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 Upon A Time
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A girl with moonlight in her eyes
Put her hand in mine
And said she loved me so
But that was once upon a time
Very long ago
Once upon a hill
Counting all the stars and waiting for the dawn
But that was once upon a time
Now the tree is gone
How the breeze ruffled through her hair
How we always laughed as though tomorrow wasn't there
We were young and didn't have a care
Where did it go
Once upon a time
The world was sweeter than we knew
Everything was ours
How happy we were then
But somehow once upon a time
Never comes again
Once upon a time
Never comes again
Frank Sinatra’s “Once Upon A Time” is a nostalgic song about a past love that can never be resurrected, no matter how much one wishes for it. The song embarks on a reminiscence of a love story that has ended long ago. The lyrics depict a time in the past when the singer was in love with a girl with moonlight in her eyes, who had professed her love for him. They spent time together, sitting under a willow tree, counting all the stars, and enjoying the moment. They laughed as though tomorrow wasn’t there, and they never worried about anything. They were young and untroubled, but everything changed, and time passed away. They couldn't hold on to that moment, and they couldn't make that feeling stay.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time
A certain moment in time that brings back fond memories
A girl with moonlight in her eyes
A woman he was infatuated with, her beauty was spellbinding
Put her hand in mine
They held hands as a symbol of their mutual love
And said she loved me so
She expressed her affection for him
But that was once upon a time
However, that was a long time ago
Once upon a hill
A particular place that had significance in their lives
We sat beneath a willow tree
They cherished the moments they spent together in this serene setting
Counting all the stars and waiting for the dawn
They spent time stargazing, waiting patiently for the new day to begin
Now the tree is gone
That willow tree no longer exists, just like their relationship
How the breeze ruffled through her hair
A memory of a moment when the wind played with her hair
How we always laughed as though tomorrow wasn't there
They always lived in the moment and had fun as if it was their last day
We were young and didn't have a care
They were carefree, with no worries or responsibilities
Where did it go
He reflects on how their carefree days have passed in the blink of an eye
The world was sweeter than we knew
They didn't realize how good they had it until it was gone
Everything was ours
They felt like the world belonged to them and they were invincible
How happy we were then
They reminisce and remember how joyful they were together
But somehow once upon a time
However, the past is gone and they can never go back to that moment in time
Never comes again
The past can never be recreated, it's just a memory now
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARNEY ALES, DAVID HAMILTON, CLARENCE PAUL, CLARENCE O. PAUL, WILLIAM STEVENSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John-CVI TheBassPlayer
Once Upon a Time - Frank Sinatra
Once upon a time, A girl with moonlight in her eyes
Put her hand in mine, And said she loved me so
But that was once upon a time, Very long ago
Once upon a hill, We sat beneath a willow tree
Counting all the stars and waiting for the dawn
But that was once upon a time, Now the tree is gone
How the breeze ruffled through her hair
How we always laughed as though tomorrow wasn't there
We were young and didn't have a care, Where did it go
Once upon a time, The world was sweeter than we knew
Everything was ours, How happy we were then
But somehow once upon a time, Never comes again
Once upon a time, Never comes again
Kenneth Ott
This would have been an ordinary, albeit beautiful love song. But add the fabulous orchestration that Frank commanded, his voice , the phrasing and timing make this the best love song by the best singer of his time..hands down. Listen to it critically (rather than emotionally..hard to do) a few times and you will surely agree
Pam McPheron
It was like Frank and the orchestra are one organism. Totally in sync.
Joe Marshall
Nelson Riddle and his strings......what can you say?
MoBooks2
Sinatra does 'reminisce' songs better than anyone - it's practically his specialty.
maureen1938
Thank you for posting this truly beautiful share...one of Frankie's best ever songs and heaven knows he has sooooo many.
David Salinas
Once again the Master does it with grace, style, class and distinction. Dear Frank, we miss you.
Bruce Towell
Would be a great tune to sing in a club/doing a gig, but how does one fight back the tears?....just an amazing song!!
Jan Miller
Darrin struggles to contain his emotions in his live performance. It makes all that much more heartfelt and tender! Frank sings it. Darrin bleeds it.
Jackie Mcmeekin
Frank Sinatra sings this romantic song so beautifully and with passion! The words describe looking back on ones life and love! How great is this?
Jazzgent
Earth shatteringly heart breaking!!!