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.
Here's to the Band
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Throughout the years I've made a lot of friends
Many became famous, most of them go nameless
But I dedicate this song to all of them
I've sung with the best and I've had it all
I've gone from neighborhood saloons to Carnegie Hall
I've been down and out and I've been in demand
But I wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
I've sung with all the Counts, the Dukes, the Kings, and the Earls
And the experience, I have to say, was grand
But I wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
Strings soaring, horns boring
Drums pounding in my ear
To start at the ground and reach for the top
To have such a wonderful career, I just gotta stop
Stop and turn around to thank everyone that sits on the stand?
Cause I wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
Here's to those ladies and the gentlemen
Here's to the AF of MI wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
Here's to the band!
In Frank Sinatra's song Here's to the Band, he pays tribute to the musicians who have been a part of his journey throughout his career. The song begins with the sound of music playing, inviting the listener to hear what it's saying. Sinatra reflects on how he has made a lot of friends throughout the years, some of whom have become famous while some remain nameless. He dedicates the song to all of them, recognizing how they have shaped his career and helped him become the icon he is today.
Sinatra then goes on to acknowledge the highs and lows of his career, stating how he has sung with the best and had it all. He notes that he has performed in neighborhood saloons as well as Carnegie Hall, and has experienced both success and failure. Through it all, he recognizes that he wouldn't have made it without the band. The song's title phrase "Here's to the band" serves as a chorus and a recurring theme, emphasizing the importance of the musicians and their contribution to Sinatra's career. He further highlights the beauty of music and the experience of performing alongside such talented musicians.
The lyrics to Here's to the Band is a nostalgic ode to Sinatra's past and the people who were there to support and help him along the way. It is a reminder of the importance of acknowledging the people who have helped shape our lives and careers. It highlights the beauty and magic of music and how it brings people together in a profound and meaningful way.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear that music playing, listen to what it's saying
Pay attention to the emotions and message conveyed by the music being played
Throughout the years I've made a lot of friends
Over the course of my career in music, I've met many talented and wonderful people
Many became famous, most of them go nameless
Some of the people I've worked with have become well-known, but many others remain relatively unknown
But I dedicate this song to all of them
I want to recognize and honor all of the musicians I've worked with, regardless of their level of fame or recognition
I've sung with the best and I've had it all
I've had the privilege of performing with some of the most talented musicians in the business, and I've experienced great success
I've gone from neighborhood saloons to Carnegie Hall
I've played in small local venues as well as some of the most prestigious and famous concert halls in the world
I've been down and out and I've been in demand
I've experienced both difficult times and periods of high demand and popularity
But I wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
I attribute much of my success and accomplishments to the talented musicians I've worked with, and I want to express my gratitude to them
Those magical notes, those musical pearls
Referring to the beauty and enchantment of the music being created
I've sung with all the Counts, the Dukes, the Kings, and the Earls
I've collaborated with many famous and respected bandleaders and performers
And the experience, I have to say, was grand
I greatly enjoyed working with these prominent musicians and cherish the memories and experiences I gained from those collaborations
Strings soaring, horns boring
Referring to the majestic sound produced by the string and brass sections of the band
Drums pounding in my ear
The powerful and energetic sound of the drums being played alongside the other instruments
To start at the ground and reach for the top
To begin with humble beginnings and work hard to achieve success and recognition
To have such a wonderful career, I just gotta stop
Expressing gratitude for the amazing career in music that has been possible through hard work and collaboration
Stop and turn around to thank everyone that sits on the stand?
Taking a moment to express appreciation for the talented musicians who have played a critical role in my career
Cause I wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
Reiterating the instrumental role that other musicians have played in enabling success
Here's to those ladies and the gentlemen
Paying tribute to the talented women and men who have contributed to the music industry
Here's to the AF of M
Giving a special mention to the American Federation of Musicians, a labor union representing professional musicians in the US
I wouldn't have made it without them, here's to the band!
Repeating the key message of the song, expressing gratitude for the collaborative work of other musicians
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR BRUCE SCHROECK, SHARMAN A. HOWE, ALFRED G. NITTOLI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike
on The Lady Is A Champ
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She can't eat late and stay up all night, because unlike society types, she has to get up in the morning.
She likes the theatre and never comes late
She cares more about seeing the play than being seen making an entrance.
She never bothers with people she'd hate
Her friends are friends, not social trophies.
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
While barrns and earls probably don't play craps, she associates with friends, not people to be seen with.
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She doesn't "slum", the practice of the rich in the 30's, when the song was written, of touring poor neighborhoods dressed in rich clothes to "tut, tut" about the deplorable conditions, and congratulate each other for "caring about the poor"
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
Doesn't trade gossip for acceptance among an in-crowd
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She cares more about how her hair feels than conforming with current hair fashions
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
Since most of California is noticeably warmer and / or drier than New York, where the play the song was written for is set, this is probably a facetious excuse to like what she likes.
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
Another reference to slumming, but facetious, since Lincolns and Fords were middle-class, not luxury brands when the lyric was written
Anonymous
on Try a Little Tenderness
Here are the correct lyrics
Try A Little Tenderness - Frank Sinatra - Lyrics
Oh she may be weary
Women do get wearied
Wearing that same old shabby dress
And when she’s weary
You try a little tenderness
You know she’s waiting
Just anticipating things she’ll may never possess
While she is without them
Try just a little bit of tenderness
It’s not just sentimental
She has her grieve and her care
And the words that soft and gentle
Makes it easier to bear
You wont regret it
Women don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness
And it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Musical Interlude
And, it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Daniel
on The Way You Look Tonight
I met Frank Jr. in Las Vegas, a real gentleman. RIP you both.
Giorgi Khutashvili
on Theme from New York, New York
)))