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.
Homesick—that's All
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I miss the junior prom and graduation dances
The gossip in assembly hall
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the gang that hangs around at Miller's
Devouring chocolate sodas, with those whipped cream fillers
The girl I promised I would call
I miss the midnight services on Christmas Eve
And the joy when Christmas morning came
I miss the scramble for the wishbone every Sunday
And the big Thanksgiving football game
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I'm homesick, that's all
The lyrics of Frank Sinatra's song Homesick That's All reflects on the past and a sense of nostalgia for the simpler times, highlighting the memories that the singer desires to relive. The first verse mentions the thrill of grammar school romances, the junior prom and graduation dances, and the gossip in the assembly hall. It is a fond remembrance of the youth and the innocent excitement associated with growing up, something that the singer misses and is homesick for. The second verse describes the reminiscence of the gang at Miller's and the girl he promised to call. It evokes the memories of an era in which the simple pleasures like whip cream soda, hanging out with friends, and one's first love remained indelible imprints on the heart.
The third verse sheds light on the religious and holiday traditions that the singer misses—attending midnight services on Christmas Eve and the feeling of joy on Christmas morning, scrambling for the wishbone every Sunday, and the Thanksgiving football games. The fourth and final verse reminisces the times he had to set the table as a child, the rolls his mother made, the fragrant bonfires in the fall - all these are small memories of childhood that have remained a constant presence in his heart. The song is a melancholic yet comforting reminiscence that is both universal and relatable to anyone who has ever experienced a sense of homesickness.
Line by Line Meaning
I miss the thrill of grammar school romances
I long for the excitement of young love and crushes that I experienced in grammar school
I miss the junior prom and graduation dances
I yearn for the memories and experiences of prom and graduation, events that were important milestones in my life
The gossip in assembly hall
I miss the social interactions and conversations that occurred in the school assembly hall, where news and rumors were shared among students
I'm homesick, that's all
I am feeling nostalgic and longing for the familiarity and comfort of my childhood and hometown
I miss the gang that hangs around at Miller's
I miss the close group of friends that I used to hang out with at Miller's, a local hangout spot
Devouring chocolate sodas, with those whipped cream fillers
I miss the simple pleasures of sharing chocolate sodas with my friends, topped with whipped cream
The girl I promised I would call
I miss the girl that I promised to call, implying a longing for a past relationship
I miss the midnight services on Christmas Eve
I miss attending special Christmas Eve services that were held at midnight, likely in a religious context
And the joy when Christmas morning came
I miss the excitement and happiness that I felt on Christmas morning as a child
I miss the scramble for the wishbone every Sunday
I miss the tradition of breaking the wishbone (usually from a turkey) with family or friends every Sunday, a small but significant routine in my life
And the big Thanksgiving football game
I miss the excitement and anticipation of the annual Thanksgiving football game, which was likely a big event and source of community pride
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the simple, mundane tasks and responsibilities of my childhood, like setting the table for meals
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
I miss the taste and smell of the warm, homemade rolls that my mother used to bake
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I miss the crisp autumn nights and the smell of bonfires that would often be lit during this season
I'm homesick, that's all
Overall, I am feeling a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for the people, experiences, and places that are associated with my childhood and upbringing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RALPH BLANE, GEORGE STOLL, KAY THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andrewleong5592
I miss the thrill of grammar school romances
I miss the junior prom and graduation dances
The gossip in assembly hall
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the gang that hangs around at Miller's
Devouring chocolate sodas, with those whipped cream fillers
The girl I promised I would call
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the midnight services on Christmas Eve
And the joy when Christmas morning came
I miss the scramble for the wishbone every Sunday
And the big Thanksgiving football game
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I'm homesick, that's all
@mariner719
Here's where it really punched a hole in me - my mother used to make the most delicious, light, fluffy yeast rolls for dinner. Absolutely delicious! Now she's frail and 89 and has arthritis, so she can't make them anymore. Need I say more?
@SuperChris501
Darn. It was my grandmother’s. Covid now keeps me from my momma...
@jenni4claire
I hear this as a Christmas song and never used to think about why it was so unbearably sad, then i heard it today and realised that his memories stop at high school. Given the time it was recorded, the song is almost certainly from the perspective of a young man drafted into WW2, 18‐19 years old, far away in a war zone. Sinatra really does do it justice.
@richarddavis8863
Wow that's an awesome insight!
@SuperChris501
Had I heard this when I was stationed in Japan in ‘97, I don’t think I’d been able to get out of bed. Depression would’ve overtaken me. I was sent there around Christmas. Grandma had a stroke and my other grandparents were sick; my dad was on dialysis and we were losing the house. Life was the hardest that year because a lowly PFC couldn’t do anything to help except write a letter.....
@andrewleong5592
I miss the thrill of grammar school romances
I miss the junior prom and graduation dances
The gossip in assembly hall
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the gang that hangs around at Miller's
Devouring chocolate sodas, with those whipped cream fillers
The girl I promised I would call
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the midnight services on Christmas Eve
And the joy when Christmas morning came
I miss the scramble for the wishbone every Sunday
And the big Thanksgiving football game
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I'm homesick, that's all
I miss the times I had to set the table
I miss the rolls my mother made when she was able
The fragrant bonfires in the fall
I'm homesick, that's all
@jenni4claire
I think it was a very rare gift, to be able to put across almost any lyric as if every word of it meant all the world to him. But then, I quite like these lyrics, as well.
@LadyJML
This is a beautiful and moving song; the music, lyrics, and the way he sings. You've also chosen a really nice photograph.
@5hensandahowardbird
This is such a wonderful song! Has such a sweet story, and then having Frank sing it-- couldn't be better!
@BrokeMoFo
I heard this song today for the first time, don't think it was Sinatra though... It was played on an public radio station out of a local church that plays old time music during the day, I immediately fell in love with it. So inspiring to memory..... Just beautiful...