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.
All the Way Home
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sunshine and showers
Sunsets and rainbows
On skies of red and blue
Badges, whistles
Rockets and missiles
Puppies, kittens
And penny candy too
Like carnivals and carousels
Popsicles and wishing wells
And I am so in love with you
I can't believe it's true
We're gonna make it all the way home
Magic potions,
Incense and lotions
Bells, books and candles
Can make a witches' brew
But I don't need witches
Love spells or riches
You are my treasure
My fairy tale come true
With you is where I'll stay
All the time, anywhere
Turn around, and I'll be there
It was I, now it's we
And I know it will be
You and me, all the way home
Me and you, all the way home
The lyrics to "All The Way Home" by Frank Sinatra are a romantic ode to love and the joy that it brings. The song is full of whimsical imagery, such as bluebirds, flowers, puppies, and carnivals, which not only add to the romantic tone of the song but also evoke a sense of childlike wonder and innocence. The lyrics suggest that the singer's love for their partner makes everything seem new and exciting, even the simple things in life like penny candy and sunsets. The repetition of the phrase "all the way home" throughout the song signifies the singer's commitment to their partner and their belief that they will be together forever.
The second half of the song expands on the theme of the singer finding love that makes them feel complete without needing any external influences such as love spells or riches. The use of "magic potions, incense, and lotions" in the lyrics alludes to the idea of witches and spells, which the singer does not need because their love is already magical in its own right. The lyrics then go on to describe the partner as a "treasure" and a "fairy tale come true," emphasizing the magic and enchantment that comes with true love. The lyrics suggest that the singer has found unconditional, everlasting love, which will be with them all the time and anywhere.
Overall, "All The Way Home" is a heartfelt and sentimental ballad about love and the joys it brings. The song's lyrics are simple yet powerful and capture the essence of what it means to find true love and commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
Bluebirds, flowers
Life's beauty is found in the simplest things.
Sunshine and showers
Life has ups and downs, but we must find the good in everything.
Sunsets and rainbows
Even after the darkest days, there is beauty to be found.
On skies of red and blue
The changing colors of the sky represent the changing of our moods and emotions.
Badges, whistles
Childhood experiences are special and memorable.
Rockets and missiles
Childhood is an imaginative time where anything is possible, even fantasy scenarios.
Puppies, kittens
Animals bring joy to our lives and remind us to appreciate the simple things.
And penny candy too
The little things in life can bring us so much happiness.
You make me feel so new
Being with someone special can make us feel like we are experiencing everything for the first time again.
Like carnivals and carousels
Being in love is like being in a world of endless wonder and excitement.
Popsicles and wishing wells
The little pleasures of life can bring us great joy and hope.
And I am so in love with you
The feeling of being in love is overwhelming and all-consuming.
I can't believe it's true
Being in love can seem like a dream come true.
We're gonna make it all the way home
Together, we will overcome any challenge and make it all the way home.
Magic potions,
Love is often compared to magic
Incense and lotions
People often try to use charms and other objects to put them in a loving mood.
Bells, books and candles
Bells, books, and candles are all associated with magic and spells
Can make a witches' brew
All of these things can be used to create a potion in folklore.
But I don't need witches
I don't need anything extra to feel love.
Love spells or riches
I don't need anything else because being with you is all I need to be happy.
You are my treasure
Being with you is like having a treasure.
My fairy tale come true
Being with you is like a dream come true.
With you is where I'll stay
I want to be with you forever.
All the time, anywhere
Whenever and wherever you need me, I'll be there for you.
Turn around, and I'll be there
I'll never be far from you.
It was I, now it's we
We are in this together.
And I know it will be
I trust in our love and know that we can conquer anything.
You and me, all the way home
We will make it through all the challenges and obstacles and make it home together.
Me and you, all the way home
Our love will guide us through everything and lead us all the way home.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TEDDY RANDAZZO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Blackburn
Hit the 'back 1 hour' button (three times) and it's Frank singing an obscure favorite ALL THE WAY HOME. The Siriusly Sinatra satellite radio screen streaming on the computer reminds us that this gem is found on the “Sinatra Sings Songs of Seduction” compilation CD – one I reviewed at Amazon (5 stars January 20, 2009 closing with this note:
Other delightful rarities: "STAY WITH ME" and "ALL THE WAY HOME" . . . the latter, features a gorgeous late-in-life (1983) orchestration by the late Joe Parnello, sometimes band-leader/pianist for Sinatra. [I can imagine Frank listening to the playback of this one, and telling Joe (as he did once to sax giant Johnny Hodges after his solo on "Indian Summer") "My God, that's beautiful!"]
A friend at SinatraFamily.com. points out the similarities in the Parnello arrangement's opening bars, to `Edelweiss' (from THE SOUND OF MUSIC) - just a hint, suggesting "that Joe Parnello was paying homage to Richard Rodgers."
[Rodgers perhaps inadvertently, once paid similar homage to Nelson Riddle's great `counter-melodies -- borrowing, as his five opening notes of "The Sound of Music," the same sequence of notes you'll hear on the closing orchestral flourish of Riddle's great arrangement (4 years earlier) of Sinatra's "TIME AFTER TIME."]
Such subtleties await your detection throughout this marvelous collection of `prime Sinatra.' Look -- if you really appreciate great music -- and need to banish those little town (mid-winter) blues -- do yourself a favor and pick this one up. And why not treat yourself to the "Deluxe Edition" with 10 extra tracks, including some exceptional beauties!
----
Ask Wikipedia 'Who wrote All The Way Home and learn that there are plays, movies, and more than a dozen songs with that same title! The Sinatra entry tells us who wrote Frank's version:
"All the Way Home", a song recorded by Frank Sinatra written by Teddy Randazzo
Thanks for sharing, Sinatra 80. Celebrated elsewhere this day [search] " Great Melody, Great Lyric, Great Rendition, Songwriting Workshop, Harmony Central "
Agnes Jack
This has to be one of the best songs he ever recorded
László Szűcs
Amazing song!
Chris Vegas
The perfect song to sing to your Girl beautifully sung by Frank
Gerald J
The most versatile vocalist in history, who with the same (you would think overworked) voice, tackled--in the course of six or seven decades recording--so many categories of songs that he left practically no stone unturned.
Kenneth Freund
"All the Way Home" track on this album not the same as originally released. This track with FS adding the words "all the way home, were home" at end make this the better version. One of Teddy Rendazzo's great compositions.
Mark Blackburn
Hit the 'back 1 hour' button (three times) and it's Frank singing an obscure favorite ALL THE WAY HOME. The Siriusly Sinatra satellite radio screen streaming on the computer reminds us that this gem is found on the “Sinatra Sings Songs of Seduction” compilation CD – one I reviewed at Amazon (5 stars January 20, 2009 closing with this note:
Other delightful rarities: "STAY WITH ME" and "ALL THE WAY HOME" . . . the latter, features a gorgeous late-in-life (1983) orchestration by the late Joe Parnello, sometimes band-leader/pianist for Sinatra. [I can imagine Frank listening to the playback of this one, and telling Joe (as he did once to sax giant Johnny Hodges after his solo on "Indian Summer") "My God, that's beautiful!"]
A friend at SinatraFamily.com. points out the similarities in the Parnello arrangement's opening bars, to `Edelweiss' (from THE SOUND OF MUSIC) - just a hint, suggesting "that Joe Parnello was paying homage to Richard Rodgers."
[Rodgers perhaps inadvertently, once paid similar homage to Nelson Riddle's great `counter-melodies -- borrowing, as his five opening notes of "The Sound of Music," the same sequence of notes you'll hear on the closing orchestral flourish of Riddle's great arrangement (4 years earlier) of Sinatra's "TIME AFTER TIME."]
Such subtleties await your detection throughout this marvelous collection of `prime Sinatra.' Look -- if you really appreciate great music -- and need to banish those little town (mid-winter) blues -- do yourself a favor and pick this one up. And why not treat yourself to the "Deluxe Edition" with 10 extra tracks, including some exceptional beauties!
----
Ask Wikipedia 'Who wrote All The Way Home and learn that there are plays, movies, and more than a dozen songs with that same title! The Sinatra entry tells us who wrote Frank's version:
"All the Way Home", a song recorded by Frank Sinatra written by Teddy Randazzo
Thanks for sharing, Sinatra 80. Celebrated elsewhere this day [search] " Great Melody, Great Lyric, Great Rendition, Songwriting Workshop, Harmony Central "
Mig-2s
This is... Perfect.
JimcDJ1
I'm a HUGE Dean Martin fan, but Dean himself got it right when introducing Sinatra at his roast when he said 'The best singer I've ever heard!'
Safa Alkan
Underrated
Mark Blackburn
Yes -- "My favorite Sinatra rarity" I wrote this day at SinatraFamily.com -- their "Forums" in the "Siriusly Sinatra" folder, in my "My Favorites -- Yours Too" thread. Share here this day. Thanks for your "underrated" note.