Paul Hamilton Williams Jr. is an American composer, singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for writing and co-writing popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s, including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Out in the Country," Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World," David Bowie's "Fill Your Heart" and the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays." Williams is also known for his musical contributions to films, including the Oscar-nominated song "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie, and penning the lyrics to the #1 chart-topping song "Evergreen," the love theme from the Barbra Streisand film A Star Is Born, for which he won a Grammy for Song of the Year and an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He wrote the lyrics to the opening theme for the television show The Love Boat, with music previously composed by Charles Fox, which was originally sung by Jack Jones and, later, by Dionne Warwick.Williams had a variety of high-profile acting roles, such as "Little Enos Burdette" in the action-comedy Smokey and the Bandit and the villainous Swan in Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise , which Williams also co-scored, receiving an Oscar nomination in the process. Since 2009, Williams has been the president and chairman of the American songwriting society ASCAP. Wikipedia
“We've only just begun to live,
White lace and promises
A kiss for luck and we're on our way.”
"We've Only Just Begun" (1970; co-written with Roger Nichols) - Full lyrics at Songfacts.com http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2410.
“Our love is an old love, baby.
It's older than all our years.”
"Old Souls" - Jessica Harper (Phoenix), performing the song in the film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wegZ1OTzjkY&feature=related, at Phantompalooza2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3E0vRGKad0 - shorter clip of the Phantompalooza, but better quality http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRllIuC-9AA
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Context: Our love is an old love, baby.
It's older than all our years.
I have seen in strange young eyes
Familiar tears.
“Before the rising sun we fly,
So many roads to choose
We start out walking and learn to run.”
"We've Only Just Begun" (1970).
“So much of life ahead
We'll find a place where there's room to grow,
And yes, we've just begun.”
"We've Only Just Begun" (1970).
Songfacts interview (2007)
Context: I think the trick for any songwriter is authenticity. For the young songwriter coming up who is connected to his generation, as I was connected to mine, write honestly about what's going on in the center of your life. You know, when "We've Only Just Begun" was a Number 1 record, I think the Number 1 album in the country was "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." So it was as far away from what was happening in the music scene as you can get. And yet it was a hit. I think it was a hit because of, obviously, Karen's amazing vocal, but I think that any time we write authentically and honestly about what's going on in the center of our chest, because people are so much alike, there's a big a chance that it's going on in the center of your chest, too.
Songfacts interview (2007)
Context: Relating to the specifics of relationships, and writing love songs, I tapped into something that seemed to work for my generation. I love the fact that some of the songs continue to survive, but I think that there's a window of opportunity for a time when you really, really relate to your generation. And I think a lot of us pass through that as songwriters.
“Our paths have crossed and parted,
This love affair was started
Long, long ago.”
"Old Souls"
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Context: Our paths have crossed and parted,
This love affair was started
Long, long ago.
This love survives the ages
In its story lives are pages
Fill them up, may ours turn slow.
“Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.”
"Rainbow Connection" (1979) (co-written with Kenneth Ascher) - The Muppet Movie opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM - The Muppet Show performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRvhRhWWE44 by Debbie Harry & Kermit the Frog - Video performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deebKNI-dTE by Willie Nelson.
Context: Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
“Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?”
"Rainbow Connection" (1979) (co-written with Kenneth Ascher) - The Muppet Movie opening http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSFLZ-MzIhM - The Muppet Show performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRvhRhWWE44 by Debbie Harry & Kermit the Frog - Video performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deebKNI-dTE by Willie Nelson.
Context: Why are there so many songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection,
The lovers, the dreamers and me.
Songfacts interview (2007)
Context: The best part of being a songwriter — beyond being able to make a living at it — is what I call the "heart payment" of a song. That's when somebody comes up after a concert and says, "My mom was a single mom, and 'You And Me Against The World' was a really important song to us." Or "We got married to 'We've Only Just Begun'" or 'Evergreen.' Or "'I Won't Last A Day Without You' got me through some hard times.'" That's heart payment for a songwriter.
Songfacts interview (2007)
Context: I think the trick for any songwriter is authenticity. For the young songwriter coming up who is connected to his generation, as I was connected to mine, write honestly about what's going on in the center of your life. You know, when "We've Only Just Begun" was a Number 1 record, I think the Number 1 album in the country was "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." So it was as far away from what was happening in the music scene as you can get. And yet it was a hit. I think it was a hit because of, obviously, Karen's amazing vocal, but I think that any time we write authentically and honestly about what's going on in the center of our chest, because people are so much alike, there's a big a chance that it's going on in the center of your chest, too.
“We're old souls in a new life baby.
They gave us a new life
To live and learn.”
"Old Souls"
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
"Old Souls"
Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
