He was born to a Lutheran minister, the Rev. Frederick J. Weertz (1891–1980) and a music teacher, Dorothea Bang Weertz (1895–1985), in Omaha, Nebraska. The family moved to Des Moines, Iowa, before his first birthday. He first played the piano at age three. In high school he became interested in boxing, mainly at his father's insistence, and only returned to music after breaking his nose several times and sustaining several other injuries.
He majored in piano at Drake University in Des Moines, but claimed he was expelled for playing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" in the practice room. Weertz entered the United States Navy and served in World War II. While still in the Navy, he earned a bachelor's degree from Idaho State College (now Idaho State University) in 1950. Afterwards, Weertz re-enrolled at Drake, where he earned his master's degree. He then moved to New York City to attend Juilliard, where he studied jazz piano under Lennie Tristano and Teddy Wilson.
Williams won a talent contest on Dennis James' television program, Chance of a Lifetime. He was heard by David Kapp, founder of Kapp Records. Kapp was so impressed that he signed the pianist, changing his name to "Roger Williams" after the founder of Rhode Island.
In 1955 Williams recorded "Autumn Leaves", the only piano instrumental to reach #1 on Billboard's popular music chart. It sold over two million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It was the fourth #1 song of the "rock era," which unofficially began with the ascension of "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley & His Comets into the top spot. In 1966 he had another Top Ten hit with the song "Born Free" from the motion picture soundtrack. His other hits include "Near You", "Till", "The Impossible Dream", "Yellow Bird", "Maria", and "The Theme from Somewhere in Time". Billboard magazine ranks him as the top selling piano recording artist in history with 18 gold and platinum albums to his credit. Williams was known as the "Pianist to the Presidents" having played for nine administrations beginning with Harry S. Truman. His last White House performance was in November 2008 for a luncheon hosted by First Lady Laura Bush.
His interest in the public stems from a boyhood experience in Des Moines, Iowa. After a piano concert by the Polish genius Ignacy Jan Paderewski, young Roger waited for 45 minutes outside in the freezing cold to meet his idol. When the pianist finally appeared it was to rush to a waiting automobile. "I didn't even get near enough to touch him or get an autograph," says Williams. "It was then and there I resolved that if ever I became famous I would never disappoint anyone who wanted to talk to me."
On his 75th birthday, Williams performed his first 12-hour piano marathon. He performed the marathon at Steinway Hall in New York City and the Nixon, Carter and Reagan Presidential Libraries. His Steinway & Sons "Gold Steinway" grand piano was on tour for public display and entertainment during 2007–2008.
In 2010 Roger Williams was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. At that time, "Autumn Leaves" was the best-selling piano solo record of all time and the only one ever to top the Billboard charts.
In March 2011 Williams posted on his website that he had pancreatic cancer and that his doctors had told him they could not remove the tumor until chemotherapy shrunk it to an operable size. Williams said that he did not plan on canceling any upcoming concerts. He wrote: "What does it all mean? It means I'm in just one more fight — the fight for my life.. And this much I know, this old Navy boxing champion is going for broke. Just watch me!"
Williams died on October 8, 2011, one week after his 87th birthday.
Windmills Of Your Mind
Roger Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind!
The song "Windmills of Your Mind" by Roger Williams is a classic example of a song with introspective and metaphorical lyrics. The opening lines are, "Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel. Never ending or beginning on an ever-spinning reel." These lines imply that life is a circular journey, without a clear start or end, with experiences that repeat themselves over time, and with everything interconnected. It shows that everything we experience is like a cycle that goes on and on, and our thoughts keep circling back to things we have experienced before.
The song's lyrics also describe the complexity of our minds and how our thoughts and memories are interconnected, going from one to another, like a tunnel that leads to another tunnel. The song talks about recollections of love, memories of the past, and the passing of time that leaves us with fragments of memories, people, and places. It highlights how our lives are like a maze of winding and overlapping thoughts, with pictures hanging in a hallway, half-remembered names and faces, and doors that keep revolving in a dream.
Overall, "Windmills of Your Mind" is a poetic reflection on the human mind and the circular nature of life, which is a reflection of the song's title – the windmills of our minds – that keeps turning with the images of our past, present, and future.
Line by Line Meaning
Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Life is like a never-ending cycle with everything connected in a circular pattern.
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Life has no clear beginning or end, it just keeps going in a repetitive motion like a spinning wheel.
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Life can be unpredictable and often takes us on twists and turns like a snowball down a mountain or a balloon in a carnival.
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Life is like a ride on a spinning carousel with the world revolving around us like rings around the moon.
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
Time never stops and keeps moving forward like the hands of a clock sweeping past the minutes on its face.
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
The world is like a small object in the vast expanse of space, constantly spinning and moving silently.
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
These glimpses of life's circular nature can be found in our own thoughts and dreams.
Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own
Life can sometimes feel like a never-ending journey down a tunnel with another tunnel always ahead.
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Sometimes our paths lead us to places that are dark and unknown, like a cavern where the sunlight has never touched.
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half-forgotten dream
Similar to a revolving door, life can take us through different situations and experiences that feel familiar, like a half-forgotten dream.
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Small actions can have a ripple effect in our lives, much like the ripples from a pebble tossed in a stream.
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Our daily lives can be a mix of tangible and intangible experiences like the jingling of keys in a pocket and thoughts that 'jangle' in our head.
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Time often seems to pass quickly, making us wonder if we've wasted our time or if there was something we could have done differently.
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Love can leave a lasting impression, like the footprints left behind by lovers walking along a shore.
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Reality can be distorted and confusing, making us question what we perceive as true.
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Memories of the past can be triggered by simple things like pictures hanging in a hallway or a fragment of a song.
Half-remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
Memories often fade over time, making us forget names and faces, and leaving us questioning who they belong to.
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
Sometimes it takes the end of something to make us become aware of what we had and how we feel.
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
The beauty of nature can often remind us of the beauty of people we've loved and lost.
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
As we reflect on our lives and memories, we see how everything is connected in a circular pattern.
In the windmills of your mind!
These circular patterns and memories are often found in our own thoughts and imagination.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind