The group was originally composed of four brothers all born in Piqua, Ohio: John Jr (1911-1936) basso and guitarist, Herbert (1912-1989) tenor, Harry (1913-1982) baritone, and Donald (1915-1999) lead tenor. Their father owned a barber's shop, and founded a barbershop quartet called the Four Kings of Harmony. As the boys grew older, they began singing in the choir of the Cyrene African Methodist Episcopal Church and in the Park Avenue Baptist Church in Piqua. After their lessons at the Spring Street Grammar School, they would gather in front of their father's shop on Public Square or at the corner of Greene and Main to sing and play the kazoo to passersby.
They entered an amateur contest at Piqua's Mays Opera House, but while on stage Harry discovered he had lost his kazoo. He cupped his hands to his mouth and imitated a trumpet. The success of his imitation led to all the brothers taking on instruments to imitate and created their early signature sound. John Jr accompanied the four-part harmony first with a ukulele and then a guitar. They practised imitating orchestras they heard on the radio. John, as the bass, would imitate the tuba, Harry, a baritone, imitated the trumpet, Herbert became the second trumpet, and Donald the trombone. They entertained on the Midwest theatre circuit, at house parties, tent shows, music halls, and supper clubs throughout the area, and became well known for their close harmonies, mastery of scat singing, and their ability to imitate musical instruments with their voices.
In 1928, after playing May's Opera House in Piqua between Rin Tin Tin features, the brothers accompanied the Harold Greenameyer Band to Cincinnati for an audition with radio station WLW. The band was not hired, but the Mills brothers were. With the help of Seger Ellis, WLW Cincinnati D.J. and a music legend of the 1920s, they quickly became local radio stars and got their major break when Duke Ellington and his Orchestra played a date in Cincinnati. When the youngsters sang for Duke, he called Tommy Rockwell at Okeh Records, who signed them and took the group to New York.
In September 1930, Ralph Wonders urged broadcasting executive William S. Paley, at CBS Radio in New York, to turn on his office speaker and listen to an audition of four young men. For the audition they were "The Mills Brothers", but they had been known by many other names. They were billed as "The Steamboat Four" when they sang for Sohio, and had been called the "Four Boys and a Guitar" on their Sunday shows. When Paley heard their performance, he immediately went downstairs and put them on the air. The next day, the Mills Brothers signed a three-year contract and became the first black group to have a network show on radio.
Their first recording for Brunswick Records, a cover of the Original Dixieland Jass Band standard "Tiger Rag" became a nationwide best-seller and a number-one hit on the charts in a version with lyrics by Harry DaCosta. Other hits followed: "Goodbye Blues", their theme song, "Nobody's Sweetheart", "Ole Rockin' Chair", "Lazy River", "How'm I Doin'", and others. They remained on Brunswick until late 1934, when they signed with Decca, where they stayed well into the 1950s. On all of their Brunswick records, as well as the early Deccas, the label stated:
"No musical instruments or mechanical devices used on this recording other than one guitar."
They were a hit on CBS in 1930–1931, particularly when they co-starred on the widely popular The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour hosted by Rudy Vallee. They had their own popular radio series in 1932–1933, one of the earliest built around a black act, billed as the "Four Boys and a Guitar". Before their show announcers commonly explained to listeners that the only instrument was a guitar, as the vocal effects made many listeners think they were hearing a muted trumpet, saxophone, and string bass or tuba.
The Mills Brothers were sponsored by some of the largest advertisers in early radio; Standard Oil, Procter & Gamble, Crisco, and Crosley Radio. They began appearing in films. Their first, The Big Broadcast (1932) was an all-star radio revue that included Bing Crosby, Cab Calloway, and the Boswell Sisters. They also made three "bouncing ball" cartoon shorts for the Fleischer Brothers. In 1934, the brothers starred with Crosby for Woodbury Soap, and recorded their classics "Lazy Bones", "Sweet Sue", "Lulu's Back in Town", "Bye-Bye Blackbird", "Sleepy Head", and "Shoe Shine Boy". Their film appearances included Twenty Million Sweethearts (1934) and Broadway Gondolier (1935).
In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first U.S. black musicians to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience: King George V, Queen Mary, and their mother. While performing in England, John Jr became ill. It took him months to recover from battling pneumonia. Before he was completely well, the brothers returned to England. John Jr once again became sick and died at the beginning of 1936.
The remaining brothers considered breaking up, but their mother told them John Jr would have wanted them to continue. They followed her suggestion and their father, John Sr, replaced John Jr as the baritone and tuba. At this time, Norman Brown joined the Brothers as their guitar player.
Through 1939 the group enjoyed remarkable success in Europe. In the period between John Jr's death and their return to the States, they re-recorded "Lazy River". It was followed by "Someday You'll Want Me to Want You", "Swing Is the Thing", "Long about Midnight", "Organ Grinder's Swing", and "The Song is Ended". They honoured Duke Ellington with a swing version of his "Caravan", and then produced a series of classic recordings: "South of the Border", which they performed in a tour of South America, along with "Ain't Misbehavin'", "It Don’t Mean a Thing", "Jeepers Creepers", "Three Little Fishies", and "Basin Street Blues".
During this era, there was also a brief time when the group performed with a non‑family singer. Gene Smith served as a stand-in for one year when Harry was drafted into the Army. Although Smith's solo singing did not particularly resemble the group's usual sound, he was able to harmonise well until the fourth brother's return. Smith is very noticeable in a number of the Mills Brothers' film appearances.
Returning to the States, the Brothers were anxious for a hit and recorded "I'll be Around" in 1943. Donald Mills chose "Paper Doll" as the B-side of the record. "I'll Be Around" became a popular hit, then a disk jockey turned the record over. "Paper Doll", recorded in fifteen minutes, sold six million copies and became the group's biggest hit.
The rise of rock and roll in the early 1950s did little to decrease the Mills Brothers' popularity. "Glow Worm" jumped to number one on the pop charts in 1952. The track also reached number ten in the U.K. singles chart in January 1953. "Opus One", an updated version of the Tommy Dorsey hit, was soon in the charts as well, followed by "You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You", "The Jones Boy", "Yellow Bird", "Standing on the Corner", and "If I Had My Way".
In 1957, John Sr, who was then sixty-eight, stopped touring with the group. As a trio, the Mills Brothers were frequent guests on The Jack Benny Show, The Perry Como Show, The Tonight Show, The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom, The Dean Martin Show, and The Hollywood Palace. A move from Decca to Dot Records brought a moderate 1958 hit, a cover of the Silhouettes' "Get a Job" that made explicit the considerable influence on doo-wop that the early Mills Brothers records had exerted. The Mills Brothers also charted "Yellow Bird" two years before Arthur Lyman's top-ten hit remake.
"Cab Driver", recorded in 1968, was their last hit. It was written by songwriter C. Carson Parks, who also wrote "Somethin' Stupid", a hit the previous year for Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy.
The Mills Brothers' fiftieth anniversary in show business was celebrated in 1976 with a tribute at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, hosted by Bing Crosby. At the time, Harry was now almost blind as a result of diabetes.
As a trio, Herbert, Harry, and Donald continued performing on the oldies circuit until Harry's death in 1982. Herbert and Donald continued until Herbert's death in 1989. Then Donald began performing with the third generation of the family, his son, John III. In 1998 the Recording Academy recognised the Mills family's contributions to popular music when it presented Donald, as the sole surviving member, with a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
After Donald's death of pneumonia on the 13th November 1999, John III began touring under the name "The Mills Brothers" with Elmer Hopper, who had previously sung lead with Paul Robi's Platters.
Altogether, the group recorded more than 2,000 recordings, selling more than fifty million copies and gaining them at least three dozen gold records. The Mills Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
Smoke Rings
The Mills Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What do they do
Those circles of blue and white?
Oh! why do they seem to pictures a dream above
Then why do they fade my phantom parade of love?
Where do they end, the smoke rings I send on high?
Where are they hurled
Oh! I'd give my life to laugh at this strife below
I'd be a king I'd follow each ring I blow
Puff puff puff puff your cares away
Puff puff puff night and day
Blow blow them into air silky little rings
Blow, blow them ev'ry where give your troubles wings
What do they tell and what is the spell they cast
Some of them fall and seem to recall the past
But most of them rise away to the skies of blue
Oh little smoke rings I love
The song "Smoke Rings" by The Mills Brothers is a melancholic tune that is rich in metaphorical imagery. The lyrics revolve around the idea of blowing smoke rings and wondering where they go, what they do and what they symbolize. The singer asks where the smoke rings go after he blows them each night and what they represent. The circles of blue and white can be interpreted as representing his thoughts and dreams, which rise up and fade away, like the smoke rings.
The lyrics suggest a certain degree of hopelessness and resignation as the singer laments the passing of time and how his hopes for love have faded away. He seems to be searching for a way to escape the strife and troubles of the world, and imagines that by following the smoke rings, he could find a way to transcend his earthly concerns and become a king. However, this is ultimately a fleeting fantasy, as the smoke rings ultimately disappear, leaving him disillusioned.
The song is a reflection of the struggles and challenges of life, and how people try to find meaning and purpose in a world that can seem chaotic and meaningless at times. The metaphor of the smoke rings is a powerful one, as it symbolizes the ephemeral nature of life, and how our hopes, dreams and desires can disappear just as quickly as they appeared.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do they go, the smoke rings I blow each night
I wonder where the smoke rings go after I blow them each night.
What do they do
What is the purpose of these smoke rings?
Those circles of blue and white?
These smoke rings are circular in shape and have a mixture of blue and white colors.
Oh! why do they seem to pictures a dream above
The smoke rings look like they are creating a dreamlike image in the air.
Then why do they fade my phantom parade of love?
But why do they disappear and take away my illusion of a romantic parade?
Where do they end, the smoke rings I send on high?
I wonder where the smoke rings I blow that rise high in the air eventually come to a stop.
Where are they hurled
Where do they go after they have been blown away from me?
When they've kissed the world goodbye!
Once they disappear from my sight, where do they go and what do they become?
Oh! I'd give my life to laugh at this strife below
I would give anything to escape the struggles and problems of the world below.
I'd be a king I'd follow each ring I blow
I wish I could be a powerful leader who could follow each and every smoke ring I blow.
Puff puff puff puff your cares away
Blow your cares and worries away with smoke rings.
Puff puff puff night and day
Blow smoke rings continuously day and night.
Blow blow them into air silky little rings
Blow the smoke rings into the air, creating smooth and velvety rings.
Blow, blow them ev'ry where give your troubles wings
Blow the smoke rings everywhere, freeing yourself from your problems.
What do they tell and what is the spell they cast
What do these smoke rings signify and what kind of magic are they creating?
Some of them fall and seem to recall the past
Some of the smoke rings fall back down and appear to bring up memories of the past.
But most of them rise away to the skies of blue
However, most of the smoke rings rise up and disappear into the blue sky.
Oh little smoke rings I love
Oh, how I love these little smoke rings.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: GENE GIFFORD, NED WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sentilayshorts
Where do they go? The smoke rings I blow each night
Oh what do they do those circles of blue and white?
Why do they seem to picture a dream of above then
Why do they fade that phantom parade of love
Puff puff puff puff your cares away
Puff puff puff Night and day
Blow blow them into air silky little rings
Blow blow them everywhere give your troubles wings
Oh little smoke rings I love
Please take me above
Take me with you
@O_Rei
“Where do they go? The smoke rings I blow each night
Oh what do they do those circles of blue and white?
Why do they seem to picture a dream of above then
Why do they fade that phantom parade of love
Puff puff puff puff your cares away
Puff puff puff Night and day
Blow blow them into air silky little rings
Blow blow them everywhere give your troubles wings
Oh little smoke rings I love
Please take me above
Take me with you”
@dr.phibes8061
Lyrics
Where do they go, the smoke rings I blow each night
What do they do
Those circles of blue and white?
Oh! why do they seem to pictures a dream above
Then why do they fade my phantom parade of love?
Where do they end, the smoke rings I send on high?
Where are they hurled
When they've kissed the world goodbye!
Oh! I'd give my life to laugh at this strife below
I'd be a king I'd follow each ring I blow
Puff puff puff puff your cares away
Puff puff puff night and day
Blow blow them into air silky little rings
Blow, blow them ev'ry where give your troubles wings
What do they tell and what is the spell they cast
Some of them fall and seem to recall the past
But most of them rise away to the skies of blue
Oh little smoke rings I love
@fatimah2092
Where do they go, the smoke rings I blow each night
What do they do
Those circles of blue and white?
Oh! why do they seem to pictures a dream above
Then why do they fade my phantom parade of love?
Where do they end, the smoke rings I send on high?
Where are they hurled
When they've kissed the world goodbye!
Oh! I'd give my life to laugh at this strife below
I'd be a king I'd follow each ring I blow
Puff puff puff puff your cares away
Puff puff puff night and day
Blow blow them into air silky little rings
Blow, blow them ev'ry where give your troubles wings
What do they tell and what is the spell they cast
Some of them fall and seem to recall the past
But most of them rise away to the skies of blue
Oh little smoke rings I love
@Mattblaze1477
"Thank you for Smoking" brought me here. Great tune.
@9fronaldo
+Mattblaze1477 me too - what a great movie it is..
@procrastinator99
The Great State of Vermont will not apologize for its cheese....
@terasadebar6092
Mattblaze1477 me too lol loved that flick
@thomaswalker4279
This song makes me a little bit sad because my Dad used to listen to this song regularly and he used to smoke regularly & he loved this song. I miss him.
@chuckmallett2942
Did he die of cancer?? 💀💀💀💀💀🚬🚬🚬🚬
@lielshvarzer9576
I'm sorry for you 😞
@thomaswalker4279
He passed away from a heart attack.
@chuckmallett2942
@@thomaswalker4279 clogged arteries from smoking? 😬😬👍👍
@WDnosquee
@@chuckmallett2942 oh fuck you