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.
We Three My Echo My Shadow and Me
The Ink Spots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living in a memory
My echo, my shadow, and me
We three, we're not a crowd
We're not even company
My echo, my shadow, and me
The silvery moonlight that shines above?
I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is the one I love?
We three, we'll wait for you
Even till eternity
My echo, my shadow, and me
"We three we're all alone. Seems like we're livin' in a memory.
That's my echo my shadow and me.
We three we ain't no crowd.
Fact is we ain't even company.
That's my echo my shadow and me.
You know I been wonderin' what good is the
moonlight that silvery moonlight that shines way, way up above?
Yeah, I walk with my shadow, I talk with my echo, but where is that gal that I love?"
We three, we'll wait for you
Even till eternity
My echo, my shadow, and me
The Ink Spots' song "We Three" is a melancholic ballad about three companions: "My echo, my shadow, and me." The lyrics suggest that the trio is alone in a memory, reliving past experiences while waiting for someone who never arrives. The song's title refers to the three companions, who seem to be the only constant company the singer has.
The song's opening verse suggests that the trio is stuck in a memory, perhaps a happier time when the object of the singer's affection was present. The second verse reinforces the idea that the trio is alone, emphasizing that they are neither a crowd nor company. The lyrics mention the moon, a romantic symbol often associated with love and longing. The singer's use of "echo" and "shadow" as companions symbolizes his unrequited love, as his love interest is absent. His only company is the reflection of his own voice and silhouette, adding a layer of sadness and solitude to an already tragic situation.
The song's final verse echoes the first two, stating that they will wait for the loved one even until eternity. Again, the singer emphasizes the company of his "echo" and "shadow," emphasizing their unshakable loyalty. The song ends on a bittersweet note, leaving the listener with the impression that the trio will wait forever, never to be reunited with the one they desire.
Line by Line Meaning
We three, we're all alone
The Ink Spots are singing about the trio of themselves - their echo, their shadow and themselves - being alone in their memories.
Living in a memory
Continuing from the previous line, we see that The Ink Spots are living solely in their memories.
My echo, my shadow, and me
A reference to the three individuals who make up the group: the singer himself, his shadow, and his echo
We three, we're not a crowd
The group is made up of only three individuals, hence not considered a crowd.
We're not even company
The triad are not even seen as company - they are just three lonely beings stuck together.
What good is the moonlight
The Ink Spots start to ask a rhetorical question. They are wondering what the point is of having moonlight above them if they do not have their loved ones with them.
The silvery moonlight that shines above?
Another reference to the moonlight that The Ink Spots are wondering about.
I walk with my shadow
The singer is stating that he walks with his shadow and not his lover.
I talk with my echo
The singer is saying that he only has his echo to listen to him talk as he has no one else to share conversation with.
But where is the one I love?
The Ink Spots question where their lovers are as they reflect on the lonely trio they find themselves in.
We three, we'll wait for you
The Ink Spots resolve that they will wait patiently for their loved ones to return.
Even till eternity
The Ink Spots believe that they will wait for their loved ones for all of eternity if need be.
My echo, my shadow, and me
The song ends on the same note it started with - the reference to the three beings who together make up the Ink Spots.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DICK ROBERTSON, NELSON COGANE, SAMMY MYSELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maneru2011
For those who watch Better Call Saul:
My echo: Jimmy McGill, as he is the most distant one. Also, for an echo to form, some distance is required: Considering Jimmy is his first and true identity, now "destroyed" and forgotten, it is not far-fetched to deem him the "echo"".
My shadow: Saul. His recent criminal deeds in the Breaking Bad world and his fear of being caught by the police are like a shadow who haunts his soul. When compared to the echo, a shadow is almost always behind you: It has your shape, looks like you, but of course, it is not you. By observing its outline, in spite of its featurelessness, it is possible for someone to recongnize you. This is, as shown a number of times, Gene's greatest fear.
And Me: Gene. But then, could we really assume this is the protagonist's true self? From a pure viewer perspective, the answer is no. His "true" and primary self is Jimmy McGill, but now he is an echo. Gene longs for the "glory times" when he was Saul, daydreaming of becoming his shadow. His present self, Gene, is ironically the most shallow and miserable of all the three, possibly nothing but an echo, a shell of a formerly prosperous person. Yet, right now, he is the protagonist's "me".
Living in a memory: I think this one is quite obvious
We're not a crowd/We're not even company/We three, we're all alone: The identities cannot ever meet one another, as this is the same as condemning Gene/Saul/Jimmy to a life in prison. Even though he is three, he is lonely and must remain so in order to survive.
What good is the moonlight/That silvery moonlight(...) But where is that girl that I love?: This life is meaningless now, I cannot appreciate it. He has no one he loves around (Kim doesn't even show up in Breaking Bad).
I cannot help but love Better Call Saul's production team.
I hope we get another great series from Vince Gilligan when BCS is over.
@comiccando
We three, we're all alone
Living in a memory
My echo, my shadow and me
We three, we're not a crowd
We're not even company
My echo, my shadow and me
What good is the moonlight
The silvery moonlight
That shines above?
I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is the one I love?
We three, we'll wait for you
Even 'til eternity
My echo, my shadow and me
We three, we're all alone
Seem like we living in a memory
That's my echo, my shadow and me
We three, we ain't no crowd
Fact is we ain't even company
That's my echo, my shadow and me
You know, I've been wondering
What good is the moonlight
That silvery moonlight
That shines way, way up above
Yeah, I walk with my shadow
I talk with my echo
But where is that gal that I love?
We three, we'll wait for you
Even 'til eternity
My echo, my shadow and me
Sourse: LyricFind
@ignacioaltuna785
Gracias Sr. Becker! Me alegra que le agradara el comentario. Acá estos discos llegaron algo tardíamente, antes habían editado a The Platters (1956)
que fueron un boom, y durante añosy hubo algunos otros grupos del mismo tipo, pero fuera de de los dos nombrados, ninguno llegó a la altura de éstos. Yo soy de Buenos Aires (Argentina} y bastante mayor (80)... Ud., ¿Desde donde escribió? Repito mi agradecimiento. Hasta siempre, ligados por el común afecto por los viejos, buenos discos. Ignacio Altuna (a) Nacho9
@atlas3870
“I can’t believe there’s like a billion people on this planet, and the only person I have to talk about this is you” - Jimmy McGill
@oliviaprimm7366
THANK YOU!!! I just watched BCS before watching The Blacklist. This song is in both shows and for the life of me I couldnt recall where I had heard it before
@nont18411
And now that “you” guy is dead
@mariacampbell4761
Yeah! 😊 👍
@khamismichael136
@@oliviaprimm7366 same for me
@CallOfCrypto010
Last season😭 Please for the love of god Kim makes it to the hoover shop!
@karen-cheriecogane1871
This beautiful song, "We Three" was written by my father, Nelson Cogane, the prolific ASCAP lyricist/songwriter. The Ink Spots version is classic. A moving love song, "We Three" was written for my mother, Dorothea Cogane, his inspiration, and was composed before my parents were married. I'm so proud to have had such a wonderful and gifted father.
@ozell1992
+KAREN-CHERIE COGANE fascinating
@karen-cheriecogane1871
Thank you.
@skinjbeard8017
You must be very proud!