Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American s… Read Full Bio ↴Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and producer who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

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.

What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry
Frank Sinatra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
What can I do to prove it to you, I'm sorry?
I didn't mean to ever be mean to you
If I didn't care I wouldn't feel like I do
I was all wrong but right or wrong I don't blame you
Why should I take somebody like you and shame you
I know that I made you cry, and I'm so sorry dear
So what can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?

Baby I'm so dar gorn sorry
Got to prove that I'm so sorry

I made you cry, and I'm so sorry dear
What can I say, dear?
What can I do?

What can I say? What can I do?
After I say I'm sorry

Overall Meaning

In Frank Sinatra's "What Can I Say After I'm Sorry," the singer is apologizing for making his lover cry and hurt. He expresses that he is sorry for being mean and wrong, and hopes that she can forgive him. The lyrics reveal a sense of regret and remorse. The singer understands that his actions have caused pain to someone he cares deeply about, and he wants to make amends. The chorus repeats the question, "What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?" indicating a sense of helplessness in trying to fix the situation.

The verse, "You made me glad, I made you sad, I made you lonesome and blue, and who ever knew, who'd ever think that I would be crying to you," shows the irony in the situation. The singer acknowledges that he caused sadness and loneliness to his lover, and yet he is the one now seeking comfort from her. This shows a vulnerability in the singer and highlights the idea that we are all capable of causing harm to those we love.

The overall theme of the song is the fragility of relationships and the importance of forgiveness. It highlights the idea that mistakes can be made, but it is up to those involved to work through the issues and move forward.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know why, I made you cry
I am unsure why my actions caused you pain

I'm sorry sweetheart and yet
I apologize, but I am aware that mere words cannot always make things right

Though you shouldn't be lenient with me
I understand that my behavior did not warrant forgiveness, and that you are under no obligation to spare me punishment

I hope you'll forgive and forget
Despite the gravity of my mistake, I pray for your mercy and that we may move past this incident

What can I say, dear, after I say I'm sorry?
I am struggling to find words that can accurately express my contrition

What can I do to prove it to you, I'm sorry?
I am willing to take any action to demonstrate the depth of my remorse

I didn't mean to ever be mean to you
I did not intend to cause you harm or pain

If I didn't care I wouldn't feel like I do
My feelings of guilt and regret prove that I care deeply about you

I was all wrong but right or wrong I don't blame you
I acknowledge my wrongdoing, but I do not hold you accountable for it

Why should I take somebody like you and shame you
I am appalled at the idea that I would cause such harm to someone as wonderful as you

I know that I made you cry, and I'm so sorry dear
I am keenly aware of the harm I caused you and I express genuine regret

You made me glad, I made you sad
While our past interactions have yielded joy for me, my recent actions have caused grief for you

I made you lonesome and blue
My mistake left you feeling isolated and downhearted

And who ever knew
It is ironic that our roles have reversed, and I now seek your comfort

Who'd ever think that I would be crying to you
It is humbling for me to seek your help, especially when I was the one who caused the initial pain

Lyrics © DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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