Self-taught on the guitar, Otis Whitman worked at a shipyard in Tampa while developing a musical career, eventually performing with a band known as the "Variety Rhythm Boys". Whitman's first big break came when agent Colonel Tom Parker heard him singing on the radio and offered to represent him. Signed with RCA Records, he was billed as the cowboy singer, "Slim Whitman" and released his first 45rpm single in 1948. He toured and sang at a variety of venues including on the popular radio show, the Louisiana Hayride.
He only became a full time musician in the early 1950s after he recorded a version of the Bob Nolan hit Love Song of the Waterfall that made it into the country music Top 10 chart. His next single, Indian Love Call, was even more successful, going to the No.2 position (and actually saving the world in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks! where it proves fatal to the invading Martians). A yodeler, Whitman avoided the "down on yer luck-buried in booze" songs, preferring instead to sing laid-back romantic melodies about simple life and love.
In 1955, in the United Kingdom, he had a No.1 hit on the pop music charts with Rose Marie. With eleven weeks at the top of the charts, the song set a record that lasted for thirty-six years. Soon after recording this big hit Whitman was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry and in 1957, along with other musical stars, he appeared in the film musical, Jamboree. Despite this type of exposure, he never achieved the level of stardom in the United States that he did in Britain where he had a number of hits during the 1950s and 60s. Throughout the early 1970s, he continued to record and was a guest on Wolfman Jack's musical television show, The Midnight Special. At the time, Whitman's recording efforts were yielding only minor hits and in 1974 he stopped making new records.
Calypso
Slim Whitman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To ride on the crest of a wild raging storm
To work in the service of life and living,
In search of the answers of questions unknown
To be part of the movement and part of the growing,
Part of beginning to understand,
Aye Calypso the places you've been to,
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit,
The men who have served you so long and so well
Hi dee ay-ee ooo doo-dle oh
Oo do do do do do doo-dle ay yee
Doo-dle ay ee
Like the dolphin who guides you, you bring us beside you
To light up the darkness and show us the way
For though we are strangers in your silent world
To live on the land we must learn from the sea
To be true as the tide and free as a wind swell
Joyful and loving in letting it be
Aye Calypso the places you've been to,
The things that you've shown us,
The stories you tell
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit,
The men who have served you so long and so well
Hi dee ay-ee ooo doo-dle oh
Oo do do do do do doo-dle ay yee
Doo-dle ay ee
He dee Ay-ee
Hi dee oh ooo
Hi dee ayee
Hi dee oh ooo
The lyrics to "Calypso" by Slim Whitman tell the story of a dreamy voyage on a crystal clear ocean full of natural beauty, thrilling adventures, and an endless search for the meaning of life. The song's narrator describes the service to life and living, trying to find answers to the unknown questions in life. In a way, the song is a tribute to nature and the sea that brings people together, making them understand and appreciate life with renewed perspective.
The song also recognizes the role of Calypso, a mythological sea goddess, who serves as the symbol of the ocean and all the secrets and treasures that it holds. The singer looks up to Calypso, acknowledging the places she has been to, the stories she tells, and the men who have served her long and well. He compares Calypso to the dolphin, who guides one through darkness and shows the way, and hopes that living on land would teach them what they learn from the sea - to be true and free.
The song is a tribute to the natural beauty of the world, its mysteries and how it inspires people to seek more profound meaning in life- beyond material belongings. It's a call to appreciate and protect nature as it has profound effects on the human spirit and psyche.
Line by Line Meaning
To sail on a dream on a crystal clear ocean,
To pursue an imaginative journey on a serene and untroubled sea.
To ride on the crest of a wild raging storm
To overcome adversity and peril by braving tumultuous and furious natural forces.
To work in the service of life and living,
To devote oneself to preserving and promoting the vitality and existence of all living beings.
In search of the answers of questions unknown
Inquisitive and curious about the answers to unknown and mysterious inquiries.
To be part of the movement and part of the growing,
To play a role in the evolution and expansion of ideas and beliefs.
Part of beginning to understand,
One of the initial steps towards comprehending and grasping the concepts at hand.
Aye Calypso the places you've been to,
Honor and acknowledgement for the diverse locations that have been visited and influenced by the mysterious character of Calypso.
The things that you've shown us, the stories you tell
Acknowledgement and appreciation for the guidance and the tales narrated by the entity of Calypso.
Aye Calypso, I sing to your spirit,
Expressing joy and gratitude to the lively and vivacious spirit of Calypso.
The men who have served you so long and so well
Recognition and respect for the humans who have spent a considerable time and effort in serving the persona of Calypso.
To live on the land we must learn from the sea
In order to survive and prosper on the land, it is necessary to acquire knowledge and wisdom from the vast and ancient ocean.
To be true as the tide and free as a wind swell
To be consistently loyal to one's values and to be unshackled and liberated, akin to the oceanic phenomena of tides and wind swells.
Joyful and loving in letting it be
To be happy and affectionate in relinquishing one's control and allowing things to happen naturally.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Denver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@karenstrock4470
Oh! Oh!! Mr. Freddy, you have found my Most favorite vocolist.He the is the best, no matter what he sings , he does it so well.!!!