As a child Anthony moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he began studying 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 sex symbol actress Mamie Van Doren and 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.
Anthony and Van Doren divorced in 1961, 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 "Thurderbird", "Bunny Hop", "Trumpet Boogie", "Big Band Boogie", and "Mr. Anthony's Boogie".
Anthony has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
As of 20 January 2011 (2011 -01-20)[update] his 89th birthday, Anthony is active as a bandleader and musician, and is one of the oldest and living big band bandleaders.
Anthony has a close friendship with Hugh Hefner, which has resulted in him appearing in numerous episodes of The Girls Next Door.
Strange
Ray Anthony & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time to love you strange as it seems
Deep down in my heart, I do
Strange as it seems
I keep on thinking of you
Clinging to dreams
Dreams that I know will not come true
Is thrilling me yet
Why should it be our loving it be
Now must forget we ever met
Though you can be nothing to me I want you
Strange as it seems deep in my heart, I do
Strange as it seems to me
Strange as it seems
Deep in my heart, I love you, baby
The lyrics to "Strange" by Ray Anthony & His Orchestra convey the conflicting emotions of the singer towards their love interest. Despite knowing that their love is futile and will not be reciprocated, the singer's heart still yearns for this person. They acknowledge that they are wasting their time loving someone who is unattainable, but despite this realization, they cannot help but think of them and hold on to dreams that they know will never come true.
The lyrics also touch upon a moment of passion and bliss between the singer and their love interest. They recall a night of intense connection, marked by a stolen kiss that still thrills them. However, the singer resigns themselves to the fact that they must forget about this encounter and pretend it never happened. They understand that the person they desire can never be anything significant in their life, yet they continue to long for them deep in their heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Though I know I'm wasting my
Even though I am aware that I am wasting my time
Time to love you strange as it seems
I am spending my time loving you, which may seem strange
Deep down in my heart, I do
But deep within my heart, I genuinely do love you
Strange as it seems
Although it may appear strange to others
I keep on thinking of you
I persistently have thoughts of you
Clinging to dreams
Holding on tightly to unrealistic dreams
Dreams that I know will not come true
Dreams that I am well aware will never be realized
One night of bliss, one stolen kiss
A single night of pure happiness, a stolen moment of affection
Is thrilling me yet
Still brings intense excitement to me
Why should it be our loving it be
Why does our love have to be this way
Now must forget we ever met
Now, I must force myself to forget that we ever crossed paths
Though you can be nothing to me I want you
Even though you can mean nothing to me, I still desire you
Strange as it seems deep in my heart, I do
It may seem strange, but in the depths of my heart, I truly do
Strange as it seems to me
Though it may appear uncommon or peculiar to others
Strange as it seems
Even though it may seem peculiar or unusual
Deep in my heart, I love you, baby
Deep within my heart, I truly love you, baby
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, KILLPHONIC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LILY KERSHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind