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.
You You You Are the One
The Ames Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are grey
You'll never know dear
How much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
And make you happy
If you will only
Stay the same
But if you leave me
To love another
You'll regret it all someday
You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are grey
You'll never know dear
How much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
You told me once dear
You really loved me
And no one else could come between
But now you've left me and love another
You have shattered all of my dreams
You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
The song "You Are My Sunshine" has become a classic and is one of the most famous and beloved songs in American popular culture. The lyrics are simple yet powerful, and offer a heartfelt expression of love and loss. The singer speaks of how their loved one brings joy and happiness to their life even during the dark and difficult times. However, the singer also expresses fear of losing this precious person, begging them not to leave and take away the sunshine from their life. The final verse is a lament, as the singer expresses the pain of being left behind and shattered by the one they thought loved them. The lyrics offer a poignant reminder of the fragility of love, and the powerful emotions that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
You are my sunshine
You are the light in my life, the one who brings joy and happiness.
My only sunshine
You are the only one who can make me feel this way, and without you, my life would be dark and gloomy.
You make me happy
Your presence in my life brings me genuine joy and happiness.
When skies are grey
Even when things get tough and life throws challenges at us, you are the one who brightens my day.
You'll never know dear
I cannot express in words just how much you mean to me, and how profoundly you have impacted my life.
How much I love you
My love for you is limitless and unconditional, and it will never fade away.
Please don't take my sunshine away
My greatest fear is losing you, because without you, my life would be miserable and empty.
I'll always love you
No matter what happens, my love for you will never die, and I will always cherish you and hold you dear to my heart.
And make you happy
My goal in life is to bring you as much joy and contentment as you have brought me.
If you will only stay the same
I hope that you will never change, and that we will always be together, sharing our lives and building a future.
But if you leave me to love another
If you ever decide to leave me for someone else, my heart and soul will be shattered, and I will never be able to love again.
You'll regret it all someday
If you make the mistake of leaving me, you will realize that you have lost the one person who truly loved you, and you will regret it for the rest of your life.
You told me once dear you really loved me
I remember when you said that you loved me, and it was the happiest moment of my life.
And no one else could come between
I believed in your words, and I thought that nothing could ever come between us and our love.
But now you've left me and love another
Now my worst nightmare has come true, and you have left me for someone else, exposing the emptiness and fragility of our love.
You have shattered all of my dreams
Your departure has destroyed all my hopes and dreams, leaving me alone and brokenhearted.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Jimmie Davis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind