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.
Tennessee Waltz
The Ames Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When an old friend I happened to see
I introduced [her to my loved one]** and while they were dancin'
My friend stole my sweetheart from me
I remember that night and the Tennessee waltz
Only you know just how much I have lost
Yes I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
I remember that night and the Tennessee waltz
Only you know just how much I have lost
Yes I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
That beautiful Tennessee waltz
The Ames Brothers's song, Tennessee Waltz, is a melancholic melody that explores the theme of losing a loved one during a dance. The first two lines of the song reveal that the singer was dancing with his darling to the Tennessee Waltz when he bumped into an old friend, introducing his lover to them. However, while they were dancing, the singer's friend stole his sweetheart away from him. The song then repeats a chorus, lamenting the loss of his lover and how he remembers that night and the Tennessee Waltz. The singer ends the chorus by revealing how beautiful the Tennessee Waltz was and how it has reminded him of his loss.
Overall, the Ames Brothers's Tennessee Waltz uses a dance as a metaphor to explore the painful feeling of losing someone unexpected, indicating how one could experience such loss at any moment in life, regardless of how beautiful the moment seemed.
Line by Line Meaning
I was [waltzing]* with my darlin' to the Tennessee waltz
I was dancing with my sweetheart to the tune of the Tennessee Waltz.
When an old friend I happened to see
Then I saw an old friend of mine.
I introduced [her to my loved one]** and while they were dancin'
I introduced my friend to my sweetheart and they began to dance together.
My friend stole my sweetheart from me
My friend took my lover away from me.
I remember that night and the Tennessee waltz
I can't forget the night when we danced the Tennessee Waltz.
Only you know just how much I have lost
You alone know how much I have suffered after losing my lover.
Yes I lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'
I lost my beloved on the night when they played the song.
That beautiful Tennessee waltz
That unforgettable Tennessee Waltz.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Redd Stewart, Pee Wee King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rejeanlefebvre253
Merci de nous faire entendre ces belles mélodies par ce fameux groupe des Ames Brothers,que j'apprécie particulièrement.