The Ink Spots were a vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s … Read Full Bio ↴(1934-1954)
The Ink Spots were a vocal group in the 1930s and 1940s that helped define the musical genre that led to rhythm and blues and rock and roll, and the subgenre doo-wop. They gained much acceptance in both the white community and black community largely due to the ballad style introduced to the group by lead singer Bill Kenny. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll hall of fame in 1999.
Their songs usually began with a guitar riff, followed by the tenor Bill Kenny, who sang the whole song through. After Kenny finished singing, the bass would either recite the first half, or the bridge of the song, or would speak the words, almost in a free form, that were not part of the song, commonly using the words "Honey Child", or "Honey Babe", expressing his love for his darling in the song. This was followed by Kenny, who finished up singing the last refrain or the last half of the song. On some songs Deek Watson would sing the lead rather than Bill Kenny. This was mostly on the uptempo "Jive" songs.
The Ink Spots formed in the early 1930s in Indianapolis. The founding members were :-
Orville "Hoppy" Jones (b. 17 February 1902, Chicago, Illinois – d. 18 October 1944, New York City) (bass) (Played cello in the manner of a stand up bass)[1]
Ivory "Deek" Watson (b. 18 July 1909, Mounds, Illinois – d. 4 November 1969, Washington, D.C.) (tenor) (Played guitar and trumpet)
Jerry Daniels (b. 14 December 1915 – d. 7 November 1995, Indianapolis, Indiana) (tenor) (Played guitar and ukulele)
Charlie Fuqua (b. 20 October 1910 – d. 21 December 1971, New Haven, Connecticut)
(baritone) (Played guitar)
*** BILL KENNY ***
The voice that made them famous Bill Kenny (Mr. Ink Spot) was born June 12th 1914 in Philadelphia PA, and died Mar 23rd 1978 in New West Minister, British Columbia. When Bill Kenny joined the group in 1936 they were mostly a "Jive" ensemble, performing swinging uptempo songs. It wasn't until The Ink Spots 1939 recording of "If I Didn't Care" that Bill Kenny's voice began being regularly featured on Ballads, which it was until The Ink Spots disbanded in 1954. Hits that feature Bill Kenny include "I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire", "We Three", "The Gypsy", "Address Unknown", "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming", "So Sorry", "Bless You", "My Prayer", "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", It Isn't A Dream Anymore", and dozens of others. Bill Kenny has been listed as an influence by such great artists as Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Johnny Mathis, Sonny Till, Clyde McPhatter and many others. Bill Kenny is often noted as the father of Doo Wop for his high tenor singing and his introduction of the popular "Top & Bottom" format used by virtually every Doo Wop group in the 50's and 60's.
Since Bill Kenny broke up The Ink Spots in 1954 there have been well over 500 black vocal Quartets calling themselves The Ink Spots none of which have or had any original members. There are even groups still touring as The Ink Spots today. It is largely accepted that if the group didn't contain Bill Kenny then the group was/ is a fake.
To Each His Own
The Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong?
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
[Chorus:]
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
The opening verse of "To Each His Own" by The Ink Spots delves into the idea that certain things need specific circumstances or elements to thrive. Comparing a rose to a person's promises, the singer suggests that without the sun and the rain, the flower wouldn't be able to fulfill its beautiful assurance. It is a metaphor for relationships and partnerships, where both people need to contribute to make it work. The chorus goes on to say that the individuality of each person must be respected as everyone has their preferences and requirements. The song posits that to get the best out of each other, a mutual respect for individuality is essential.
The second verse indicates that some things require a suitable counterpart to yield the desired results. A song's lyrics must fit seamlessly with the melody to be effective, and a dream must be shared with someone else to come true. Essentially, two halves make a whole in any successful partnership, be it love or otherwise. The third verse adds to this by saying that significant growth requires a spark or a key, just like in a relationship, where the right person makes all the difference.
The overall meaning of the song is a celebration of individuality, while still acknowledging the importance of a shared experience. It emphasizes how everyone has their unique preferences, hopes, and dreams, which should be respected. It also presents the idea that finding the right connection with someone is essential to fulfilling one's goals.
Line by Line Meaning
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
A rose needs both sunshine and rain to survive and flourish
Or its lovely promise won't come true
Without both sunshine and rain, a rose can't fulfill its potential
To each his own, to each his own
Everyone has their own preferences and desires
And my own is you
For me, my preference and desire is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong?
A song can be beautiful, but if the lyrics don't fit, it loses its meaning
And a dream must be a dream for two
Some dreams require two people to achieve or fulfill
No good alone, to each his own
Some things can't be accomplished alone, everyone has their own way of achieving their dreams
For me there's you
You are the one who completes my dream
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
For love to grow, there must be a spark or attraction
To open each door there's a key
There is a way to achieve everything we desire
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
I can't live without you, you are essential to me
Your touch means too much to me
Your touch is invaluable to my well-being
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
One person can't fully experience love or passion without a partner
Or they'll never know what love can do
Without experiencing love with someone else, you can't understand how it can change your life
To each his own, I've found my own
Everyone has different desires and preferences, and I have found mine
One and only you
You are the only one for me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Blue Pink
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
For me there's you
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
[Spoken]
If a flame is to grow, there must be a glow
And to open each door there's gotta be a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
'Cause honey your touch means too much to me
[Sung]
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
sauquoit13456
According to the October 5th, 1946 issue of Billboard magazine there were five versions of "To Each His Own" on its 'Records Most Played On The Air' Top 10 chart...
At #2. Eddy Howard
#4. Freddy Martin
#6. Tony Martin
and two tied at #10. The Modernaires and The Ink Spots
And from the 'For What It's Worth' department, the #1 record at the time was "Five Minutes More" by Frank Sinatra, plus the rest of the Top 10 was:
#3. "South America, Take It Away" by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters
#5. "Rumors Are Flying" by Frankie Carle
#6. "Five Minutes More" by Tex Beneke with the Glen Miller Orchestra
#9. "South America, Take It Way" by Xavier Cugat...
Olga Thomas
The song I remember when I was 5 years old. Enjoyed by my mom and dad. Brings back so many memories of by-gone-days that can't be duplicated. Those were the days of golden music.
Blue Pink
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone, to each his own
For me there's you
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
[Spoken]
If a flame is to grow, there must be a glow
And to open each door there's gotta be a key
I need you, I know, I can't let you go
'Cause honey your touch means too much to me
[Sung]
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
Meren Jamir
Thanks.
Leetle Fool
Bless the people who leave the lyrics in the comments.
armyoldsweat
The Ink Spots! Long forgotten but sounds as great as it ever did back then if not better. Where have the years gone?
John Llewlyn Davies
They keep coming back - the BBC's mega-series The Tourist features
If I Didn't Care throughout.
Irene de Villiers
Never forgotten. I love the inkspots., and l still listen to them ~ this song especially. They were my Dads favourite as well. Now he's listening to them forever.
Kailyn Pajer
Learning this song on the ukulele because my grandma and grandpa loved this song and my grandma just died and I'm going to play this at her memorial.
Nijole Sopher
Luv this song, so smooth and mellow, beautiful lyrics, thats what makes this song so fantastic❤😘🔥💋💞
Eb Aeria
I loved this song as a kid and love it even more today. Beautifully sung by the Ink Spots.