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.
Good King Wenceslas
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel
Hither, page, and stand by me,
If thou knowst it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes fountain.
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I shall see him dine
When we bear them thither.
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude winds wild lament
And the bitter weather
Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer.
Mark my footsteps, good my page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
In his masters step he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
The lyrics of the song "Good King Wenceslas" tell the story of a king looking out on the night of December 26th during the Feast of Stephen. Despite the cruel frost and snow, the moon shines brightly. The king sees a poor man gathering winter fuel and sends for his page to inquire about the man's identity and whereabouts. The page reports that the poor man lives a good league away, underneath the mountain, right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes's fountain.
The king decides to bring the poor man flesh and wine and pine logs for his fire, and he and his page set out in the harsh weather. The page becomes fearful of the darkness and the strength of the wind but the king encourages him to follow in his footsteps, which have been warmed by the heat of Saint Agnes's footprint in the snow. The song ends with the message that those who bless the poor will also find blessings in their own lives.
Overall, the song is a message of goodness and kindness towards those who are less fortunate. It tells the story of a king who goes out of his way to help a poor man and encourages the listener to do the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Good King Wenceslas looked out
The king gazed outside his palace
On the Feast of Stephen
On a day that's celebrated in remembrance of St. Stephen's martyrdom
When the snow lay round about
When the snow covered the ground
Deep and crisp and even
The snow was thick, crunchy, and level
Brightly shone the moon that night
The moon was luminous
Though the frost was cruel
It was very cold outside
When a poor man came in sight
They saw a destitute man
Gathering winter fuel
He was collecting wood to use as fuel
Hither, page, and stand by me,
The king called to his assistant to come to his side
If thou knowst it, telling
Asking the page if he knew who the poor man was that they saw
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Who is that poor worker over there?
Where and what his dwelling?
Where does he live and what is his occupation?
Sire, he lives a good league hence,
The page replied that he lived some distance away
Underneath the mountain
The peasant lived under a mountain
Right against the forest fence
He lived near the edge of the forest
By Saint Agnes fountain.
He lived near a local fountain dedicated to St. Agnes
Bring me flesh and bring me wine
The king ordered his people to bring meat and wine to take to the peasant
Bring me pine logs hither
He also requested pine logs for the fireplace
Thou and I shall see him dine
The king and his page would witness the peasant's dinner
When we bear them thither.
When they bring the food and logs to the peasant's home
Page and monarch, forth they went
The king and his page set out on their trip
Forth they went together
They journeyed together
Through the rude winds wild lament
They braved the harsh, sorrowful winds
And the bitter weather
Despite the terrible weather
Sire, the night is darker now
The page noted that it was now darker outside
And the wind blows stronger
And the winds were becoming more intense
Fails my heart, I know not how
The page was becoming afraid and unsure of himself
I can go no longer.
The page felt like he couldn't continue any further
Mark my footsteps, good my page
The king directed his page to follow in his footsteps
Tread thou in them boldly
The king encouraged his page to step boldly
Thou shall find the winters rage
So that he would be less affected by the winter weather
Freeze thy blood less coldly.
So that he wouldn't be as cold
In his masters step he trod
The page copied the king's footsteps
Where the snow lay dinted
Where the king had left footsteps in the snow
Heat was in the very sod
The ground was still hot from where the saint had walked
Which the Saint had printed
St. Stephen had walked on this ground before
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
As a result, people of the Christian faith should remember
Wealth or rank possessing
Regardless of how wealthy or important they may be
Ye, who now will bless the poor
Those who help the less fortunate now
Shall yourselves find blessing.
Will be blessed themselves
Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Morgan, Juliette Pochin, Dp
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DariusOfPersia
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gathering winter fuel
"Hither page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain"
"Then bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear them thither!"
Page and monarch, forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the winds blow stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how
I can go no longer!"
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shall find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly!"
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who will now bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
@eksot1237
český král zabitý svým bratrem - text a český překlad:
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing
---------------------------------------------
DOBRÝ KRÁL VÁCLAV
Dobrý král Václav se díval
Na svátek Štěpána
Jak se sníh snáší kolem
Hluboký a křupavý a hladký
Tu noc jasně zářil měsíc
Ačkoliv byl krutý mráz
Když chudý muž přišel na dohled
Sbíral dříví na topení
"Sem, páže, stoupni si ke mně
Jestli znáš, řekni,
Onen venkovan, kdo je to?
Kde je a jaké je jeho obydlí?"
"Pane, bydlí dobrou míli odtud
Pod horami
Právě naproti hradbě pralesa
U studánky Svaté Anežky."
"Přines maso a přines víno
Přines sem borová polena
Ty a já ho dnes uvidíme večeřet
Až mu to tam odneseme"
Páže a monarcha šli dál
Šli dál společně
Navzdory divoce skučícímu větru
A krutému počasí
"Pane, noc je stále tmavší
A vítr duje silněji
Mé srdce slábne, ani nevím jak
Nemůžu jít dál."
"Šlapej do mých stop, mé dobré páže
Kráčej v nich pevně
Tak překonáš zlobu zimy
Mráz, ve kterém stydne krev
Kráčel ve stopách svého pána
Tam, kde byl sníh ušlápnutý
Bylo vřelé horko
Kam Svatý vstoupil
Proto, křesťané, dejte pozor
Bohatí nebo vysoce postavení
Teď žehnejte chudým
Sami najdete požehnání
@davidmccann9811
This carol defines the spirit of Christmas. The combination of a bitter snowy winter, a Christian Saint, a special feast, and charitable kindness towards a stranger. These things can be understood in any language.
@SummerM.R.-df8tu
Fr
@virgospirit9933
Still can't believe that old Czech christmas carols about one of our most famous kings (that lot of people probably didn't ever heard of) is so popular in foreign countries 😂
@RageKroc888
Today I learnt something :O
@Mirinovic
Poděkujte za to císaři Karlovy 4 že svou dceru Annu provdal za Anglického krále
@davidmccann9811
Because the tune, words and story are so perfect.
@amberjoy533
He was actually a Duke, right? He ruled Bohemia and helped people in need. He was killed by his own brother in AD 935 for his faith in Jesus.
@Giingger
This carol doesn’t even exist in Czechia. It’s an English twist on the story of king Wenceslas (who is a real historical figure).
@helljumper82nd83
My great grand pa when he was with the 82nd airborne during the battle of the bulge he told me when he was in his fox hole on Christmas Day he started sing this song and 3 seconds later his squad was singing along and every time her hears this he it takes him back to that Christmas
@IsaPodrasky
Hell Jumper 82nd Wow, that was very beautiful. Very touching story.