The group took off after being signed to Capitol Records in 1952 at the insistence of high profile fan, Stan Kenton. They remained popular throughout the 50s and early 60s, releasing a wide array of successful albums, movie and television appearances and performing countless sold-out concerts. The band eventually lost mainstream attention with the emergence of the British pop bands of the 1960s, even though they managed to stay together even after the retirement of final original member Bob Flanigan in 1992.
As of 2001, the Freshmen have been composed of Bob Ferreira, Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, and Vince Johnson. Although the new lineup of the Four Freshmen have continued the legendary vocal tradition of the original band and perform many of the same standards, the current sound has more of a lounge sound rather than focusing primarily upon harmonies. This modernized sound has proven quite successful, as the group won Down Beat magazine's reader's poll award for Vocal Group of the Year in 2000, proving the quartet's prominence in the jazz world today.
Liza
The Four Freshmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But if you smile at me, all the clouds will roll away
Liza, Liza, don't delay
Come keep me company, and the clouds will roll away
See the honey moon is shining down
We should make a date with Parson Brown
So Liza, Liza, name the day
See the honey moon is shining down
We should make a date with Parson Brown
Liza, Liza, won't you name the day
When you belong to me, and the clouds will roll away
Liza
The lyrics to The Four Freshmen's song "Liza" are a heartfelt plea to a beloved named Liza to come and bring some sunshine back into the singer's life. The opening lines set the tone with an acknowledgment that things may seem gloomy and gray, but with Liza's smile, everything can turn around. The repetition of her name throughout the song underscores just how important Liza is to the singer and how much joy she can bring to his life. The second verse introduces the idea of marriage, with the singer suggesting that Liza and he make a date with the parson, indicating a desire for a long-term commitment. The final repetition of the chorus is even more insistent, with the singer asking Liza to name the day when she will belong to him and the clouds will finally roll away for good.
Line by Line Meaning
Liza, Liza, skies are gray
Liza, the weather is gloomy and overcast
But if you smile at me, all the clouds will roll away
But your smile has the power to brighten up my day and make everything feel better
Liza, Liza, don't delay
Liza, please don't wait too long
Come keep me company, and the clouds will roll away
If you accompany me, we can forget about the bad weather and have a good time together
See the honey moon is shining down
Look at the beautiful full moon lighting up the night sky
We should make a date with Parson Brown
We should set a date to get married by a clergyman named Parson Brown
So Liza, Liza, name the day
Liza, please choose a day for our wedding
When you belong to me, and the clouds will roll away
When we are together as husband and wife, we will have each other to make any bad days better and to enjoy the good times
Liza, Liza, won't you name the day
Liza, please decide on a specific day for us to get married by Parson Brown
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, GUS KAHN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind