Having played drums in his high school band, Vallee played clarinet and saxophone in various bands around New England in his youth. In 1917, he felt that Uncle Sam needed one more brave young man in the Great War, but was discharged when the Navy authorities found out that he was only 15. In 1924-5, he played with the "Savoy Havana Band" in London, England. He then returned to the States to obtain a degree in Philosophy from Yale and to form his own band, "Rudy Vallee and the Connecticut Yankees." With this band, which featured two violins, two saxophones, a piano, a banjo and drums, he started taking vocals (supposedly reluctantly at first). He had a rather thin, wavering tenor voice and seemed more at home singing sweet ballads than attempting vocals on jazz numbers. However his singing, together with his suave manner and handsome boyish looks attracted great attention, especially from young women. Vallee was given a recording contract, and in 1928 started performing on the radio.
Vallee became the most prominent and arguably the first of a new style of popular singer, the "crooner". Previously, popular singers needed strong projecting voices to fill theaters in the days before the electric microphone. Crooners had soft voices that were well suited to the intimacy of the new medium of radio. Vallee's trombone-like vocal phrasing on "Deep Night" would inspire later crooners such as Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Perry Como to model their voice on jazz instruments.
Vallee also became what was perhaps the first complete example of the 20th century mass media pop star. Flappers (the predecessors of "bobby-soxers") mobbed him wherever he went. His live appearances were usually sold out, and even if his singing could hardly be heard in those venues not yet equipped with the new electronic microphones, his screaming female fans went home happy if they had caught sight of his lips through the opening of the trademark megaphone he sang through.
In 1929 Vallee did his first film, The Vagabond Love. His first films were made to cash in on his singing popularity, but Hollywood was pleasantly surprised to find that Vallee could act as well. Also in 1929 Vallee started hosting The Fleischmann’s Yeast Musical Variety Hour. Performers first introduced to the American public on that program included Jack Benny and Kate Smith.
Vallee would continue hosting popular radio variety shows through the 1940s, including: "The Royal Gelatin Hour, directed by Rudy Vallee", which featured various film performers of the era, such as Fay Wray and Richard Cromwell, in dramatic skits.
Along with his group, "The Connecticut Yankees," Vallee's best known popular recordings included: "The Stein Song" (aka University of Maine fighting song) in the early part of the decade and "Vieni, Vieni" in the latter '30s. A note of trivia: "Vieni, Vieni" can be heard in the background as Jimmy Stewart enters the restaurant in Frank Capra's holiday classic, It's a Wonderful Life. Remarkably for an American, Vallee sang fluently in three Mediterranean languages, and always varied the keys, thus paving the way for later pop crooners such as Dean Martin, Andy Williams and Vic Damone. Another memorable rendition of his is "Life Is Just A Bowl of Cherries", in which he imitates Willie Howard's voice in the final chorus. Vallee was also entertaining in George Gershwin's witty "Kitty from Kansas City", not to mention the first recording of tipsy laughter in "There is a Tavern in the Town", decades before Elvis Presley was to use that gimmick on stage in "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". His last significant hit song was the reissue of the melancholic ballad "As Time Goes By" from the soundtrack of Casablanca in 1943, which he had recorded fifteen years before it was used in this classic movie. During WWII, Vallee performed with the Coast Guard Band, entertaining US troops with this forty-piece orchestra until 1944.
When Vallee took his contractual vacations from his national radio show in 1936, he insisted his sponsor hire Louis Armstrong as his substitute (this was the first instance of an African-American fronting a national radio program). That same year Vallee also wrote the introduction for Armstrong's book "Swing That Music".
Vallee acted in a number of Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. One of his best acting roles is as the millionaire playboy on whom Claudette Colbert relies in the 1942 screwball comedy directed by Preston Sturges, "The Palm Beach Story".
In 1955, Vallee displayed his comedic abilities in Gentlemen Marry Brunettes, co-starring Jane Russell, Alan Young, and Jeanne Crain. The production was filmed on location in Paris. The film was based on the Anita Loos novel that was a sequel to her acclaimed Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Gentlemen Marry Brunettes was popular throughout Europe at the time and was released in France as A Paris Pour les Quatre ("Paris For The Four"), and in Belgium as Tevieren Te Parijs.
In middle age Vallee's voice matured into a robust baritone. (In his later years he told a collector of his early records that "Everything I did before 1950 you can shit on.") He performed on Broadway in the show How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and appeared in the film of the same name. He appeared in the campy 1960s Batman television show as the character "Lord Marmaduke Fogg". He toured with a one-man theater show into the 1980s.
His reputation in Hollywood was that of a tightwad, but he wasn't the only one. He also had a reputation for being one of the most difficult people in show business to work for. It was said that the two happiest days in a performer's life were 1) when they signed a contract to work for Rudy Vallee and 2) when their contract finally expired so that they could stop working for him. On several occasions, Vallee was known to have rushed into his audience in order to punch audience members who booed. He was widely suspected of being bisexual, although not much hard evidence exists, and his blatant affair with glamour queen and pioneer inventor Hedy Lamarr (and a self-confessed 144 starlets of lesser ilk) stifled the malicious whispers. He was married briefly to the much-younger and sexy actress Jane Greer, but that ended in divorce in 1944. His previous marriage to Leonie Cuachois was annulled and the one to Fay Webb ended in divorce. After divorcing Jane Greer he married Eleanor Norris in 1946, who wrote a memoir, My Vagabond Lover. Their marriage lasted until his death in 1986.
Rudy Vallee died on July 3, 1986 at the age of 84, and he was interred in St. Hyacinth's Cemetery, Westbrook, Maine, from which his headstone was stolen. Famous last words: "I do love parties", while watching a TV show.
As Time Goes By
Rudy Vallee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply as time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
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 lyrics of 'As Time Goes By' by Rudy Vallée and His Connecticut Yankees reflect the idea that the fundamental things in relationships never change with time. The song describes how a kiss and a sigh have the same meaning now as they did in the past. The lyrics suggest that people will always say "I love you" when they are in love, and that love, passion, jealousy, and hate are emotions that never go out of style. Moreover, men and women will forever be drawn to each other, forming an inseparable bond that no one can deny.
The song goes on to say that love is a timeless concept that endures no matter what changes occur in the world. This idea is captured in the lines "The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by." The song also talks about the idea of a fight for love and glory, emphasizing the idea that true love is worth fighting for. Overall, the lyrics of 'As Time Goes By' convey a message of love and the power that it holds, something that transcends time and remains eternal.
Line by Line Meaning
You must remember this
This refers to special memories, a story or a time that's unforgettable, which is crucial to remember.
A kiss is still a kiss
Even though time has passed, kisses still hold the same romantic value and significance.
A sigh is just a sigh
Sighs still convey the same human emotions and feelings today as they used to demonstrate years ago.
The fundamental things apply as time goes by
Regardless of how decades pass, the essential things that matter most in life remain constant and significant.
And when two lovers woo
At present, as in the past, people show genuine affection and courtship when they fall in love.
They still say "I love you"
Regardless of how love is expressed, hearing "I love you" makes a deep impact.
On that you can rely
When someone expresses their love, it's consistent and firm, and you can count on it.
No matter what the future brings, as time goes by
Despite the changes and flux of time, love will always be a constant in the present and future.
Moonlight and love songs never out of date
Traditional symbols of romance such as moonlight and love songs haven't lost their desirability and allure.
Hearts full of passion, jealousy, and hate
Human hearts still hold onto strong, intense feelings, both positive and negative.
Woman needs man, and man must have his mate
Attraction and relationship between men and women are essential human needs and inevitable aspects of life.
That no one can deny
These needs and emotions are undeniable and integral parts of human existence.
It's still the same old story
Although history repeats itself, the theme of romantic relationships never loses its allure.
A fight for love and glory
In relationships, many people struggle for love and the excitement of triumph or the desire to be heroic.
A case of do or die
In love and relationships, it's critical to take decisive action, and the stakes are often high.
The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by
Despite aversion or negativity toward love, the world always welcomes and celebrates new couples with joy and excitement.
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Herman Hupfeld
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arifagungwijanarko4780
This day and age we're living
This cause for apprehension
This speed and new invention
And things like third dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's Theory
For we must get down to earth at time
Relax, relieve the tension
.
No matter what the progress of what may have improved,
The simple facts of life are such, they cannot be removed
.
You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply as time goes by
.
And when two lovers woo
They still say "I love you"
On that you can rely
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
@AvitalShtap
HURRAY! I had assumed this was an Al Bowlly hit and was hoping someone had recorded it in 1931, what luck it was the talent of Rudy Vallee! SWELL :)
@wowyourereallyreadingthis
i wish... Al unfortunately died a year before Casablanca became a hit
@andrewb731
The really striking thing about these pre-1940 songs is how many of them have an introductory verse (in this case: "this day and age we're living in...") before the main verse ("you must remember this..."). Such verses were always excised from later versions, and all pop music pretty much stopped having such introductions after the late 1930s. Songs fell into a rigid verse/verse/chorus/verse pattern moving forward. Does anyone know why?
@keegster7167
Yeah I'm curious about this too! But in what other songs have you found this sort of introduction?
@joshn938
I think I may have an inkling. I believe it derives from two separate sources: the first being that many songs of this period were tied into movies and Broadway shows, so many songs with an "introduction" may have been part of a play originally. Perhaps not this particular tune, but it can explain some of the influence and say, setting context for the song. The second being that there was an element of vaudeville into the 1920s and lasting into the late 30s. When vaudeville fell out of favor during WWII, so did popular music and the structure of songs changed in postwar America, especially with the proliferation of Rock and Roll in the 1950s.
@andrewb731
@@joshn938 Thank you.
@stephenkandilotis7813
It's fantastic to preserve old recordings. Historical recordings from a different era.
@ZooxMaze
The quality of this '78 recording is exquisite ! Rudy's voice - so clear... his bell-tone lilting, floats so easily...
A complete contrast to the irrespresable charming, brashness of Al Jolson - such a excellent counterpart to Mr. Valee's approach ! But both, aboslute timeless treasures :))
@ragpiano
I play this song on the piano and I've been trying to find a version that I can listen to where I could hear the verse and then the chorus cause most people started out with the chorus and you don't ever really hear the verse. I've always played it with the verse 1st And then the chorus which makes a lot more sense and the verses are really nice especially music wise.
@BalticFilms144
These lyrics go hard, even today it's still relevant.