He was most famous for his rendition of Tip-toe Thru The Tulips With Me a No. 17 chart hit in 1968 that was delivered in his distinctive high falsetto. He became well known via numerous and highly rated appearances on television including Johnny Carson and Laugh-In. On December 17, 1969, 45 million viewers watched Tiny Tim get married on NBC TV via an appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show program. He was widely known, but generally thought of as a novelty act, and was not taken very seriously, although his records displayed a wide and serious forensic knowledge of early American stage songs.
Growing up with the squeaky clean entertainment choices of the 1930's and 40's, Herbert preferred the romantic crooners of the late- 19th and early-20th centuries and cinematic singers like Bing Crosby and Rudy Valee were amongst his early favorites.
After stints in the Greenwich Village folkscene of the 1950's and 60's billed as Vern Castle, Larry Love, Darry Dover and Emmett Swink, Khaury eventually settled on the name Tiny Tim. He doffed white facial powder makeup, and utilized a ukulele and songs that only a true American musical archivist would know. Despite some amateur demo acetates, his first professional recordings were with producer Richard Perry for the Blue Cat in 1966. Refusing to be deterred despite many years of setbacks in the notoriously tough New York show biz world, Tiny Tim earned a regular gig at a hip club called The Scene, and was soon signed by Mo Ostin to Warner Brothers subsidiary Reprise, then also the home of Frank Sinatra, and his daughter Nancy.
His 1970's label VicTim failed as a business venture, and he once told an interviewer that his next label Toilet Records was so-named "because that's where my career went." By 1978, the public's taste had soured on his act and Johnny Carson refused to book Tiny Tim anymore. However bleak the financial picture appeared, Tiny Tim refused to relent whatever spotlite remained for him, and toured constantly. through the 80's and 90's appearing at punk rock and gay nightclubs, making numerous solo recordings and some with the Texas-based polka band Brave Combo.
He died on November 30, 1996, after a heart attack while performing onstage at a benefit for the Woman's Club of Minneapolis. He was buried with his ukulele.
Daddy Daddy What Is Heaven Like?
Tiny Tim Lyrics
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Daddy, Daddy, what is heaven like?
Is it like our house, so pretty and white?
I don′t understand, it doesn't seem fair.
If Mommy loved us so, why did she go there?
(Deeper voice)
Heaven, my son, is a beautiful place.
Mommy loved us both, but she had to go,
We needed her so, but they needed her more.
(Light voice)
Daddy, Daddy, is heaven very far?
How long would it take if we go by car?
If you cross me at the corner, I can take my bike.
Daddy, please tell me, what's heaven like?
(Deeper voice)
You can′t go there, by bike or a car,
But if you′re good, you'll go very far,
And maybe someday, you′ll go to heaven, too.
If I know your mommy, she saved a place for you.
(Light voice)
Daddy, Daddy, I can hardly wait.
I'm so excited; heaven sounds great
Can I run and tell Brother good-bye?
Why is there, Daddy, a tear in your eye?
The lyrics to Tiny Tim's song "Daddy Daddy What Is Heaven Like?" depict a heartfelt conversation between a child and their father about the concept of heaven and the absence of their mother. In the light voice verses, the child expresses confusion and sorrow, questioning why their mother had to leave for heaven if she loved them. The child compares heaven to their own house, describing it as pretty and white, but struggles to comprehend why their mother had to go there.
In the deeper voice verses, the father attempts to explain heaven to his child. He describes heaven as a beautiful place where everyone is happy and smiling. He acknowledges that their mother loved them both, but had important reasons to go to heaven, perhaps suggesting that there were others who needed her there. The child then wonders about the distance to heaven, asking if it's far and how long it would take to get there by car or bike. The father responds that heaven can't be reached by earthly means, emphasizing that being good is what matters, and if the child behaves well, they may go to heaven someday too. The father concludes by assuring the child that their mother likely saved a place for them in heaven.
Overall, the song explores the innocence of a child's curiosity about the afterlife, their longing for their departed mother, and the father's attempt to provide comfort and hope in explaining the concept of heaven.
Writer(s): Artie Wayne
Contributed by Mackenzie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mi Da
From crying tears of laughter to just crying tears. Tiny Tim is amazing!
ImajaSlapz
His vocal range is crazy, did you hear the transitions?
Avital Shtapura
WAIT THISS ISNT A DUET???? THIS IS ALL HJIM????????
Avital Shtapura
JHE SOUNDS LIKE ELVIS
Louise Fly
@Avital Shtapura all him <3
A&C
WAIT THIS ISNT A DUET?
ThriftStoreVinyl
Love this. This resides somewhere between creepy weird and very moving. This song possesses it's own unique beauty.
Ann Morris
TT missed his true calling as a singer. What a fantastic baritone (or is that a bass) sound. I LOVE this song just because he is SOOOOO good in the lower vocal ranges. Wish he would've done an album with more songs like this.
craft1ng_cl0ckw0rk
he has quite a few tbh
emanuel botek
Genio Tiny tim como cambia de voz, además las letras son muy emocionantes