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.
I've Got The World On A String
Wayne Newton Lyrics
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I'm sitting on a rainbow
Got the string around my finger
What a world, what a life - I'm in love
I've got a song that I sing
I can make the rain go
Any time I move my finger
Life's a wonderful thing
As long as I hold the string
I'd be a silly so-and-so
If I should ever let her go
The lyrics to Wayne Newton's "I've Got The World On A String" represent a feeling of immense happiness and contentment. Wayne Newton paints a picture of being on top of the world and in love. He sings, "I've got the world on a string, I'm sitting on a rainbow." These two phrases seem to represent an almost unattainable level of success and good fortune.
He continues to sing, "Got the string around my finger, what a world what a life - I'm in love." The line "got the string around my finger" is a metaphor for having control over something. He is saying that he has everything under control and he is in a state of bliss, all because he is in love.
In the final verse, Wayne Newton sings, "Life's a wonderful thing, as long as I hold the string. I'd be a silly so-and-so if I should ever let her go." Here, he is saying that he welcomes everything that life has to offer as long as he has his love by his side. It becomes clear that the string he is referring to is his love, his partner, and the source of his happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the world on a string
I feel like I have everything I could possibly want and am in control of my destiny.
I'm sitting on a rainbow
I feel like I'm on top of the world and everything is going my way.
Got the string around my finger
I feel like I have the power to make things happen and control my own fate.
What a world, what a life - I'm in love
I'm so happy and feel so lucky to be alive, especially because I'm in love with someone special.
I've got a song that I sing
I feel empowered by music and believe that it has the power to change the world.
I can make the rain go
I feel like I have the power to control the elements and make things happen.
Any time I move my finger
With just a little effort, I can make anything happen.
Lucky me, can't you see - I'm in love
I feel incredibly lucky and grateful to be in love with someone special.
Life's a wonderful thing
I believe that life is full of opportunities and potential, and every day is a gift.
As long as I hold the string
As long as I maintain my sense of control and confidence, I will continue to be successful and happy.
I'd be a silly so-and-so
It would be foolish of me to mess things up or jeopardize my happiness.
If I should ever let her go
If I were to lose the love of my life, it would be devastating and I would regret it forever.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind