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.
Once I Loved
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To this love, you were the world to me
Once I cried at the thought
I was foolish and proud and let you say goodbye
Then one day
From my infinite sadness you came
And brought me love again
I'll never let you go
I will hold you close
Make you stay
Because love is the saddest thing
When it goes away
Love is the saddest thing when it goes away
The song "Once I Loved" by Frank Sinatra is a song about lost love and the regret that comes with it. The singer reflects on a past love that he gave his all to, and how their relationship ended in prideful foolishness. However, the singer is given a second chance at love when his partner returns, and the song ends on a note of determination to hold onto this love and never let it slip away again.
The lyrics of this song are poignant and emotive as they communicate the complexity of love, both in its loss and in its renewal. It reminds listeners of the bittersweet nature of love, and how it can be one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching experiences in life. Sinatra's delivery of the lyrics is also powerful, as he uses his signature smooth and rich vocals to convey the longing and heartache that comes with this type of love.
Overall, "Once I Loved" is a timeless classic that continues to resonate with people today. Its emotional resonance and beautiful lyrics have made it a beloved song of the ages.
Line by Line Meaning
Once, once I loved and I gave so much love
At one point, I was deeply in love with someone and I gave them all the love that I had.
To this love, you were the world to me
You were everything to me and I loved you with all my heart.
Once I cried at the thought
I became emotional and shed tears when I realized that I was about to lose you.
I was foolish and proud and let you say goodbye
I was acting foolishly and let my ego interfere, causing me to let you go.
Then one day
Eventually, something happened that changed everything.
From my infinite sadness you came
In the midst of my deepest despair, you came to me and brought me hope and love once again.
And brought me love again
You reminded me of what it feels like to be loved and brought that feeling back to me.
Now I know that no matter what ever befalls
I understand that no matter what challenges we face, I will never let you go again.
I'll never let you go
I will always hold you close and never let you leave my side.
I will hold you close
I will keep you near me and never let you go.
Make you stay
I will do everything in my power to make sure you never leave me again.
Because love is the saddest thing
Love can be the cause of the deepest and most painful feelings of sadness.
When it goes away
This happens when love fades or is lost altogether.
Lyrics © CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Written by: ANTONIO CARLOS BRASILEIRO DE A JOBIM, MARCUS VINICIUS DA CRUZ DE M. MORAES, RAY GILBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
StraightAway Project
Once I loved,
And I gave so much love to this love,
It was the world to me.
Once I cried,
At the thought I was foolish and proud,
And let you say goodbye.
Then one day,
From my infinite sadness you came,
And brought me love again.
Now I know,
That no matter whatever befalls,
I'll never let you go.
I will hold you close,
Make you stay.
Because love,
Is the saddest thing,
When it goes away.
Because love,
Is the saddest thing,
When it goes away.
Jay Linn
Actually, this is my favorite Sinatra album. Sinatra had to slow down a lot for this collaboration with Jobim. It is almost like he is back in his younger, crooning days in terms of very slow, lyrical singing. But Sinatra's mature voice makes this album really memorable.
Jason Mills
This album has moved me for a long time and still does.
Claudia Silvana Canova
Two geniouses together. Memorable album.
pablo torres
The Boss Of Crooner Singers & The Boss of Bossa Nova together... "I will hold you close , make you stay. Because love is the saddest thing when it goes away"... Thank You Sinatra & Tom Jobim ❤🎸🎙️🎶🎶🎶🌻
WH Mitty
An epic and powerful rendition of this great song. Also my favorite Sinatra album but would not recommend listening to it if you're going through any romantic issues. Won't do much for your state of mind. RIP Frank.
Lucinha Arruda
Beautiful ❤️
tony dee
Simply beautiful.
Chris Vegas
This was a good album Sinatra and Jobim made a great team
Joe Amplo
I would elevate this music to a GREAT Album
MsG
love this so much!