He was born in Battle, East Sussex, England and is remembered by many music lovers and record collectors for his numerous albums and appearances on radio and television during the era following the second world war.
From the 1950s onwards, Chacksfield was one of Britain's most famous orchestra leaders, and his fame spread around the world. Early in his career he was fortunate to have several big sellers in the USA, which firmly established his reputation world-wide.
During his recording career with Decca alone, it is estimated that he sold 20 million copies.
Chacksfield learned to play the piano as a boy and became the deputy organist for the local church. Though his parents discouraged his pursuit of music as a career, he persevered. In the late '30s, when he was in his mid-20s, he was leading small musical bands in Britain. During World War II, he was assigned to the British Army entertainment unit, and after the war he became a regular performer on the BBC.
In 1953, he formed an orchestra he called "The Tunesmiths" and won a contract with Parlophone Records. Within two years, he expanded the group from a traditional big band into an orchestra with strings and released a series of "mood music" albums. His sound was similar to Mantovani and Melachrino. His biggest hits, in both the UK and the US, were "Ebb Tide" and "Limelight."
Chacksfield was also responsible for the musical arrangement of the first ever British entry into the Eurovision Song Contest, "All" by Patricia Bredin in 1957. Only because BBC musical director Eric Robinson insisted on accompanying Bredin to the contest in Frankfurt, Chacksfield did not get the chance to perform as a conductor on this international stage.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s Chacksfield recorded a large number of instrumental recordings for Starborne Productions. The recordings were licensed for use by "Easy Listening" radio stations and functional music companies. The vast majority of these recordings were not made commercially available to the general public until 2007 by Starborne Productions.
Chacksfield had two giant US hits in 1953, "Ebb Tide" and "Terry's Theme from Limelight". A third single that year, "Golden Violins" appeared in the Cashbox charts (Billboard only ranked to 20 positions at that time.)
Georgia on My Mind
Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
Georgia, a song of you
Comes as sweet and clean as moonlight
Through the pines
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The roads leads back to you
Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The roads leads back to you
Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
On my mind
The lyrics to Frank Chacksfield & His Orchestra's song "Georgia On My Mind" tells a story of a person who is constantly thinking of Georgia, their home, even when they are away. The song starts with the person acknowledging how they can't seem to stop thinking about Georgia, as a sweet old song keeps it on their mind. They describe Georgia as a place where even the mention of its name brings a sweet and clean feeling, evocative of moonlight streaming through the pines.
Despite being away and with other people reaching out and showing affection, the person can't help but constantly dream and see themselves going back to Georgia. There is a sense of yearning and longing present throughout the song, as Georgia seems to be the only place where they can find true peace. The use of the phrase "just an old sweet song" repeatedly throughout the lyrics highlights the powerful emotional connection that the person has with their homeland, which brings them comfort even when they are far away.
Overall, the song "Georgia On My Mind" captures the nostalgic longing and emotional attachment that someone can have for their homeland, even when they are far away. Throughout the song, the person yearns for Georgia and acknowledges that they will always have it on their mind.
Line by Line Meaning
Georgia
Georgia, the location, state, and everything associated with it
Georgia, the whole day through
Georgia is on my mind and I think about it all day
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
The comforting memory of the song reminds me of Georgia
On my mind
I can't stop thinking about Georgia
Georgia, a song of you
The song is an ode to Georgia and all its beauty
Comes as sweet and clean as moonlight
The song is pure and beautiful like the light of the moon
Through the pines
The song evokes feelings of nature and the beauty of Georgia's forests
Other arms reach out to me
There are other opportunities and people in my life besides Georgia
Other eyes smile tenderly
Other people care for me and show me love
Still in peaceful dreams I see
Even in my dreams, I am at peace with the memories of Georgia
The roads leads back to you
No matter where I go, my heart always brings me back to Georgia
Georgia, no peace I find
Without Georgia, I cannot find true peace
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
The memory of the song is intertwined with my memories of Georgia
On my mind
Georgia is always on my mind, no matter where I am
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia
The comfort of the song helps me feel connected to Georgia
On my mind
Georgia is still on my mind and will stay there forever
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roy Bodden
Hoagy Carlmichael wrote so many beautiful melodies. Thanks for posting this album. The song "I get along without you very well" is one of my very favorite songs. I also have this album in my collection. As you know we love the Frank Chacksfield and his orchestra albums. He made such beautiful records. This was music, not the noise they call music today!
Hans-Georg Volprich
Sehr schön, diese von Chacksfield gespielten Melodien! Danke Gustavo, weiter so!!!!!
rufmist
The lady singer has such a misty, haunting voice. Anyone knows her name?