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.
Fools Rush in
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head
Though I see the danger there
If there's a chance for me, then I don't care
Fools rush in where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love
So how are they to know
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
The opening lines of "Fools Rush In" present a recurring theme in love and life where people often act impulsively and rush into situations without thinking. The comparison to angels fear to tread is an allusion to Alexander Pope's poem "An Essay on Criticism", where he warns that fools often try to do what the wise know is too risky. However, the singer admits to being a fool in love as he comes to his lover with his heart above his head, meaning that he is making a decision based on emotions rather than logic. He acknowledges the danger in his actions, but his desire for love overshadows any fear or hesitation.
The second verse implies that although wise men typically do not act impulsively, they are often unaware of the joy that love can bring, as they do not let themselves fall in love. Conversely, those who are more spontaneous and prone to making foolish decisions often find themselves swept up in the euphoria and excitement of falling in love. The last line speaks to the power of love, as the singer feels that his life truly began when he met his love. He begs his love to open up their heart and accept him, despite the risks and doubts that may exist.
Line by Line Meaning
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Impulsive and reckless people tend to make decisions that even the wise and cautious avoid.
And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head
Despite my awareness of the potential danger, my heart overrules my mind and brings me to you.
Though I see the danger there
Despite acknowledging the potential harm, I refuse to let it hinder me from pursuing love.
If there's a chance for me, then I don't care
The opportunity for love is worth the risk and potential consequences.
Fools rush in where wise men never go
Impulsive individuals tend to take risks that wise individuals tend to avoid.
But wise men never fall in love
Wise individuals tend to be more cautious and less likely to put themselves in emotional situations that involve great risk.
So how are they to know
Wise individuals are less likely to experience the passionate love of their counterparts, and therefore have a limited understanding of it.
When we met, I felt my life begin
From the moment we met, my life became richer, more meaningful and fulfilling.
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
Give me a chance to prove my love despite my potential inadequacy or recklessness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@absoluteabsolute4427
Fools rush in
Where angels fear to tread
And so I come to you my love
My heart above my head
Though I see
The danger there
If there's a chance for me
Then I don't care
Fools rush in
Where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love
So how are they to know
When we met
I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let
This fool rush in
@purplemist8482
Anyone from 2021 here and still love this song?
@rncbshef84
Me
@renatonunes2550
LOVE IT ! Still listening to it since I heard Ricky Nelson sing it for the first time in the OOZIE & HARRIET TV show...over 60 years ago,.
@walterpellesi5132
From young to old, from happyness to sadness, Frank is my best hours!!
@JOSECASTILLO-yj4ol
What an excellent singer, and his songs that will always be in our hearts.
@michaelbirkett4932
The master of timing and phrasing. He had the listeners clinging on each and every word
@nal2us2
Amen Michael... AMEN Brother!!!! They dont make music like this anymore!!!!
@absoluteabsolute4427
Fools rush in
Where angels fear to tread
And so I come to you my love
My heart above my head
Though I see
The danger there
If there's a chance for me
Then I don't care
Fools rush in
Where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love
So how are they to know
When we met
I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let
This fool rush in
@ahkar0109
Did he say danger ahead, not danger there
@ahkar0109
Didnt*