She was born as Frances Wolfe to a Jewish family in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City. After some time on a chorus line at New York's Roxy Theater, she auditioned with the big band of Duke Ellington at age 16; though she never made it onto Ellington's band, she soon became a singer with bands led by Randy Brooks, Art Mooney, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Barnet, and Claude Thornhill. It was Eckstine who gave her the stage name of Fran Warren. With Charlie Barnet, she replaced Kay Starr as featured vocalist. In 1947, she made the charts for the first time, with the Thornhill band's recording of "A Sunday Kind Of Love" on Columbia Records. She made a number of other records with Thornhill that year.
In 1948 she went solo, signing with RCA Records. On RCA she made a number of recordings, but her biggest hit was a duet with Tony Martin, "I Said My Pajamas (and Put On My Pray'rs)" which reached #3 on the charts. Other recordings which she made include more duets with Tony Martin and with Lisa Kirk.
In the early 1950s, after a number of her RCA records failed to chart, she moved to MGM Records. She had a number of records for MGM, making her last chart hit in 1953 with "It's Anybody's Heart." She recorded the LP, "Hey There!" with arrangements and conducting by Marty Paich (Pickwick, 1957).
In the 1950s she also started to play in musical comedy, performing in "The Pajama Game" in the mid-1950s and later playing the title role in "Mame." She did not neglect her band singing, touring with Harry James in the 1960s.
In the late 1970s, she reconnected with musical director and trumpet player Joe Cabot, with whom she had worked extensively during the 1950s and 1960s. From 1979-1982, they toured together with the musical review The Big Broadcast of 1944, and enjoyed two sold-out engagements at New York City's acclaimed jazz club, Michael's Pub.
She resided in Connecticut until her death on March 4, 2013, her 87th birthday.
Let's Fall in Love
Fran Warren Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm concealing, don't know why
It's just a mental, incidental, sentimental alibi
But I adore you
So strong for you
Why go on stalling
I am falling
Why be shy?
Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Our hearts are made of it
Let's take a chance
Why be afraid of it
Let's close our eyes and make our own paradise
Little we know of it, still we can try
To make a go of it
We might have been meant for each other
To be or not to be
Let our hearts discover
Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love
Now is the time for it, while we are young
Let's fall in love
We might have been meant for each other
To be or not be
Let our hearts discover
Let's fall in love
Why shouldn't we fall in love?
Now is the time for it, while we are young
Let's fall in love
Now is the time for it, while we are young
Let's fall in love
Let's fall in love
The lyrics of Fran Warren's song "Let's Fall in Love" express the singer's internal struggle to express their love for someone despite feeling hesitant and unsure. They describe the feeling as a mental and sentimental alibi that they can't explain but can't shake, indicating that the love is genuine but the singer is holding back. However, the singer strongly admits their love and questions why they should continue to stall when love is calling. They urge their lover to take a chance on them and to create their own paradise together. The lyrics convey a sense of urgency and desire to take advantage of the present moment while they are young and able to fall in love.
Overall, the song embodies the classic theme of falling in love, but with a twist of uncertainty and vulnerability that makes it resonate with listeners. The lyrics express the complexity of emotions that come with falling in love, including fear, hesitation, and inner conflict. They also highlight the importance of taking risks in love and pursuing happiness despite any doubts or obstacles.
Line by Line Meaning
I have a feeling, it's a feeling
I'm experiencing strong emotions, but I'm not sure what they are or why.
I'm concealing, don't know why
I'm hiding my feelings, even though I'm not sure why I feel the need to.
It's just a mental, incidental, sentimental alibi
My excuse for hiding my feelings is that they are just temporary, fleeting thoughts that don't mean anything.
But I adore you
Despite my confusion, I have strong feelings of love for you.
So strong for you
My love for you is intense and passionate.
Why go on stalling
Why continue to delay or hide our feelings?
I am falling
I am giving into my feelings and falling deeper in love with you.
Love is calling
Our love for each other is too strong to ignore or avoid.
Why be shy?
Why hold back or be hesitant about expressing our love for each other?
Our hearts are made of it
Love is the essence of our beings and we are meant to experience it fully.
Let's take a chance
Let's be brave and risk opening ourselves up to love and all its possibilities.
Why be afraid of it
There is nothing to fear about love, it is a beautiful and natural thing.
Let's close our eyes and make our own paradise
Let's imagine a world where we can be together and create our own utopia, free from the constraints of reality.
Little we know of it, still we can try
We may not know what the future holds, but we can still take a leap of faith and try to make our love work.
To make a go of it
To make our love work and see if we are truly meant to be together.
We might have been meant for each other
It's possible that fate has brought us together and we are destined to be in each other's lives.
To be or not to be
The question is whether we should take a chance on love or not.
Let our hearts discover
We should follow our hearts and see where they lead us.
Now is the time for it, while we are young
We shouldn't waste any more time, we should seize the moment and pursue our love while we are still young and free.
Let's fall in love
Let's take the plunge and give into our feelings of love for each other.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gary K. Nedrow
Fran Warren was very popular in her day and deserves to be rediscovered by a new generations. The best of the big band singers blended with the orchestra, as Fran does here. No phony tremolo, no vocal gymnastics, just a pure interpretation of the song as written. Jo Stafford also sang this number in the same impeccable style, with perfect pitch, superb breath control, and excellent articulation. They set a standard that hasn't been matched since. Singers today are so infatuated with the sound of their own voices it's as though the music and the lyrics are meaningless. It's all about them. Today celebrity trumps competence. What a sad commentary on our times.
JK Merriwether
Glad to hear that someone else appreciates Fran Warren. Claude Thornhill's whole orchestra at this time was so outstanding...it just kind of got lost between the bombast of the swing era and the rock and roll to come. But what great songs!
Julia Pollitt
I’ve never heard of her, but I have no fabulous
Nick Scheuble
I love the timbre of Fran Warren’s voice.
RedJin
Beautiful. Thank you for uploading this.
Bill Herald
This was the original recording of this song. Recorded in late 1946, and released in January 1947.
Julia Pollitt
Just heard this on a 1940s radio station, never heard it before, fabulous
JK Merriwether
Aaah...the wonderful postwar romanticism of America...