin
Companions in an empty room I taste their victory and sin
To work it out I let them in
All the good guys and the bad guys that I've been
All the devils that disturbed me and the angels that defeated them somehow
Come together in me now
A tale of beauty and the beast
I defend my soul from those who would accuse me
I share the famine and the feast
I have been the world and felt it turning seen the jester yearning to amuse me
Like a circus on parade
Seldom close enough to see
I wander through an angry crowd and wonder what became of me
To work it out I let them in
All the good guys and the bad guys that I've been
All the devils that disturbed me and the angels that defeated them somehow
Come together in me now
The lyrics of "Phantom's Theme" by Paul Williams describe a complex internal struggle. The singer hears a voice calling to him, but he's unsure if it's real or just a product of his own mind. He then invites in all the different versions of himself, both good and bad, that he's been throughout his life. The "devils" that plagued him and the "angels" that helped him overcome them all come together in him now.
Line by Line Meaning
Half asleep I hear a voice
In a semi-conscious state, I perceive a sound
Is it only in my mind
Could it be just a product of my imagination?
Or is it someone calling me someone I failed and left behind
Or perhaps it's a person who I disappointed and abandoned trying to reach me.
To work it out I let them in
To resolve the situation, I allow past versions of myself to enter my thoughts.
All the good guys and the bad guys that I've been
All the virtuous and flawed versions of myself from the past.
All the devils that disturbed me and the angels that defeated them somehow
All the dark influences that troubled me and the positive forces that helped me overcome them in some way.
Come together in me now
Unite within my being in the present moment.
Face to face I greet the cast
I confront the various personas I've embodied in the past.
Set in silence we begin
We commence our interaction in a quiet environment.
Companions in an empty room I taste their victory and sin
As companions in an unoccupied space, I experience their triumphs and transgressions.
A tale of beauty and the beast
A story featuring both elements of grace and ugliness.
I defend my soul from those who would accuse me
I protect my inner essence from those who would judge me negatively.
I share the famine and the feast
I've experienced both scarcity and abundance.
I have been the world and felt it turning seen the jester yearning to amuse me
I've lived through the highs and lows of existence and observed the entertainer desiring to make me laugh.
Like a circus on parade
Similar to an extravagant public exhibition.
Seldom close enough to see
Rarely near enough to comprehend fully.
I wander through an angry crowd and wonder what became of me
I navigate through an outraged throng and question what has become of my identity.
To work it out I let them in
To cope with the confusion, I allow my past selves to enter my present consciousness.
All the good guys and the bad guys that I've been
All the virtuous and flawed versions of myself from the past.
All the devils that disturbed me and the angels that defeated them somehow
All the dark influences that troubled me and the positive forces that helped me overcome them in some way.
Come together in me now
Merge into my present self.
Contributed by Mackenzie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.