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.
I Could Write a Book
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About the way you walk and whisper and look
I could write a preface on how we met
So the world would never forget
And the simple secret of the plot
Is just to tell them that I love you a lot
Then the world discovers, as my book ends
How to make two lovers of friends
And the simple secret of the plot
Is just to tell them that I love you a lot
Then the world discovers, as my book ends
How to make two lovers of friends
In this classic Frank Sinatra song, "I Could Write a Book," the singer expresses his deep love for a woman whom he could write a book about. He talks about her walk, whisper, and look, which all leave a profound impression on him. The singer also recounts how they met and expresses his desire for the world to remember this special moment in their lives. The song's primary message is the power of love to transform friendship and create a long-lasting romantic relationship. The singer believes that by telling the world how much he loves this woman, they will discover the key to making two friends into lovers.
The song's simple yet elegant lyrics beautifully capture the essence of falling in love. The singer's passion and devotion to the woman are so intense that he feels compelled to share their love story with the world. The song's upbeat tempo and Sinatra's smooth delivery make it an enduring classic.
Line by Line Meaning
If they asked me, I could write a book
I have so much to say about you that I could write an entire book about it.
About the way you walk and whisper and look
Your unique qualities and charm are worth mentioning and describing in detail.
I could write a preface on how we met
I could share the story of our meeting in a preface to my book.
So the world would never forget
I want our story to be remembered by people and cherished forever.
And the simple secret of the plot
The main idea behind my book is very simple and straightforward.
Is just to tell them that I love you a lot
The foundation of our love story is the deep love and affection that I have for you.
Then the world discovers, as my book ends
As my book draws to a close, people will have uncovered the message behind it.
How to make two lovers of friends
The message of my book is to show people how two friends can fall in love and become lovers.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SuperC888
If they asked me, I could write a book
About the way you walk, and whisper, and look
I could write a preface
On how we met
So the world would never forget
And the simple secret of the plot
Is just to tell them that I love you a lot
And the world discovers
As my book ends
How to make two lovers
Of friends
@mermaidgirl9232
She’s so beautiful and her dress is gorgeous.
@chiara1194
Kim was and still is so beautiful, classy, and fabulous! Sending love to the beautiful Czech-American Princess! 🇨🇿
@Cruiserfrank
My wife and I were pals for 30 years. Then suddenly, we realized we were in love. I sang this song to her in a room full of strangers. They applauded and she burst into tears...and giggled out loud. At the same time. We've now been married for almost 21 years. Thanks, Old Blue Eyes! And thanks to Rogers and Hart. And thanks to YOU!
@somefavs
Wow. What a story! I could imagine Johnny Carson having you both on the old Tonight show telling that one. Blessings!
@jacklynlopez2323
I love Kim Novaks' dress ....especially the way she makes the fringe move when Frank spins her around!!
@michaelbradley7595
All of his vocals in this movie are sheer perfection. Sinatra was at his very best.
@pinkpanther7030
She was my dream actress during my youth. She had class!
@elainecorneill6233
I also like the zipper song,very catchy and entertaining, wasnt a fan of Rita Hayworth and she had a singing voice over so although she had the moves and seduced frank,she didn't sing a notex
@georgiebestmanutd4746
Thanks 4 uploading; all of a sudden sweet memories came rushing back !
@somefavs
So VERY glad to hear that my friend!