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.
River
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm crossing you in style someday
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you're going I'm going your way
Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbows end
My huckleberry friend, moon river
And me
Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbows end
Waiting round the band
My huckleberry friend, moon river
And me
In Frank Sinatra's classic song "Moon River," the lyrics describe a journey, both literal and metaphorical, as the singer crosses the titular river "in style someday." The song speaks to the idea of taking a chance, following one's dreams, and navigating life's twists and turns. The singer acknowledges that the journey will be both beautiful and challenging, as they pursue the "same rainbow's end" with their "huckleberry friend." The lyrics express a sense of wonder and possibility, capturing the excitement and uncertainty that come with exploring new places and chasing one's ambitions.
The phrase "moon river" is a metaphor for the journey of life itself, with all its twists, turns, and possibilities. The song's lyrics suggest that life is like a river, always flowing and always changing, with unknown adventures waiting around every bend. The singer is keenly aware of the challenges this journey may bring, calling the journey's maker both a "dream maker" and a "heartbreaker." But despite these challenges, the singer maintains a sense of excitement and optimism, confident that their journey will be worth it in the end.
Overall, "Moon River" is a song about the beauty and complexity of life, and the joy that can be found in the journey itself. Through its poetic lyrics, the song encourages listeners to embrace the challenges of life and to follow their dreams with courage, passion, and a sense of wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
Moon river wider than a mile
The river of life is broad and diverse.
I'm crossing you in style someday
Someday, I will venture through life with confidence and elegance.
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker
Life is both alluring and heartbreaking.
Wherever you're going I'm going your way
I am ready to embrace the journey of life, wherever it may lead me.
Two drifters off to see the world
Two wanderers on a journey of exploration.
There's such a lot of world to see
The world is an enormous and multifaceted place.
We're after the same rainbows end
We are seeking the same destination on our journey of life.
Waiting round the band
We are waiting to discover what the future holds for us.
My huckleberry friend, moon river
My dear friend and companion, the river of life, guide me on my journey.
And me
I am ready to experience all that life has to offer.
Lyrics © Tratore
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Gabbbriellee
Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossin' you in style some day
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, Moon River, and me
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, Moon River, and me
@annasazonova7635
Moon River, wider than a mile,
I'm crossing you in style some day.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker,
wherever you're going I'm going your way.
Two drifters off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end--
waiting 'round the bend,
my huckleberry friend,
Moon River and me.
@alexanderpataki5567
When I was a little boy, I once walked into my grandmothers room, and this song was playing on her old radio. She was holding a framed picture of my long-dead grandfather and herself from around the time they got married right after the war. They were tears on her cheeks. I asked her why she was sad, and she said she wasn't sad at all- she was crying because the world was such a beautiful place, and she got to experience it with someone she truly loved. I was only 5 or 6 years old at the time, but I will never forget that.
@shanemack06
beautiful
@NEOGEO744
Alexander Pataki I love your short story.
@alexanderpataki5567
+NEOGEO744 Thankyou, friend! I'm glad people enjoy it, and hope it inspires others to see the beauty that's all around us.
@DlebedevRu
Really good story! Touch my soul....
@yardboy5567
Thanks for sharing. Very special moment I'm sure.
@andrecartier8126
In 1956 I was a kid still living in Paris.I was sitting on the corner of my rue, watching these German tanks going down my rue.They were making a war movie.Frank sat down next to me and said " Hey kid it can't be all that bad." He stood up and put a hand in his pocket and handed me a hundred dollar bill.He tipped his hat , winked and put a thumbs up to me. I wanted so much as I stood up to thank him, not just for me, but my mother.Since 1944, I was born in a bombed out basement where a house once stood.That $100 kept me and my mother alive.Please excuse me I have to wipe a tear or 22 from my eyes.God-bless Frank 🇫🇷. Who could ever forget .........
@brucewaynetan1186
Lucky kid
@NightbirdTributeTV
Can I share this story with your credit ?
@GuilhermeRodrigues-jr7gd
why the French flag next to Frank