Wayne's severe asthma forced the family to move to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1952. In the spring of 1958, toward the end of Wayne's junior year in high school, a Las Vegas booking agent saw a local TV show on which the two Newton brothers were performing and took them back with him for an audition. Originally signed for two weeks, the two brothers eventually performed for five years, doing six shows a day.
Newton achieved nationwide recognition on September 29, 1962, when he and his brother performed on The Jackie Gleason Show. He would perform on Gleason's show 12 times over the following two years.
Many other entertainment icons such as Lucille Ball, Bobby Darin, Danny Thomas, George Burns, and Jack Benny lent Newton their support. In particular, Benny hired Newton as an opening act for his show.
After his job with Benny ended, Newton was offered a job to open for another comic at the Flamingo Hotel, but Newton asked for, and was given, a headline act.
In 1999, Newton signed a 10-year deal with the Stardust, calling for him to perform there 40 weeks out of the year for six shows a week in a showroom named after him. In 2005, in preparation for the eventual demolition of the casino, the deal was, from all reports, amicably terminated; Newton began a 30-show stint that summer at the Hilton. His last show at the Stardust was on April 20, 2005. During a break in his on stage performance, he announced to the crowd that night he wanted to spend more time with his wife and new daughter as the main reasonings for cancelling the contract. Newton said the Boyd family made him a very nice offer to stay on past the demolition of the hotel and casino and to play in other Boyd venues, but Newton declined citing "another deal in the works for Vegas", but he did not mention the Hilton specifically. News crews were expecting this performance to end on time, to make their 10 pm and 11 pm shows, but the show finally ended around 11:30 pm, thus eliminating the possibility. Mr. Las Vegas went on at 7:30 that night, and sang nearly his entire repertoire and songs of other Vegas mainstays as well.
In 2001, Newton succeeded Bob Hope as “Chairman of the USO Celebrity Circle.” In January 2005, Newton started a reality television show on E! called The Entertainer. The winner got a spot in his act, plus a headlining act of their own for a year. And recently during player introductions at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, Newton sang Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas."
In 2008, Newton received a Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a national memorial to President Wilson, commemorates "the ideals and concerns of Woodrow Wilson." The award honors leaders who have given back to their communities.rs, earning him the nickname Mr. Las Vegas.
Danke Schoen
Wayne Newton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thank you for all the joy and pain
Picture shows, second balcony
Was the place we'd meet
Second seat, go Dutch treat, you were sweet
Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen
Save those lies, darling don't explain
How you tore your dress
What a mess, I confess, that's not all
Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen
Thank you for walks down Lover's Lane
I can see hearts carved on a tree
Letters intertwined for all time
Yours and mine, that was fine
Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen
Thank you for seeing me again
Though we go on our separate ways
Still the memory stays for always
My heart says danke schoen
Danke schoen, oh darling, danke schoen
I said thank you for, hmm, seeing me again
Though we go on our separate ways
Still the memory stays for always
My heart says danke schoen
Danke schoen, auf wiedersehen
Danke schoen
The lyrics of Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen" express gratitude towards a former lover and memories of their time together. The song begins with the phrase "danke schoen," which is German for "thank you very much." The singer thanks their former lover for the joy and pain they experienced together, acknowledging that both are necessary aspects of love. They recall meeting in the second balcony of a movie theater and sharing the cost ("go Dutch treat") of the outing. The singer notes that the person was sweet during that time.
The song continues to recount various memories, such as a time in Central Park during the fall where the person tore their dress. The singer notes that this memory was messy, but still fondly remembers it. The following verse refers to walks down Lover's Lane and carving hearts on a tree. All of these past experiences have left an impact on the singer's heart, as they thank the person one last time and say goodbye with the expression "auf wiedersehen."
Line by Line Meaning
Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen
Thank you so much, my love, for everything that you have done for me.
Thank you for all the joy and pain
Thank you for all the happiness and sadness that we have shared together.
Picture shows, second balcony
Looking back, I remember our first meeting at the cinema, where we sat together in the second balcony.
Was the place we'd meet
It was undoubtedly the perfect spot to spend time together, sharing each other's company and enjoying the movie.
Second seat, go Dutch treat, you were sweet
We ended up sitting next to each other, and since it was our first date, we decided to split the bill, but your sweetness made it unforgettable all the same.
Save those lies, darling don't explain
Even if you tried to cover it up with lies, there's no need to explain because I still remember what happened and how you looked in Central Park when we last met.
I recall Central Park in fall
I still recall vividly how the trees in Central Park looked magnificent as they changed colors during the autumn season.
How you tore your dress
I will never forget how your dress got torn, and it felt like a true mess for a while.
What a mess, I confess, that's not all
What a mess it was, and even though I confess to my part in it, I know there was much more than just the torn dress we shared and experienced together.
Thank you for walks down Lover's Lane
Thank you for the lovely memories we shared while strolling down the Lane of Love.
I can see hearts carved on a tree
I remember the time we carved our initials in a heart on a tree, making it a symbol of our love that would stand the test of time.
Letters intertwined for all time
With our letters intertwined, we made a promise to love each other for all time and to hold on to the memories forever.
Yours and mine, that was fine
It was the perfect moment in time when we made our promise to love each other forever, and it was fine with us.
Thank you for seeing me again
Even though we have gone our separate ways, thank you for taking the time to see me again and relive the memories we shared.
Though we go on our separate ways
Even though we have gone our separate ways, the memories we shared will always stay with us forever.
Still the memory stays for always
No matter how much time passes, the memories of our time together will always stay with us, crossed over by our intertwined letters.
My heart says danke schoen
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for me.
Danke schoen, auf wiedersehen
Thank you and goodbye, a German phrase that means expressing gratitude and farewell at the same time.
Danke schoen
Thank you, a German phrase that means 'thank you so much.'
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bert Kaempfert, Kurt Schwabach, Milt Gabler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind