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.
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gave my loving dad
A most lovely lavender tie
On the second day of Christmas
I gave my loving dad
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the third day of Christmas
I gave my loving dad
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the fourth day of Christmas
We gave our loving dad
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the fifth day of Christmas
We gave our loving dad
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the sixth day of Christmas
We gave our loving dad
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the seventh day of Christmas
I gave my loving dad
Seven books of fiction
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the eighth day of Christmas
I gave my loving dad
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the ninth day of Christmas
I gave my pretty dad
Nine games of scrabble
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the tenth day of Christmas
We gave our loving dad
Ten linen hankies
Nine games of scrabble
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the eleventh day of Christmas
They gave their loving dad
Eleven jars of jelly
Ten linen hankies
Nine games of scrabble
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarves
And a most love lavender tie
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My children gave to me
Twelve hugs and kisses
Eleven jars of jelly
Ten linen hankies,
Nine games of scrabble
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Seven books of fiction
Six woolen nightshirts
Five ivory combs,
Four meerschaum pipes
Three golf clubs
Two silken scarfs
And a most lovely lavender tie
The lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s “The Twelve Days of Christmas” are about a person who is giving his/her dad a series of gifts for the twelve days leading up to Christmas. Each day, a new gift is added to the list and the previous gifts are re-stated. The first gift is a “most lovely lavender tie,” and the gifts continue to increase in number and value each day. They range from two silken scarves to twelve “hugs and kisses” on the twelfth day of Christmas.
Through the progressive gift-giving, we can see that the person values and loves their dad very much. Despite giving him more and more valuable and complex gifts, the most cherished gift is still the last day’s gift of love and affection. The final gift shows that the dad is truly loved and appreciated – even though he receives twelve luxurious and valuable presents, the gift of expressing love and affection is still the most important.
Line by Line Meaning
On the first day of Christmas
At the beginning of the 12-day holiday season
I gave my loving dad
I gave a gift to my beloved father
A most lovely lavender tie
A fashionable accessory for clothing
On the second day of Christmas
On the second day of the 12-day holiday season
Two silken scarves
Two soft and luxurious neckwear items
And a most love lavender tie
Again, the fashionable accessory for clothing
On the third day of Christmas
On the third day of the 12-day holiday season
Three golf clubs
Three sticks used to play a game of golf
Two silken scarves
Still, the soft and luxurious neckwear
And a most love lavender tie
Once more, the fashionable accessory
On the fourth day of Christmas
On the fourth day of the 12-day holiday season
We gave our loving dad
We, as in more than one person, gave a gift to our beloved father
Four meerschaum pipes
Four smoking pipes made of a specific material
Three golf clubs
Still three sticks used to play golf
Two silken scarves
Continuing with the soft and luxurious neckwear
And a most love lavender tie
And, of course, the fashionable accessory
On the fifth day of Christmas
On the fifth day of the 12-day holiday season
We gave our loving dad
Still, more than one person gave a gift to our beloved father
Five ivory combs
Five devices used for grooming hair made of a specific material
Four meerschaum pipes
Continuing with the smoking pipes made of a specific material
Three golf clubs
The familiar three sticks used to play golf
Two silken scarves
The familiar neckwear once again
And a most love lavender tie
The fashionable accessory to complete the outfit
On the sixth day of Christmas
On the sixth day of the 12-day holiday season
We gave our loving dad
Again, we gave a gift to our beloved father
Six woolen nightshirts
Six warm, comfortable sleepwear items
Five ivory combs
Continuing with the grooming devices made of the same material
Four meerschaum pipes
Still smoking pipes made of the same material
Three golf clubs
The aforementioned three sticks used to play golf
Two silken scarves
The same soft and luxurious neckwear
And a most love lavender tie
To complete the outfit with a fashionable accessory
On the seventh day of Christmas
On the seventh day of the 12-day holiday season
I gave my loving dad
Once more, I gave a gift to my beloved father
Seven books of fiction
Seven pieces of literature crafted as stories
Six woolen nightshirts
The warm sleepwear from earlier
Five ivory combs
Continuing with the grooming devices made of the same material
Four meerschaum pipes
Still smoking pipes made of the same material
Three golf clubs
Those three sticks used for golf yet again
Two silken scarves
The soft and luxurious neckwear from earlier
And a most love lavender tie
Of course, the fashionable accessory
On the eighth day of Christmas
On the eighth day of the 12-day holiday season
I gave my loving dad
Again, I gave my beloved father a gift
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Eight accessories that fasten shirtsleeves closed at the wrist
Six woolen nightshirts
Still the warm and comfortable sleepwear
Five ivory combs
Grooming devices made of a specific material
Four meerschaum pipes
Long-lasting smoking pipes made of a specific material
Three golf clubs
Those three tools used for playing golf, as always
Two silken scarves
Soft and luxurious neckwear, the same as before
And a most love lavender tie
The essential fashionable accessory
On the ninth day of Christmas
On the ninth day of the 12-day holiday season
I gave my pretty dad
I presented my handsome father with a gift
Nine games of scrabble
Nine board games with a unique wordplay element
Eight pairs of cufflinks
Identical to the eight pairs of sleeve-fastening accessories
Six woolen nightshirts
The sixth time the warm sleepwear is mentioned
Five ivory combs
Still grooming devices made of a particular material
Four meerschaum pipes
The fourth time this specific smoking pipe is offered as a gift
Three golf clubs
Still the three sticks used for playing golf
Two silken scarves
Continuing with the familiar soft and luxurious neckwear
And a most love lavender tie
The accessory that completes an outfit in a fashionable manner
On the tenth day of Christmas
On the tenth day of the 12-day holiday season
We gave our loving dad
We, more than one person, gifted our beloved father
Ten linen hankies
Ten small cloth pieces used for cleaning or comfort
Nine games of scrabble
The wordplay board games from earlier
Eight pairs of cufflinks
The same eight accessories used to fasten sleeves
Six woolen nightshirts
The sleepwear that appears on six of the 12 days
Five ivory combs
Grooming devices made of a particular material, as always
Four meerschaum pipes
Continuing with the long-lasting smoking pipes made of the same material
Three golf clubs
Still the set of three sticks used for playing golf
Two silken scarves
The soft and luxurious neckwear that reappears throughout the song
And a most love lavender tie
The fashionable accessory that symbolizes the song
On the eleventh day of Christmas
On the eleventh day of the 12-day holiday season
They gave their loving dad
They, more than one person, gave a gift to their beloved father
Eleven jars of jelly
Eleven containers of sweet fruit spread
Ten linen hankies
The small cloth pieces from earlier
Nine games of scrabble
The wordplay board games repeated for the third time
Eight pairs of cufflinks
The same accessory related to fastening shirt sleeves
Six woolen nightshirts
The warm sleepwear item mentioned on multiple days
Five ivory combs
The grooming devices made of a particular material from earlier
Four meerschaum pipes
The long-lasting smoking pipes made of a particular material
Three golf clubs
The same set of sticks used for playing golf
Two silken scarves
The same soft and luxurious neckwear mentioned frequently throughout the song
And a most love lavender tie
The fashionable accessory that remains a staple throughout the entire song
On the twelfth day of Christmas
On the final day of the 12-day holiday season
My children gave to me
My offspring presented me with a set of gifts
Twelve hugs and kisses
Twelve displays of affection and tenderness
Eleven jars of jelly
Sweet fruit spread containers that appeared on the previous day
Ten linen hankies,
Small cloth pieces from earlier days
Nine games of scrabble
Wordplay board games from the ninth day of Christmas
Eight pairs of cufflinks
The sleeve-fastening accessories that were given before
Seven books of fiction
Pieces of literature crafted as stories from the seventh day of Christmas
Six woolen nightshirts
The warm sleepwear that appears multiple times in the song
Five ivory combs,
The grooming devices made of a specific material
Four meerschaum pipes
The smoking pipes made of a specific material that were given previously
Three golf clubs
The set of sticks used for playing golf from earlier in the song
Two silken scarfs
The soft and luxurious neckwear that is a staple gift in this song
And a most lovely lavender tie
The fashionable accessory that completes an outfit with a touch of color
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike
on The Lady Is A Champ
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She can't eat late and stay up all night, because unlike society types, she has to get up in the morning.
She likes the theatre and never comes late
She cares more about seeing the play than being seen making an entrance.
She never bothers with people she'd hate
Her friends are friends, not social trophies.
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
While barrns and earls probably don't play craps, she associates with friends, not people to be seen with.
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She doesn't "slum", the practice of the rich in the 30's, when the song was written, of touring poor neighborhoods dressed in rich clothes to "tut, tut" about the deplorable conditions, and congratulate each other for "caring about the poor"
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
Doesn't trade gossip for acceptance among an in-crowd
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She cares more about how her hair feels than conforming with current hair fashions
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
Since most of California is noticeably warmer and / or drier than New York, where the play the song was written for is set, this is probably a facetious excuse to like what she likes.
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
Another reference to slumming, but facetious, since Lincolns and Fords were middle-class, not luxury brands when the lyric was written
Anonymous
on Try a Little Tenderness
Here are the correct lyrics
Try A Little Tenderness - Frank Sinatra - Lyrics
Oh she may be weary
Women do get wearied
Wearing that same old shabby dress
And when she’s weary
You try a little tenderness
You know she’s waiting
Just anticipating things she’ll may never possess
While she is without them
Try just a little bit of tenderness
It’s not just sentimental
She has her grieve and her care
And the words that soft and gentle
Makes it easier to bear
You wont regret it
Women don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness
And it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Musical Interlude
And, it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Daniel
on The Way You Look Tonight
I met Frank Jr. in Las Vegas, a real gentleman. RIP you both.
Giorgi Khutashvili
on Theme from New York, New York
)))