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.
Finale: Before the Music Ends
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I reached the age of forty somewhat sooner than expected,
Living at a fairly hectic pace.
When I count the years that I have happily collected,
The future shows its apprehensive face.
(But now, Francis, what the hell do you do now, Francis?)
Quite a different song must be sung
Before the music ends, before it fades away,
There are several very necessary things I must do.
Friends, I must be again certain places where I must be again.
Before the music ends, I must go to Hoboken one more time.
I wanna run down that street where that thin Italian kid ran.
Then slow down at the school,
Where those nice old ladies tried to teach me,
Unaware that I knew much more than they did.
And stop at the poolroom for a beer,
And sadly say to myself, I don't know anybody here.
(Francis, don't go home again.)
One thing I'd like to do, before the music ends,
Is to thank some wonderful life-long friends,
I've never met but have known so well.
(background: Liszt's Liebensraum)
From one Frank to another, thank you for your dream,
Your dream is now my own.
And thank you Ludwig Van (background: a snatch of the Fifth Symphony)
For the flight of fancy you sent me on.
Thank Mrs. Verdi, for Joe and a special thanks to Jackelo (Jackelo, Jackelo).
(background: Verdi's opera)
All of you took turns in delivering sunrise a little sooner to my window.
Before the music ends, with company by Dino and Clark,
I'd like to make one more charge at Baker's.
You won't find me at that idiot wheel that spins, and spins and spins.
I won't play the slot machine, the management always wins.
Not for me the game where the jack is called black,
And meet them dikes that stand back.
(And you're actually down the line, and a hundred on the drum)
(Is enough to make you shy, load the truck with speaker's drum)
You won't hear me talk about saving new shoes, baby's got 57 pairs,
All I ask is Time, just plain and simple Time
(just a little tiny boo, just a little business free)
(time, time, time, time, time. time, time, time, time, time) Time!
In years to come, I may forget if I lost or if I won,
But I'll always remember how much fun it was.
(just concentrate on five and four, just stick to six and three).
And when the music ends, I'd like it to end this way,
I'll ask Chester to write me one more song.
I'll get Lesty to make me one more chart,
And I'll make one more record with the best musicians in the world.
(Fanfare)
And when that cat with the sight comes tugging at my sleeve,
I'll be singing as I leave (Sandra, Sandra, Sandra).
The song “Finale: Before the Music Ends” by Frank Sinatra is a reflection on his life and legacy as he reaches the age of 40. The song is an introspective one, as Sinatra contemplates his past, present, and future. He acknowledges that he has lived a hectic pace, but also realizes that there is still so much to do before the music ends.
The first few lines of the song reveal that Sinatra has reached the age of 40 earlier than he expected. While some people might be looking ahead to the future with anticipation, Sinatra is apprehensive about what the future holds. He admits that he needs to do several things before the music ends, which means that he needs to take action now to ensure that his legacy is secure.
Sinatra then goes on to list the things he needs to do before the music ends. He wants to go back to his hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey and revisit some of the places that were important to him when he was growing up. He also wants to thank some of the people who have inspired him throughout his life, including some people he has never met. Finally, he wants to make one final record with the best musicians in the world.
Overall, the song is a bittersweet reflection on life and the passing of time. Sinatra is aware that he cannot stop the music from ending, but he wants to make sure that he has done everything he can to leave a lasting legacy.
Line by Line Meaning
I reached the age of forty somewhat sooner than expected,
I hit the age of 40 earlier than anticipated
Living at a fairly hectic pace.
My life has been pretty busy
When I count the years that I have happily collected,
When I look back on my years
The future shows its apprehensive face.
The future is uncertain
(But now, Francis, what the hell do you do now, Francis?)
What should I do now?
Quite a different song must be sung
Things have changed for me
When the singer is no longer young.
Now that I'm older
Before the music ends, before it fades away,
Before my life ends
There are several very necessary things I must do.
There are some important things I need to do
Friends, I must be again certain places where I must be again.
I need to revisit some places
Before the music ends, I must go to Hoboken one more time.
I need to go to Hoboken one more time
I wanna run down that street where that thin Italian kid ran.
I want to revisit my childhood
Then slow down at the school,
Visit my old school
Where those nice old ladies tried to teach me,
Where my teachers tried to teach me
Unaware that I knew much more than they did.
I thought I knew more than them
And stop at the poolroom for a beer,
Stop at the poolroom for a drink
And sadly say to myself, I don't know anybody here.
Realizing I don't know anyone there anymore
(Francis, don't go home again.)
Maybe I shouldn't go back
One thing I'd like to do, before the music ends,
Something I want to do before I die
Is to thank some wonderful life-long friends,
Thank some lifelong friends
I've never met but have known so well.
People I've never met but feel like I know
(background: Liszt's Liebensraum)
Background music
From one Frank to another, thank you for your dream,
Thanking another Frank for sharing his dream
Your dream is now my own.
It's my dream too now
And thank you Ludwig Van (background: a snatch of the Fifth Symphony)
Thanking Ludwig Van Beethoven
For the flight of fancy you sent me on.
For inspiring me
Thank Mrs. Verdi, for Joe and a special thanks to Jackelo (Jackelo, Jackelo).
Thanking Mrs. Verdi and Jackelo
(background: Verdi's opera)
Background music
All of you took turns in delivering sunrise a little sooner to my window.
You all inspired me in your own way
Before the music ends, with company by Dino and Clark,
With the company of Dean Martin and Dick Clark
I'd like to make one more charge at Baker's.
I want to revisit Baker's
You won't find me at that idiot wheel that spins, and spins and spins.
I won't gamble anymore
I won't play the slot machine, the management always wins.
I know the odds aren't in my favor
Not for me the game where the jack is called black,
I'm done with gambling
And meet them dikes that stand back.
I don't want to see those women anymore
(And you're actually down the line, and a hundred on the drum)
Background music
(Is enough to make you shy, load the truck with speaker's drum)
Background music
You won't hear me talk about saving new shoes, baby's got 57 pairs,
I don't care about material possessions
All I ask is Time, just plain and simple Time
All I want is time
(just a little tiny boo, just a little business free)
Background music
(time, time, time, time, time. time, time, time, time, time) Time!
I want more time
In years to come, I may forget if I lost or if I won,
I might forget whether I won or lost
But I'll always remember how much fun it was.
But I'll always remember how much fun I had
(just concentrate on five and four, just stick to six and three).
Background music
And when the music ends, I'd like it to end this way,
When I die, I want it to end this way
I'll ask Chester to write me one more song.
I want one more song
I'll get Lesty to make me one more chart,
I want one more musical chart
And I'll make one more record with the best musicians in the world.
I want to make one more record with the best musicians
(Fanfare)
Background music
And when that cat with the sight comes tugging at my sleeve,
When Death comes knocking
I'll be singing as I leave (Sandra, Sandra, Sandra).
I'll go out singing
Contributed by Bentley S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Benjamin Hogan
...so prophetic...Sinatra's last Studio performances were with the best musician in the world...The Future got panned by many...but in retrospect...I think it grew and stands the test of time...
Jim Brown
"The future" must be the strangest album ever recorded by a major artist.nearly 40 years on and its still confounding us.
Sweet Dreams foundation
Jim Brown true genius that’s why man .✨✨✨✨🇬🇧✨✨✨✨✨
Raffaele Valentini
@ Thank Frank 🌈🎶💖🎵🎼@....