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 membersβcherry-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 carriedβnext 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.
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let your heart be light
Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
Next year, all our troubles will be miles away
Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more
Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
The lyrics of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas are both nostalgic and hopeful in tone. The first stanza encourages the listener to embrace the holiday spirit and put aside any troubles or worries. The lines "Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight" and "Next year, all our troubles will be miles away" express the hope that the coming year will bring relief and happiness, and that the current troubles will be forgotten.
The second stanza evokes memories of the past - the "happy golden days of yore" and the "faithful friends who are dear to us". The phrase "once again as in olden days" makes a direct reference to a time when things were simpler and happier. The nostalgia is balanced by the hope that these dear friends will be near once more.
The final stanza expresses the wish that one day soon, all loved ones would be able to celebrate together again, but until then, there is a need to "muddle through somehow". The song ends with a return to the opening sentiment, encouraging listeners to enjoy the present moment and have a merry Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Wishing you a joyful and festive Christmas celebration
Let your heart be light
Encouraging you to feel happy and carefree
Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight
Optimistically looking forward to a better future with the hope that problems will have been resolved
Make the Yuletide gay
Encouraging you to embrace the holiday season with joy and cheer
Next year, all our troubles will be miles away
Anticipating that any current struggles or issues will be far behind us in the future
Once again as in olden days
Recalling past memories and traditions during the holiday season
Happy golden days of yore
Reminiscing about good times and happiness from the past
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Appreciating and cherishing the presence of loved ones and close friends
Will be near to us once more
Looking forward to reuniting with friends and loved ones who are important to us
Someday soon we all will be together
Expressing hope for a future where everyone can be united and together
If the fates allow
Acknowledging that future plans are uncertain and dependent on factors beyond our control
Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow
Recognizing that we must persevere and make do until circumstances improve
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
Encouraging you to enjoy the present and celebrate the holiday season despite any challenges or difficulties
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Curious1
Pov: youβre at your grandparents house on Christmas Eve. Itβs dark outside, and itβs snowing. You are all gathered around the fireplace, exchanging gifts to one another. A Christmas movie plays on the TV, and youβre lounging on the couch, conversing with your cousins, while munching on the chocolate chip cookies your grandma made, dipped in some frothy milk. Eventually, your family members start to leave, and your parents tell you itβs time to go. Reluctantly, you say goodbye to your cousins, family members, and walk out the door, and get into your car.
As the car pulls out of the driveway, you can see your grandparents waving from the front window. You give a wave back, and your parents drive away. As you are making your way towards your house, you gaze at the brightly shining lights that hang amongst the houses lining the street. Little flakes of snow dance across the window, occasionally landing on the glass, and melting. All is quiet, except the soft humming of the carβs engine. You eventually pull into the driveway of your house, and you step out, and enter the house.
As you enter your house, you instantly feel cozy from the warm temperature inside your house. You close the door, and take off your shoes. Your dog welcomes you before you even step into the living room, with a round of licks, and tail wagging. You make way across the room, and plug in the Christmas tree lights, and are immediately blinded by the complex array of lights that crisscross around the tree, the ornaments glinting off the light. You go down the hallway, and enter your room. You change into your pajamas, and pour yourself a glass of eggnog, wondering what surprises tomorrow morning has for you.
Eventually your parents say they are going to bed, and you tell them that youβll be in bed soon. As the door to your parents bedroom closes, you set down your glass and gaze out of the window. The snow is now falling softly, and is giving you a sort of comforting feeling. You get nostalgic about the good old days of being a little kid, and being far more exited about Christmas than you are now, and only having to worry about being on Santaβs naughty list. You place your chin into your hands and begin to grow tired. You head into your bedroom, and close the door. You climb into your bed, covering yourself with the covers. You turn to your side, and close your eyes, falling to sleep shortly after
Merry Christmas (even though itβs July).
Doodle Pip
Bro! I had a Christmas like this before! You just brought a massive rush of emotion over me and now I canβt stop cryingβ¦ Thank you for making me remember such a lovely time in my life Xxx
Ya know what? Screw it!
Merry Christmas, Curious1! And to everyone else out there!
πππ₯°ππ»π
Myutoko
Okay here's some imagery to hopefully brighten your day
Look up Christmas ballroom
After that imagine anything
Imagine being on a dance floor slow dancing to this song with the love of your life, you're not worrying about past regrets or what the unpredictable future holds, but rather you're just there. No more worries, no more hesitation, no more fear. You're just simply present in the moment, taking all that you see in, to recall the sweet smell of sweets linger in the air, and how your once cold self is now melting away in this warm comfort. Time seems to slow down, and as it does you look at your partner whose face is smiling like never before. And how thoughts are rush in your head full of emotion and childish dreams that all end in one conclusion Though I may not be the best person in the world or how sometimes I may leave you feeling sad, worried, or down right upset with me, I'm happy that of all people in the world you chose me to struggle through this beautiful your crummy world, and how you changed my life and now I just can't help thinking how lucky I am to have met you".
Life may be hard and it's okay to lose and make mistakes, and even be disappointed, but what isn't fine is lingering on these and having them stop you from making new ones. It's true that you have to work for what you want and that what you're trying to achieve may even be downright impossible but as long as you keep trying is enough. Life is kinda like a mine shaft, you're searching for something inside and after finding bundles of coal and other metals you end up finding yourself a diamond.
If all of the best things came about easily in life they would be called common and not rare
I recommend listening to Happiness by Rex Orange Country
lucien
I miss christmas. I wish everyday could be as peaceful and normal for me as Christmas is. I want to feel happy again. I want to feel like there's magic in the world again.
Evi Kokkinidou
THAT-π©π
Brady Carpenter
Yeah π
Anastasia PNG
I feel you.I really miss NORMAL Christmas. Without coronavirus masks and pressure....Without social distancing and hate....
Doodle Pip
I completely agreeβ¦ Nowadays, life is so stressful and so much is expected of each otherβ¦ But at Christmas, everyone can finally be peaceful and relaxed. Meet ups with the family can be planned, holidays can kick in, the snow comes to greet us all as we are all snuggled up with our families with a nice hot chocolate and watch a movie with the fire burning in the fireplaceβ¦ Thatβs the time of year I look forward toβ¦
Josue Galvez
Same here !
Wendi Rosas
from now on, our troubles will be miles away...
that line brings me so much peace in the most stressful of times
lily broderick
fr, im crying right now from it.
Cody
It makes me cry because it makes me think about just one day of happiness from a stressful year
Donald gray
Sadly, these days just bring more and more troubles. In the autumn of my life now, I look back on my childhood days for any happy memories to help me get through tough times. Christmas was my absolute favorite. We were poor, but happy.
Real tinsel on the tree, singing carols, the sears Christmas wish book arrived in time to mark our favorite pages.
Now, tinsel is no longer made, Sears is gone, and life is almost over. So hold on to your memories and the happiness you once felt.
Merry Christmas to you