The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born. The act consisted of Joe (born 3 May 1921), Gene (born 13 February 1923), Vic (born 20 May 1925 - died 23 January 1978) and Ed (born 9 July 1927).
Born into a non-professional but musical family, the boys were brought up on classical and operatic music. Their parents, David and Sarah Urick, were Russian Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine who read Shakespeare and semi-classics to their nine children from the time they were old enough to listen.
The brothers formed a quartet with a cousin Lennie, and had been touring United States Army and Navy bases entertaining the troops and were offered a job at the Foxs and Hounds nightclub, one of the fanciest clubs in Boston. This one week engagement turned into several months when the word got around of their appearance. At the time, they were going by the name of the Amory Brothers, a name taken from Vic's middle name and they were becoming quite popular in the area. It was at this time that Joe decided to rejoin the group. He said they were just having too much fun together for him to miss out. Taking their act to New York they got a job with bandleader Art Mooney. One day while at Leeds Publishing Company in search of a song called "Should I" that their mother had asked them to sing, Milt Gabler of Decca Records heard them singing it and had them cut a few sides for Decca Records just before the ban which started in January, 1948.
A year later when the ban was lifted, the Ames Brothers were the first artists to record for Coral Records. The name Amory was shortened to Ames. They were swept into national top billing with their first hit record, "Rag Mop," in January, 1950. Doing radio shows for free at times just for the experience, they later became regulars on such shows as The Arthur Godfrey Hour. One of the first acts to appear on the original Ed Sullivan Show when it was known as Toast of the Town, they made their debut with him when the show was telecast live from Wanamaker's Department Store.
Soon, they were the top paid group in nightclubs and supperclubs everywhere and their popularity on television was nationwide. In 1956 they starred in their own show, The Ames Brothers Show, which was seen on Friday nights. It was the first syndicated television show to be shown in foreign countries.
Over their fifteen year career the prolific Brothers notched up 50 U.S. chart entries, 21 of them on the Coral label before signing with RCA Victor. The group disbanded in the 1960s but Ed Ames went on with a successful singing and acting career, including playing Daniel Boone's sidekick, Mingo, on the successful Daniel Boone television series (1964-1970).
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mélodie d'amour
The Ames Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shoo shoo little bird, go and find my love
Melodie d'amour, serenade at her window
Shoo shoo little bird, sing my song of love
Oh, tell her I will wait (I will wait)
If she names a date (names the date)
Tell her that I care (I will care)
For when we are apart, how it hurts my heart
So fly, oh fly away and say that I hope and pray
This lovers melody will bring her back to me
Melodie d'amour, take this song to my lover
Shoo shoo little bird, go and find my love
Melodie d'amour, serenade at her window
Shoo shoo little bird, tell her of my love
Oh, tell her how I yearn (how I yearn)
Long for her return (her return)
Say I miss her so (miss her so)
More than she could know (she could know)
For when we are apart
How it hurts my heart
So fly, oh fly away and say that I hope and pray
This lover's melody will bring her back to me
Melodie d'amour, serenade at her window
Shoo shoo little bird, tell her of my love
The Ames Brothers' song Melodie D'amour is a romantic ballad expressing the singer's intense longing for their lover. The melody is described as a messenger, with a bird being instructed to carry it to the singer's love. The singer pleads with the bird to go and find their lover and sing a song of love at their window. The lyrics are emotional and reflect the pain of separation as well as the possibility of reconciliation.
The song implies a deep emotional connection between the singer and their lover. The lyrics communicate the singer's desire to see their lover again and the agony they feel in their absence. The phrase 'how it hurts my heart' highlights the pain of separation and creates a sense of melancholy. The singer's desperation is evident in their willingness to wait for their lover to name a date, indicating a willingness to do whatever it takes to be reunited with them.
In summary, Melodie D'amour is a tender love song that depicts a deep emotional connection between two people who are separated. It is a song of longing and hope, with the melody serving as the messenger of the singer's love.
Line by Line Meaning
Melodie d'amour, take this song to my lover
I request you, Melodie d'amour, to take this song to my lover.
Shoo shoo little bird, go and find my love
I urge the little bird to find my love while taking the melody to him/her.
Melodie d'amour, serenade at her window
Melodie d'amour, please perform a serenade under my lover's window.
Shoo shoo little bird, sing my song of love
Bird, sing my song of love along with the Melodie d'amour and take it to my lover.
Oh, tell her I will wait (I will wait)
Communicate to my lover that I will wait for her if she can commit to a date to come back to me.
If she names a date (names the date)
Only if my lover tells me a particular date, I am willing to wait for her.
Tell her that I care (I will care)
Convey my love and care to my lover that I have for her.
More than I can bear (I can bear)
My love and care for my lover are greater than my heart can handle.
For when we are apart, how it hurts my heart
It's tough for me to be away from her and her absence causes pain in my heart.
So fly, oh fly away and say that I hope and pray
Oh little bird, please go and convey my message of hope and prayer that I have for my lover.
This lovers melody will bring her back to me
I believe, this melody of love will bring my lover back to me.
Oh, tell her how I yearn (how I yearn)
Please convey to my lover, how much I desire and yearn to have her back.
Long for her return (her return)
I long and look forward to the day when she returns to me.
Say I miss her so (miss her so)
Convey the message that I miss her deeply and am unable to bear her absence.
More than she could know (she could know)
My lover cannot fathom how much I miss her and how much she means to me.
Melodie d'amour, serenade at her window
Melodie d'amour, please perform a serenade under my lover's window.
Shoo shoo little bird, tell her of my love
Little bird, please communicate my message of love to my lover while performing the serenade.
So fly, oh fly away and say that I hope and pray
Oh little bird, please go and convey my message of hope and prayer that I have for my lover.
This lover's melody will bring her back to me
I believe, this melody of love will bring my lover back to me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Marc Lanjean, Henri Salvador, Marcel Stellman, Leo Johns
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hamilton59840
Not only he's one of the greatest crooners still living today,
Ed also has a sense of humor, especially back in 1965,
when he was teaching Johnny Carson a
"scientific" method of throwing a tomahawk....
The moment the tomahawk landed between the legs
of the silhouetted target, a blushing Ed Ames
(and everybody in the audience) was in stitches.
Ed was about to pull the tool from the wooden prop,
but Johnny Carson pulled Ed back,
to prevent further embarrassment,
and simply roll with the flow of laughs and inside jokes.
Here's the link to this classic gem:
https://youtu.be/0L5QC9ZJkM8
@seventiesmemories5116
This is CLASSIC early stereo mixing. They always overdid it and isolated the vocals on one speaker, and instrumentals on the other. The result is a song that sounds as if it was recorded on both coasts at the same time.
For some Broadway cast albums, such as Funny Girl, the vocals move from speaker to speaker to mimic the invisible action on a non-existent stage.
And the "beheaded" style graphics against blood-red hearts only adds to the oddness.
Great rendition of a classic 50's song - stick to the mono version!
@WhoDaresWins-B20
I am in tears. I purchased this record with the Ten Shillings my Gran and Grandpa gave me for my 11th Birthday in 1957, and I remember playing it over and over on a new Bush Radiogram my father had not long purchased. I loved the Ames Brothers, The Four Lads et at. Brings back so many good memories.
@nessuno7510
this song is extremely popular in my country, with Hungarian lyrics as well. every time I listen to this, I have goosebumps from head to toe.
@trafikuty
Biz" régen volt az már, amikor Németh Lehel ezt énekelgette...
@TheChitown5
Rest in peace Ed. Class act and fine singer.
@8176morgan
I was down at Fisherman's Warf yesterday when I passed by a guy who was hitting some cymbals with a couple of mallets and had this song playing in the background but without any lyrics. Just the tune. He was earning his daily bread by doing this. I said to myself what a wonderful tune and I know I've heard it before but couldn't place it. Later that night I finally remembered what it was. "Melodie D' Amour", so I decided to listen to the original version of it. A truly great and very catchy song. Hadn't heard it in a long time.😊
@oldwhippersnapper3
I'm just newly learning about the Ames Brothers. What a lovely legacy they have left the world.
@uscgccampbell
Mingo had a great voice. Only older people will get that one. Beautiful song i first heard at age 8. 1957. Beautiful harmony.
@davidlogansr8007
I think Mingo is the only one still alive! Yes, just checked, as of 13 May 2021 he is alive and 93 years old!
@uscgccampbell
Loved Fess Parker both as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. Great shows.
@oliviahackshaw5267
E too !