Born in Hoboken, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants, Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era with bandleaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. Sinatra found success as a solo artist after he signed with Columbia Records in 1943, becoming the idol of the "bobby soxers". He released his debut album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, in 1946. Sinatra's professional career had stalled by the early 1950s, and he turned to Las Vegas, where he became one of its best known residency performers as part of The Rat Pack. His career was reborn in 1953 with the success of From Here to Eternity, with his performance subsequently winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Sinatra released several critically lauded albums, including In the Wee Small Hours (1955), Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956), Come Fly with Me (1958), Only the Lonely (1958) and Nice 'n' Easy (1960).
Sinatra left Capitol in 1960 to start his own record label, Reprise Records, and released a string of successful albums. In 1965, he recorded the retrospective September of My Years, starred in the Emmy-winning television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music, and released the tracks "Strangers in the Night" and "My Way". After releasing Sinatra at the Sands, recorded at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Vegas with frequent collaborator Count Basie in early 1966, the following year he recorded one of his most famous collaborations with Tom Jobim, the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim. It was followed by 1968's collaboration with Duke Ellington. Sinatra retired for the first time in 1971, but came out of retirement two years later and recorded several albums and resumed performing at Caesars Palace, and reached success in 1980 with "New York, New York". Using his Las Vegas shows as a home base, he toured both within the United States and internationally until a short time before his death in 1998.
Sinatra forged a highly successful career as a film actor. After winning an Academy Award for From Here to Eternity, he starred in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), and received critical acclaim for his performance in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He appeared in various musicals such as On the Town (1949), Guys and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), and Pal Joey (1957), winning another Golden Globe for the latter. Toward the end of his career, he became associated with playing detectives, including the title character in Tony Rome (1967). Sinatra would later receive the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1971. On television, The Frank Sinatra Show began on ABC in 1950, and he continued to make appearances on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Sinatra was also heavily involved with politics from the mid-1940s, and actively campaigned for presidents such as Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, though before Kennedy's death Sinatra's alleged Mafia connections led to his being snubbed.
While Sinatra never formally learned how to read music, he had an impressive understanding of it, and he worked very hard from a young age to improve his abilities in all aspects of music. A perfectionist, renowned for his dress sense and performing presence, he always insisted on recording live with his band. His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes". Sinatra led a colorful personal life, and was often involved in turbulent affairs with women, such as with his second wife Ava Gardner. He went on to marry Mia Farrow in 1966 and Barbara Marx in 1976. Sinatra had several violent confrontations, usually with journalists he felt had crossed him, or work bosses with whom he had disagreements. He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997. Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Trustees Award, Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After his death, American music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century", and he continues to be seen as an iconic figure.
Sinatra died with his wife at his side at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 14, 1998, aged 82, after a heart attack. Sinatra had ill health during the last few years of his life, and was frequently hospitalized for heart and breathing problems, high blood pressure, pneumonia and bladder cancer. He was further diagnosed as having dementia. He had made no public appearances following a heart attack in February 1997. Sinatra's wife encouraged him to "fight" while attempts were made to stabilize him, and his final words were, "I'm losing." Sinatra's daughter, Tina, later wrote that she and her sister, Nancy, had not been notified of their father's final hospitalization, and it was her belief that "the omission was deliberate. Barbara would be the grieving widow alone at her husband's side." The night after Sinatra's death, the lights on the Empire State Building in New York City were turned blue, the lights at the Las Vegas Strip were dimmed in his honor, and the casinos stopped spinning for a minute.
Sinatra's funeral was held at the Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills, California, on May 20, 1998, with 400 mourners in attendance and thousands of fans outside. Gregory Peck, Tony Bennett, and Sinatra's son, Frank Jr., addressed the mourners, who included many notable people from film and entertainment. Sinatra was buried in a blue business suit with mementos from family members—cherry-flavored Life Savers, Tootsie Rolls, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, a pack of Camel cigarettes, a Zippo lighter, stuffed toys, a dog biscuit, and a roll of dimes that he always carried—next to his parents in section B-8 of Desert Memorial Park in Cathedral City, California.
His close friends Jilly Rizzo and Jimmy Van Heusen are buried nearby. The words "The Best Is Yet to Come", plus "Beloved Husband & Father" are imprinted on Sinatra's grave marker. Significant increases in recording sales worldwide were reported by Billboard in the month of his death.
A Little Learnin' Is A Dangerous Thing 1
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Too much knowledge, Frank
Too much knowledge) explain it to me
(Well, it was down at school
At the age of six) one of the real quiz kids
(yeah, so did reason and lightning touch)
Usual thought
(As time went on, I studied lots of, oh
(No, most of them didn't hurt much)
Well, I've had other teachers
(Well I got my diploma
I was real real smart)
In a pretty frame, huh?
(Of my knowledge there was no doubt)
That's pretty obvious
(yeah but lately I've had the same
Like in your words too)
(It wasn't even a thought
Let me tell you what I found out now)
Look at the size of my ears, pour it on
(You know it started with a man) uh huh!
(And the man he was grand)
Ain't that the truth
(He had a lie that would make a bird sing)
This kid really came on, I can see that
'Cause you were much too smart to
Be afraid at the start
(Frank, a little learnin' is
A dangerous thing)
Well, I'd like to hear some more
(First he only wanted two) to?
(Then he changed it to few)
Oh, you mean loot
(I even loaned that man my watch and my ring)
Oh, you lost your head, Pearl, completely
'Cause you were hip to the fact that
He would pay you right back
(Yep, a little learning is a dangerous thing)
Uh huh yes, with his sweetheart
His so discreet heart (Oh Frank
He had me doing things that I shouldn't do)
That cad, ain't no denying
So sense in trying (Let me tell you
It is just as bad my
Education's been like some book)
Bet you had an encyclopedia
(Yet now I know the score at last)
So I'm happy for you
(I'm an gal with a past that left my
Head hot and perched in a sling)
You mean you got yourself in hock?
(Yes, it's understood that brother
Gypped me but good)
(A little learning) can be a dangerous thing
Yeah girl that's the kind of stuff
You gotta watch out for
(Oh makes me so nervous)
That's right, it shakes you up
The song "A Little Learning Is A Dangerous Thing" by Frank Sinatra and Pearl Bailey is a lighthearted conversation between two friends about the dangers of knowledge. The song is based on the phrase "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing," which suggests that partial knowledge can lead to mistakes and faulty judgments. Pearl Bailey opens the song by saying that too much knowledge is bugging her. She explains that she's had too much education, which has made her susceptible to being tricked by people with ulterior motives. She proceeds to tell Frank Sinatra about a man who swindled her out of her watch and ring after she loaned him some money. She admits that she was too trusting because of her education and that she should have known better.
The song's lyrics touch on the idea that education is not always a guarantee of wisdom. In fact, the more we learn, the more we realize how little we know. The song suggests that there is a danger in thinking we know everything. The man who tricked Pearl Bailey was able to do so because she had gained a little bit of knowledge, but not enough to avoid making a mistake. The song encourages us to be humble in our knowledge and not to think that we know everything.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, Pearl, what's bugging you, girl?
Frank is asking Pearl what is bothering her
(Too much knowledge, Frank
Too much knowledge) explain it to me
Pearl says that having too much knowledge is the problem and Frank wants her to explain
(Well, it was down at school
At the age of six) one of the real quiz kids
Pearl had too much knowledge since she was six years old and was a good student
(yeah, so did reason and lightning touch)
Usual thought
Pearl had great reasoning skills and learned things quickly
(As time went on, I studied lots of, oh
The other things) uh huh, like a
(No, most of them didn't hurt much)
Pearl continued to learn many different things over time. Most of them were not challenging
(Well, I've had other teachers
Well I got my diploma
I was real real smart)
In a pretty frame, huh?
Pearl had other teachers and was very smart, so she got her diploma which was displayed nicely
(Of my knowledge there was no doubt)
That's pretty obvious
Pearl was confident in her knowledge and it was apparent
(yeah but lately I've had the same
Like in your words too)
(It wasn't even a thought
Let me tell you what I found out now)
Recently, Pearl has experienced the same thing as Frank. She discovered something important
Look at the size of my ears, pour it on
(You know it started with a man) uh huh!
