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.
Sad Song
Paul Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That used to be our song
The one you just played
I wonder if I'd stayed what we'd be doing now
Yeah, but part of bein' people is an ever changing mind
We don't mean to be unkind
We just grow
That's a sad song
That used to be our song
And oh, she sang it too
And every word rang true like a bell somehow
When I ran off chasing visions my emotions made me blind
Like a fool I left behind my angel's glow
So play it one more time
That symphony in rhyme
Let those old familiar feelin's start to show
Sing my favorite phrase
From those good old days
Let those tears and sweet memories flow
That's a sad song
That used to be our song
And oh you played it well
It isn't hard to tell you love it too
It amazes me to hear it--how it's beauty never ends
Now the music made us friends
I'm asking you
So play it one more time
That symphony in rhyme
Let those old familiar feelin's start to show
Sing my favorite phrase
From those good old days
Let those tears and sweet memories flow
It amazes me to hear it--how it's beauty never ends
Now the music made us friends
I'm asking you
So play it one more time
That symphony in rhyme
Let those old familiar feelin's start to show
Sing my favorite phrase
From those good old days
Let those tears and sweet memories flow
The song "Sad Song" is about reminiscing over a lost love and the painful memories brought back by hearing a particular song that was once the couple's song. The singer ponders what their life would be like if they had stayed together, but ultimately acknowledges that people change and relationships come to an end. The woman who sang the song with him is revealed to be an important figure in his past, but he left her behind in pursuit of his own personal ambitions.
Despite the heartbreak and sorrow that the song brings up, the singer asks the musician to play it one more time, revealing that the song also carries memories of happier times. He asks for the musician to play his favorite phrase from the song to evoke those good old days and to allow himself to feel the bittersweet nostalgia that it brings.
Overall, the song focuses on the universal experience of lost love and the powerful memories that music can evoke. The lyrical beauty of this song has resonated with many listeners over the years, and it continues to be a poignant reminder of the impact that love and music can have on our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
That's a sad song
The following song is melancholic in nature.
That used to be our song
It was a musical composition that belonged to both the listener and the songwriter.
The one you just played
Recently heard by the listener.
I wonder if I'd stayed what we'd be doing now
Reflective of the what-ifs in a prior relationship.
Yeah, but part of bein' people is an ever changing mind
Being human comes with the tendency to evolve and grow mentally.
We don't mean to be unkind
People change, but it's not always malicious.
We just grow
Development of character is a natural process.
And oh, she sang it too
The song was also meaningful to another person.
And every word rang true like a bell somehow
The lyrics of this song resonated deeply with the listener and their lost love.
When I ran off chasing visions my emotions made me blind
The artist was impulsive, driven solely by their emotions, and failed to see the bigger picture.
Like a fool I left behind my angel's glow
Despite knowing what they had, the singer still acted recklessly and lost what they valued most.
So play it one more time
Request to hear the song again.
That symphony in rhyme
Description of the musical arrangement and poetic structure of the song.
Let those old familiar feelin's start to show
The song stirs up emotions from another time.
Sing my favorite phrase
Specifically referencing a memorable section of the lyrics.
From those good old days
Referring back to a prior era.
Let those tears and sweet memories flow
Encouraging emotional expression through nostalgia.
And oh you played it well
Complimenting the musical performance.
It isn't hard to tell you love it too
Implying that the performer also identifies with the song's sentiment.
It amazes me to hear it--how it's beauty never ends
Expressing awe at how the song remains meaningful over time.
Now the music made us friends
Connection through music appreciation.
I'm asking you
Direct request to the performer to play the song again.
Contributed by Michael S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.