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.
East of the Sun
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And west of the moon (we'll be digging the glow)
We'll build a dream house (a righteous pad)
Of love, dear (where you can really lay it on me)
Near to the sun in the day (we'll be jumpin')
Near to the moon at night (you'll be with me)
We'll live in a lovely way, dear (solitudey I'm hip)
Just you and I (we'll nix the squares)
Forever and a day (so long, so long)
Love will not die (we're together forever)
We'll keep it that way (forever)
Up among the stars we'll find
A harmony of life to a lovely tune
East of the sun
And west of the moon, dear (tonight, kiss me and hold tight forever)
East of the sun
And west of the moon (well alright then, take 'em, Bunny)
The song East of the Sun by Frank Sinatra is a classic love song that talks about two lovers who dream of building a life together somewhere far away from the rest of the world. The lyrics are very poetic and paint a picture of a romantic, dreamy landscape. The song starts with the two lovers talking about building their dream house east of the sun and west of the moon, which is a way of saying that they want to build their own world, isolated from the rest of the world. The imagery is very powerful, as it creates an illusion of a world that is full of light and love.
In the next stanza, the song talks about the two lovers being near the sun in the day and near the moon at night. This once again shows the romantic nature of the song, as it shows the two lovers being together no matter what time of day it is. They will live in a lovely way in a world of their own, where they will be surrounded by love and the moonlight. The last stanza of the song is about how the two lovers will keep their love alive forever, and it talks about how they will find a harmony of life among the stars.
Overall, the song East of the Sun by Frank Sinatra is an incredibly romantic song that has become a classic. The lyrics are very poetic and powerful, and they paint a picture of a world full of love and light.
Line by Line Meaning
East of the sun (bathed in the brightness)
Far away from everything luxurious and extravagant, amidst the bright and sunny wilderness.
And west of the moon (we'll be digging the glow)
In a place where the mesmerizing glow of the moon is always within sight, and we'll enjoy it to the fullest.
We'll build a dream house (a righteous pad)
We'll have a cozy and comfortable house, a place where we can unwind and relax without any worries.
Of love, dear (where you can really lay it on me)
A house built solely for the foundation of our love, where we can unequivocally express our deepest emotions.
Near to the sun in the day (we'll be jumpin')
During the day, we'll be vibrant and energetic, just like the sun that'll be near us.
Near to the moon at night (you'll be with me)
At night, we'll be close to the serene and tranquil moon, and we'll always be together to enjoy every moment of it.
We'll live in a lovely way, dear (solitudey I'm hip)
We'll lead a lovely life filled with solitude that'll keep us grounded and happy.
Living on love and pale moonlight (you're mellow)
We'll live each day on the foundation of our eternal love and the soft, pale light of the moon that'll make us mellow and peaceful.
Just you and I (we'll nix the squares)
We'll have each other and will dodge anyone who doesn't understand the love we share.
Forever and a day (so long, so long)
Our love will last eternally, beyond the boundaries of time and space, transcending all barriers.
Love will not die (we're together forever)
Our love will never die, as we'll be together forever, even after we breathe our last breath.
We'll keep it that way (forever)
Our love will remain the same as we'll keep nurturing it, and nothing will ever change.
Up among the stars we'll find
Amidst the stars, in the vast expanse of space, we'll discover something special.
A harmony of life to a lovely tune
A beautiful and harmonious life that'll be in sync with a lovely tune of the cosmos.
East of the sun
In a faraway land that's always illuminated by the bright sun.
And west of the moon, dear (tonight, kiss me and hold tight forever)
And in the opposite direction, where the moon sets, but before we get to the ending, let's seal our love forever and enjoy a beautiful kiss and tight embrace that'll last an eternity.
East of the sun
In a faraway land that's always illuminated by the bright sun.
And west of the moon (well alright then, take 'em, Bunny)
And in the opposite direction, where the moon sets, well, it's alright then, we'll let the journey continue, and we'll make it worthwhile.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brooks Bowman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Imani M
I didn't know a newer version than the one he did with Tommy Dorsey existed, but I am so glad it does! I love this ❤🎶
Imani M
7.18.2020
Lan Le
Yup, but wouldn't it be great to hear the original in such high quality, so it'd be like it was brand new, & we just time warped, to hear it live!
Peter Farrar
Frank Sinatra's jazzy tempo version of Brook Bowman's wonderful romantic ballad "East Of The Sun & West Of The Moon", applied his unique talent in spectacular fashion, & the superb Sy Oliver's arrangement with his orchestra, supplied the finishing musical touches to raise this musical wonderland to supreme heights. In my opinion, this is the best recording of this music. Sinatra at his best. All leading vocalists , dared to challenge this version, will be obliterated into silence.
oranbbop1
Fantastic sound quality, thanks so much! Great to hear Sy’s (not Don’s) fabulous arrangement and band on this homage to TD in this fabulous sound! Dig those ending reps... like Basie’s “April in Paris”.
David Henry
Frank's best album? Try the whole album: Frank Sinatra "I Remember Tommy" 1961 on Reprise. It's flawless recording with big band sound, it rivals today's digital recordings.
Voice Of Reason
Frank and Don....a great team. Thanks for posting.
kevin farrell
Magical!
Mark L
Beautiful upload version -thanks! Now if you could just post the album version of "Here's That Rainy Day" - that doesn't get squashed by ~!@#$%^&* censors....
Jack Jacinto
However tis always sun rises Easr the moon West..logical? Whatever.