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.
Angel Eyes
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Order anything you see
Have fun you happy people
The drink and the laugh's on me
Try to think that love's not around
Still it's uncomfortably near
My old heart ain't gaining any ground
Angel eyes, that old Devil sent
They glow unbearably bright
Need I say that my love's misspent
Misspent with angel eyes tonight
So drink up all of you people
Order anything you see
And have fun you happy people
The drink and the laugh's on me
Pardon me but I got to run
The fact's uncommonly clear
I got to find who's now the number one
And why my angel eyes ain't here
'Scuse me while I disappear
Frank Sinatra's "Angel Eyes" is a song that explores the themes of love, loss, and heartbreak in a classic way that only Sinatra could. The song's opening lines set the tone, with Sinatra addressing a group of people and encouraging them to enjoy themselves on his tab. However, it becomes clear that despite putting on a happy face and trying to pretend that everything is okay, there is deep sadness and longing in his heart. He reminisces about his love, described as having "angel eyes" that were sent by the devil because they are so irresistible. Despite his effort to move on, his heart is still stuck on this love.
The use of the phrase "angel eyes" is a metaphor for the object of Sinatra's affection. The term "angel" is typically used to describe someone who is good, pure, and holy. However, in this case, "angel eyes" are the complete opposite. Sinatra describes them as "glow[ing] unbearably bright," which suggests that they are intense, almost overpowering. He also suggests that his love for this person is "misspent" because they are not around. Sinatra's use of the phrase "my old heart ain't gaining any ground" is telling. It suggests that he is not making any progress in moving on from this person, and his broken heart is holding him back.
Overall, "Angel Eyes" is a classic ballad that explores the theme of unrequited love. Sinatra's longing and vulnerability are palpable in every line, and the song's melancholy melody and lyrics make it an enduring classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey drink up all you people
Hey everybody, please enjoy your drinks and order anything you want.
Order anything you see
Choose anything you would like to have.
And have fun you happy people
Enjoy being happy and have a good time.
The drink and the laugh's on me
I will pay for your drinks and we can all share a good laugh.
Try to think that love's not around
I try to believe that I can live without love.
Still it's uncomfortably near
But the reality is that love is still close to me and it makes me feel uneasy.
My old heart ain't gaining any ground
My heart is not making any progress in finding love.
Because my angel eyes ain't here
Because the one I love, who has captivating eyes like an angel, is not here with me.
Angel eyes, that old Devil sent
Her eyes are so beautiful that they must be a gift from the devil himself.
They glow unbearably bright
Her eyes radiate an intense, unbearable light.
Need I say that my love's misspent
Do I have to explain the fact that my love for her is wasted?
Misspent with angel eyes tonight
I am spending this night with her, even though my love is futile.
Pardon me but I got to run
Excuse me, I have to go.
The fact's uncommonly clear
The truth is unexpectedly obvious.
I got to find who's now the number one
I have to find out who she is now in love with.
And why my angel eyes ain't here
I need to understand why the one I love is not here with me.
Excuse me while I disappear
Forgive me for leaving, I need to be alone.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Earl Brent, Matt Dennis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marshall Polston
I never make comments on social media. I make this one exception. I came to this song out of despair, and Frank is always a friend.
I’ve been in Ukraine as a journalist. When I was there, my beautiful girlfriend Angel broke up with me. She was back in the states. She told me: “I’m a high-value woman looking for a high-value man.”
I have my flaws like everybody does. But I didn’t think I deserve that when I had bombs dropping around me.
She left me for a richer man. Now they’re in Budapest together and Vienna. I came back to see her but it was too late.
This song says everything. Thank you Frank.
Mr. G
Hey, drink up all you people
Order anything you see
Have fun you happy people
The drink and the laugh's on me
Try to think that love's not around
Still, it's uncomfortably near
My old heart ain't gaining any ground
Because my Angel Eyes ain't here
Angel Eyes, that old devil's scent
They grow unbearably bright
Need I say that my love's misspent
Misspent with angel eyes tonight?
So, drink up all of you people
Order anything you see
And have fun you happy people
The drink and the laugh's on me
Pardon me, but I gotta run
The fact's uncommonly clear
I gotta find who's now the number one
And why my Angel Eyes ain't here
'Scuse me, while I disappear
Diego Martins
The beauty of this arrangement is beyond any possible description.
M Brown
Absolutely! Stunning arrangement!
saintcruzin
Ava taught Sinatra how to sing a torch song. It all came together in this LP, you can feel his broken heart. He remained close to Ava their entire lives. 1958 and Frank’s voice is at its best, deeper. Nelson’s favorite work together. I concur....
April Black
He loved that wild eyed Southern Gal, truly, madly, deeply.😢🙏💕
Jonathan
2:06 great high note! His voice is sublime as always!
Meowzers
I love how this song sounds so beautiful. It tells.. A story. A good story.
Vivi Macchione Brand
ISSO QUE É VOZ!.......ISSO QUE É CANTOR!.....
Carys Marie
I love him so so so much! One of my favorite singers ever and one of my idols and inspirations for singing. He was loved by so many and I feel like music like this needs to come back. I wish I was alive back then to witness him perform. 💖💖💖
Rickey Davis
Carys Marie but his music will never go away, because in an interview from the 89's Sinarta was asked, " how did he want to be remembered. He told the interviewer, i want someone to take this music and keep it going." That person is yours truly. I am a Frank Sinarta tribute artist and it's my mission to keep his music alive.
Safa Alkan
He is the best