(And the man he was grand)
Ain't that the truth
Pearl began hearing rumors, and it started with a man that seemed great
(He had a lie that would make a bird sing)
This kid really came on, I can see that
The man had a convincing lie that got Pearl's attention
'Cause you were much too smart to
Be afraid at the start
(Frank, a little learnin' is
A dangerous thing)
Frank believes Pearl was too smart to be afraid in the beginning, but she fell for the lie
Well, I'd like to hear some more
(First he only wanted two) to?
(Then he changed it to few)
Oh, you mean loot
Frank wants to hear more. Pearl explains that the man asked for two things, then changed it to a few things. She means that he wanted money
(I even loaned that man my watch and my ring)
Oh, you lost your head, Pearl, completely
Pearl loaned the man her valuable items and Frank thinks it was a big mistake
'Cause you were hip to the fact that
He would pay you right back
(Yep, a little learning is a dangerous thing)
Pearl thought the man would pay her back, but she was wrong. Frank agrees that having a little knowledge can be dangerous
Uh huh yes, with his sweetheart
His so discreet heart (Oh Frank
He had me doing things that I shouldn't do)
The man had a discreet lover and got Pearl to do things she regrets
That cad, ain't no denying
So sense in trying (Let me tell you
It is just as bad my
Education's been like some book)
Pearl thinks the man is a cheat and there's no point in trying to change it. She also thinks her education was useless like a book
Bet you had an encyclopedia
(Yet now I know the score at last)
So I'm happy for you
Frank probably had many resources to help him gain knowledge. Pearl is happy that Frank learned something important
(I'm an gal with a past that left my
Head hot and perched in a sling)
You mean you got yourself in hock?
Pearl has a past that makes her regretful. Frank asks if she got herself into debt
(Yes, it's understood that brother
Gypped me but good)
(A little learning) can be a dangerous thing
Pearl admits that her brother cheated her. She also agrees that having a little learning can be dangerous
Yeah girl that's the kind of stuff
You gotta watch out for
(Oh makes me so nervous)
That's right, it shakes you up
Frank warns Pearl to watch out for people who cheat her. Pearl is nervous but agrees that it is concerning
Lyrics © THE MUSIC GOES ROUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike
on The Lady Is A Champ
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She can't eat late and stay up all night, because unlike society types, she has to get up in the morning.
She likes the theatre and never comes late
She cares more about seeing the play than being seen making an entrance.
She never bothers with people she'd hate
Her friends are friends, not social trophies.
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
While barrns and earls probably don't play craps, she associates with friends, not people to be seen with.
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She doesn't "slum", the practice of the rich in the 30's, when the song was written, of touring poor neighborhoods dressed in rich clothes to "tut, tut" about the deplorable conditions, and congratulate each other for "caring about the poor"
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
Doesn't trade gossip for acceptance among an in-crowd
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She cares more about how her hair feels than conforming with current hair fashions
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
Since most of California is noticeably warmer and / or drier than New York, where the play the song was written for is set, this is probably a facetious excuse to like what she likes.
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
Another reference to slumming, but facetious, since Lincolns and Fords were middle-class, not luxury brands when the lyric was written
Anonymous
on Try a Little Tenderness
Here are the correct lyrics
Try A Little Tenderness - Frank Sinatra - Lyrics
Oh she may be weary
Women do get wearied
Wearing that same old shabby dress
And when she’s weary
You try a little tenderness
You know she’s waiting
Just anticipating things she’ll may never possess
While she is without them
Try just a little bit of tenderness
It’s not just sentimental
She has her grieve and her care
And the words that soft and gentle
Makes it easier to bear
You wont regret it
Women don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness
And it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Musical Interlude
And, it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Daniel
on The Way You Look Tonight
I met Frank Jr. in Las Vegas, a real gentleman. RIP you both.
Giorgi Khutashvili
on Theme from New York, New York
)))