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.
Something Wonderful Happens in Summer
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the sky is a heavenly blue
You fall in love - you fall in love
With someone who loves you too
Something wonderful happens in summer
When the moon makes you feel all aglow
You fall in love - you fall in love
You carve initials on a tree
You kiss and exchange a ring
June and July go by
Your heart sings "ting-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling"
Something wonderful happens in summer
And it happens to only a few
But when it does - yes when it does
You'll feel wonderful - it happened to you
The lyrics to Frank Sinatra's song "Something Wonderful Happens in Summer" speak to the power of love and the magical feeling that often accompanies it during the warm summer months. The song opens with the observation that something enchanting occurs during summer days when the sky is a heavenly blue, often leading people to fall in love with someone who reciprocates those feelings. The next verse furthers this idea by stating that the moon can make one feel aglow with that love, and that when the feeling is mutual, one cannot help but want to share it with the world.
The lyrics then take a more specific turn, referencing romantic gestures such as carving initials into a tree and exchanging rings. The chorus repeats the idea that when something wonderful happens in summer and love is sparked, it brings about a feeling that is unique to those who experience it. The song has a wistful, nostalgic feel, reminding listeners of the excitement and joy that comes with falling in love during the summer months.
Line by Line Meaning
Something wonderful happens in summer
The season of summer brings an indescribable feeling of happiness and excitement.
When the sky is a heavenly blue
The clear and bright blue sky adds to the euphoria of summer.
You fall in love - you fall in love
Summer often brings the chance to find romantic love that feels intense and intoxicating.
With someone who loves you too
The love is mutual, and both partners feel the same intense passion for each other.
When the moon makes you feel all aglow
The bright and glowing moon adds to the magic of the summer night.
You want the whole world to know
The love is so powerful that it feels like it should be shouted out to the world for all to hear.
You carve initials on a tree
As a symbol of their love, the couple carves their initials into a tree to show their commitment.
You kiss and exchange a ring
The couple continues to express their love through kisses and by exchanging tokens of their affection.
June and July go by
The summer months pass quickly, but they are filled with unforgettable moments of happiness and love.
Your heart sings "ting-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling"
The joy of being in love fills the heart with an indescribable sensation, represented by the onomatopoeic phrase "ting-a-ling-a-ling-a-ling".
And it happens to only a few
Finding true and mutual love in the summer is a rare and special occurrence.
But when it does - yes when it does
When that special love does come around, it is an unforgettable and life-changing experience.
You'll feel wonderful - it happened to you
The feeling of falling in love in the summer is truly magical and brings a sense of pure happiness and contentment.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@trumpsahead
I've always loved this song. I find myself playing it on my trumpet but can never remember the bridge. Finally putting it all together to enjoy more than ever. The melody is subdued but so natural and Frank sings it like a daydream. Frank Sinatra was the best. Thanks for sharing this lovely tune.
@60otaku4
You're welcome, trumpsahead-san!!
Otaku4 (^_^)/
@mikethomas5231
@@60otaku4 👍👍👍👍🍸.
@terriflanagan2350
Frank's voice flawless and Nelson on point as always!! The greatest generation of all time
@knarfartanis
Giant of a song, The Voice, the very best!
@dennisjames9054
No one could beat this incredible singer, NO ONE
@MJLeger-yj1ww
So true! Not before, during or since, Dennis! And there will probably never be the likes and longevity of his talent again. Well, Tony Bennett is still out here at 91, but that's so unusual! Esp. now when music has deteriorated from the about 50s through 90s. Sinatra was truly "The Voice" of the 20th century. Nearly 60 years of it!
@asiaminormgtow505
I totally concur!
@mikethomas5231
@@MJLeger-yj1ww 👍👍👍👍🍸.
@MJLeger-yj1ww
@@mikethomas5231 THX! You have good taste!