Fox was born in Denver but brought up in Hollywood, California. He began playing cornet when he was eleven years old, and by age 13 was performing in the Los Angeles Examiner's newsboys' band. Soon after he played bugle for a studio owned by Cecil B. DeMille. His first major association came at age 16, when he joined Abe Lyman's orchestra at the Sunset Inn in Santa Monica, where he played alongside Miff Mole, Gussie Miller, and Gus Arnheim. He developed a soft style of playing there which earned him the nickname "The Whispering Cornetist". In 1920 he put together his own band, with whom he recorded in 1925. That same year he also scored a gig on radio broadcasting with Art Hickman's orchestra; this ensemble toured the U.S., then did an extended residency in Florida. After some time in New York City, Fox and Arnheim reconvened in Hollywood, working at the Ambassador Hotel, and Fox continued to broadcast with his own bands. During this time he also did a number of film soundtracks.
In 1930 Fox was invited to perform in London, which he did first on September 29 of that year. He recorded on the BBC that year, and when his band returned to the U.S. the following spring, Fox remained behind, recording with a new group for Decca Records and accepting an engagement at the Monseigneur restaurant in Piccadilly. He lost this contract in November 1931 when he fell ill with pleurisy and traveled to Switzerland for a stay at a sanatorium. Upon his return he put together yet another group comprised of entirely new members aside from trumpeter/vocalist Sid Buckman, and performed in Belgium as well as the UK. He made the films On the Air and Big Ben Calling in 1933-34, recorded for HMV in 1936, and toured Europe until 1938, when he fell ill again.
Fox moved to Australia, where he led the Jay Whidden Orchestra and visited the U.S. for a few tours with small groups. He led a band in England in 1946-47, with appearances at the Isle of Man and London's Potomac Club. He went into semi-retirement after 1952, when he opened his own booking agency, and died in London in 1982.
The Way You Look Tonight
Roy Fox & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the world is cold,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight.
Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
With each word your tenderness grows,
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
It touches my foolish heart.
Lovely
Never, ever change.
Keep that breathless charm.
Won't you please arrange it ?
Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight.
Mm, mm, mm, mm,
Just the way you look to-night.
The lyrics to "The Way You Look Tonight" by Roy Fox & His Orchestra convey a deep sense of love and affection towards a person. In the first verse, the singer talks about how even when they are feeling down or the world around them is cold, they will still feel a warm glow inside just by thinking of the person they love and the way they look.
The second verse describes how the person's smile and soft cheeks make them lovely and how there is nothing left to do but love them. The tenderness that the person shows with each word tears the singer's fear apart, and even the sound of their laughter touches their heart.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's love for the person just the way they are and asks them to never change their breathless charm. The song ends with a repetition of the desire to keep things just the way they are as the singer loves the way the person looks tonight.
Overall, the lyrics express a deep love and appreciation for someone and how they make the singer feel, even in less than ideal circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Some day, when I'm awfully low,
At some point in the future, when I'm feeling extremely down,
When the world is cold,
When everything around me feels chilly and uninviting,
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
The mere thought of you will bring warmth and comfort to my soul,
And the way you look tonight.
Specifically, the way you appear in this very moment is what fills me with such joy.
Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
I find you incredibly attractive due in large part to the genuine and welcoming smile you wear,
And your cheeks so soft,
Additionally, I cannot help but be drawn to the soft and delicate look of your cheeks,
There is nothing for me but to love you,
I feel nothing but love and affection for you - it's inevitable, really,
And the way you look tonight.
Again, I am particularly enamored with how you appear in this very moment.
With each word your tenderness grows,
As you speak, my affection for you only deepens due to the genuine love you emanate,
Tearing my fear apart
It's like your affection for me is washing away any fear or anxiety I may be harboring within me,
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose,
Furthermore, the way you laugh - particularly how it causes your nose to crinkle - has a particularly endearing quality,
It touches my foolish heart.
This is all enough to make my heart feel foolish, but it could also mean that your laugh simply moves me to the point of giddiness or uncontrollable joy.
Lovely
You are quite simply beautiful,
Never, ever change.
I implore you to always be exactly as you are; changing anything about yourself would be a disservice to how genuinely wonderful you truly are,
Keep that breathless charm.
Maintain the effortless and captivating charm you possess in order to continue to take my breath away,
Won't you please arrange it ?
If it's not too much to ask, I would love for you to take the initiative to ensure this charm remains intact,
Cause I love you
The reason for all of this, of course, is because I love you - with every fiber of my being,
Just the way you look tonight.
And, as previously mentioned, in particular the way you appear in this moment is what's driving all of these feelings home.
Mm, mm, mm, mm,
This is probably meant to convey a sort of dreamy, lovestruck feeling and isn't really an actual word. It's more of a vocalization of Attraction and adoration.
Just the way you look to-night.
Once more, it bears mentioning just how taken I am with you at this very moment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
990jur
A great Jerome Kern piece!!!!!!!
Genevieve L
No offence, this is beautiful and has some lovely orchestrations but I do wish that Al Bowlly had sung it! Thank you very much for uploading it.
Anthony Frew
Yes, what is a shame is how many numbers he did not record - or like Stardust - appear to be lost forever - hindsight is a wonderful thing - if the band leaders and studios realized he would depart so soon ? maybe this song (nice as it is) these foolish things, when day is done (It is said he sang this on air), and others may have been recorded by Al