As a child Anthony, born Raymond Antonini in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he studied the trumpet with his father. He played in Glenn Miller's band from 1940–1941 and appeared in the Glenn Miller movie Sun Valley Serenade in 1941 before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he formed his own group. The Ray Anthony Orchestra became very popular in the early 1950s, with recordings that included Anthony's classic dance songs "The Bunny Hop" and the "Hokey Pokey," as well as the theme music from Dragnet. He had a #2 chart hit with a remake of the Glenn Miller tune, "At Last" in 1952.
From 1953-1954 Anthony was the musical director on the television series TV's Top Tunes, and he also appeared as himself in the 1955 film Daddy Long Legs. In 1955 Anthony married his second wife, the sex symbol actress Mamie Van Doren. Their son Perry Ray was born March 18, 1956. He then began expanding his own acting career. He starred in a short-lived television 1956-1957 variety show, The Ray Anthony Show. Anthony also appeared in several films during the late 1950s, including The Five Pennies (where he portrayed Jimmy Dorsey), and Van Doren's movies High School Confidential as "Bix" and Girls Town. In the 1959-1960 television season, he guest starred in the episode "Operation Ramrod" of David Hedison's espionage series Five Fingers on NBC.
After van Doren filed for divorce in 1958, citing cruelty, they finally divorced in 1960, and Anthony's brief film career ended at about the same time. However, he continued his musical career and had another hit record with the theme from Peter Gunn, which reached #8 on Billboard's pop chart. Among his pianists was Allen "Puddler" Harris, a native of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, who had been a member of the original Ricky Nelson band and Kellie Green, who also played the vibraphone.
Anthony was considered one of the most modern of the big band leaders. In the lyrics to "Opus One", which imagine a number of players performing the song, he is cited along with Les Brown and his Band of Renown:
If Mr. Les Brown can make it renowned
And Ray Anthony could rock it for me
Anthony and his band were also featured in the movie, The Girl Can't Help It, and were treated as one of the rockers in the line-up, but also shown in performances with Mansfield that are essential to the plot.
Ray Anthony's compositions include "Thunderbird", "Bunny Hop", "Trumpet Boogie", "Big Band Boogie", and "Mr. Anthony's Boogie".
In the early 1980s, Anthony formed Big Band '80s, other members including Buddy Rich, Harry James, Les Brown, and Alvino Rey.
Anthony, who has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, continues to be active as a bandleader and musician.
Anthony is a close friend of Hugh Hefner and has appeared in numerous episodes of The Girls Next Door.
As Time Goes By
Ray Anthony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is still (just) a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say: "I love you"
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by
Moonlight and love songs - never out of date
Hearts full of passion - jealousy and hate
Woman needs man - and man must have his mate
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by
The song 'As Time Goes By' was composed by Herman Hupfeld in 1931 for a Broadway musical, and it became one of the greatest and most enduring love songs of all time. The song expresses timeless and universal themes of love, the passing of time, and the inevitability of change. The opening lyrics, "You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss," suggests that despite the passage of time and the changes that come with it, the fundamental nature of love never changes. A kiss remains a kiss, and a sigh remains just a sigh, and these fundamental things apply regardless of what happens in life.
The song speaks to the universality of love and the fact that people will always be in love. When two people fall in love, they still say "I love you," and this is something that we can rely on. Even as time goes by and things change, love remains the one constant. Moonlight and love songs are never out of date because they speak to the timeless nature of love. Hearts will always be full of passion, and there will always be jealousy and hate as well, as long as men and women need each other.
Despite the challenges that come with love, 'As Time Goes By' suggests that the world will always welcome lovers who are willing to fight for love and glory, who are willing to do or die for the one they love. No matter how many years pass, the underlying truth remains: love is powerful, love is universal, and love will always thrive, as time goes by.
Line by Line Meaning
You must remember this
This is a reminder to never forget what's most important
A kiss is still a kiss
The act of kissing will never change
A sigh is still (just) a sigh
A breath can have many meanings, but sometimes it's just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
The basic principles of life and love will always be relevant
As time goes by
Despite the passing of time, the fundamentals remain the same
And when two lovers woo
When two people court each other romantically
They still say: "I love you"
The declaration of love remains a constant in romantic relationships
On that you can rely
This is a dependable and trustworthy behavior
No matter what the future brings
Regardless of what might happen in the future
Moonlight and love songs - never out of date
Romantic settings and music are always enjoyable and relevant
Hearts full of passion - jealousy and hate
Romantic relationships can be filled with many different emotions, both positive and negative
Woman needs man - and man must have his mate
Men and women crave companionship and intimacy
That no one can deny
This is an undeniable truth about human nature
It's still the same old story
The cycle of love and heartbreak has been repeating itself throughout history
A fight for love and glory
Love can be a fierce battle of wills and desires
A case of do or die
Sometimes the stakes are high in love, and it's a matter of survival
The world will always welcome lovers
People will always be drawn to stories of love and romance
As time goes by
Despite the passage of years and generations, love remains the same
Contributed by Violet L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-zf7hd9vj9n
Thank you so much though to good song thank you 🙏
@VictrolaJazz
And sadly it always does! So beautiful just before r&r took over!
@cksu1186
I just heard Ray Anthony perform this solo trumpet at age 95. He's 98 today 8/5/20
@CPorter
The is a song that's good, no matter who does it.