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.
For Once In My Life
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Who have my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once I have someone I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love we can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
The lyrics to Frank Sinatra's song "For Once In My Life" express a newfound sense of hope and stability that the singer has found in his life. The song begins with Sinatra singing about someone who finally needs him, which is something he has longed for in his life. This newfound sense of purpose has made him unafraid to face whatever life may bring, and he knows he will be strong. Sinatra then sings about finally being able to achieve the things he had always dreamed of before he even knew what love was. This person he has found is just like he had always imagined, and his dreams have finally come true.
In the next verse, the lyrics describe how Sinatra's life has been filled with sorrow and heartbreak in the past. However, he has finally found someone who won't abandon him, and he no longer feels alone. He declares that he won't be harmed by sorrow again, now that he has found someone who needs him. The chorus, repeated twice, is a declaration of ownership and strength. Sinatra states that he finally has something that belongs to him and that love will keep it safe. He can say that something is his and no one can take it away from him. Love has given him a sense of power and has made him confident that he will be able to handle whatever life throws his way.
One of the most interesting things about "For Once In My Life" is that it was originally written for Motown artist Stevie Wonder. Wonder recorded the song but his version was never released. The song has since been recorded by many other artists, including Tony Bennett, Michael Bublé, and Barbra Streisand.
The song was written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden, who were staff writers at Motown Records. Miller had previously written hits for Motown legends like Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye.
The song has been featured in a number of movies and television shows, including The Sopranos, The Simpsons, Parks and Recreation, and The Wonder Years.
Frank Sinatra's version of the song was released as a single in 1967 and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Sinatra performed the song live many times throughout his career, and it became a fan favorite.
The song's lyrics have been interpreted as a message of hope for the Civil Rights Movement, as they speak to the idea of being finally seen and recognized by someone.
The song has been covered by a wide range of artists, from Michael Jackson and Tony Bennett to B.B. King and Willie Nelson.
The song's lyrics have been adapted into a children's book, which was illustrated by Raul Colón and published in 2016.
The song's chords are fairly simple and include the following progression: Fmaj7, Bbmaj7, Gbmaj7, Abmaj7, Dbmaj7, Gbmaj7, Bbmaj7, Abmaj7.
Line by Line Meaning
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I finally have found someone who relies on me and needs me in their life.
Someone I've needed so long
I have searched and hoped for this person for a very long time.
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
I am not afraid of the unknown path that life will lead me on because I know that having this person in my life will give me strength.
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of, long before I knew someone warm like you who have my dreams come true
I can now feel and experience the dreams that were once only in my heart, because this warm and kind person has helped make them a reality.
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me, not like it's hurt me before
I am determined to not let heartbreak and sadness affect me as deeply as it has in the past.
For once I have someone I know won't desert me, I'm not alone anymore
I finally have someone who I can trust to stay with me, and I feel less alone because of it.
For once I can say, 'This is mine, you can't take it' as long as I know I have love I can make it
I am proud of what I have in my life, and as long as I have this love I know I can overcome any challenges that may come my way.
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Reprise of the first line, emphasizing the importance and happiness of having someone in my life who needs me.
For once I can say, 'This is mine, you can't take it' as long as I know I have love we can make it
Reprise of the seventh line, changing the 'I' to 'we' to show that both of us are in this together and can make it through any obstacles as long as we have love.
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Final reprise of the first line, again emphasizing the joy and importance of having this person who needs me in my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald N. Miller, Orlando Murden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnseibert1088
Frank Sinatra made me glad that I am a
man with his music. BIG was the sound
of the orchestration which was food for
the soul of a man. Sinatra built on that
with his interpretation of the lyrics of the
song, always giving a man’s version of the
fun in a song or the love of a woman in
a song.. Sinatra gave a man in his songs
the words of love which is not thought of
enough or spoken enough to your woman.
Constantly expressing a man’s buried feelings.
Frank Sinatra sang a song the way a man
should talk to a woman.
@Rosa-ri2sv
"For Once In My Life"
For once in my life I've got someone who needs me, someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me, and somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew someone warm like you
Could make my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me, not like it's hurt me before
For once I've got someone I know won't desert me, and I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say: "This is mine you can't take it"
As long as I've got love I know I can make it
For once in my life I've got someone who needs me
@Vince-uw7gt
In my opinion....he is clearly at the peek of his powers during this period. His voice has matured and his style completely refined and so laid back. Total control, amazing power....and the way he finishes with the growling "me" at the end of the song......well...that kind of talent is just so rare.....so unique....and so amazing. They'll never be another like him.
@martincox1185
The real king
@sasquatchbcthetruestorythepork
I think his peak was in 1957 on songs like Moonlight in Vermont.
@silviacolnago1930
My skin
@alessandromistretta4895
After Elvis...
@paulocohenA_
Well said
@frankiehunter.
How he clearly pronounces every word. It's a pleasure to listen.
@MJLeger-yj1ww
He was almost rabid about enunciating his words so clearly and carefully -- no one else has ever done that before, during of since Sinatra -- pure perfection on all counts!
@sameerhamidi8305
frankie hunter lmao compared to all the mumble music now smh
@Makirisrecord
frankie hunter so agree! best pronounciation ever!