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.
Why Try to Change Me Now?
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got some habits even I can't explain
Could start for the corner, turn up in Spain
But why try to change me now?
I sit and daydream, I've got daydreams galore
Cigarette ashes, there they go on the floor
I'll go away weekends, leave my keys in the door
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk, people stare, so I try
But that's not for me, 'cause I can't see
My kind of crazy world go passing me by
So, let people wonder, let 'em laugh, let 'em frown
You know I'll love you 'til the moon's upside down
Don't you remember I was always your clown?
Why try to change me now?
In Frank Sinatra's Why Try to Change Me Now?, we have a song that explores the singer's individuality and the idea that they shouldn't be changed. The lyrics are reflective and introspective, with the singer describing their quirks and habits that they can't really explain. The lyrics indicate that the singer is sentimentally inclined, walking in the rain with no real reason, and sometimes even jetting off to Spain on a whim. The chorus repeats the song's title, questioning why anyone would want to change this individual.
The second verse gives us more insight into the singer's internal world, painting a picture of someone who is a bit of a daydreamer, smoking cigarettes and letting the ashes fall to the floor. They seem to enjoy their own company and going away on the weekends, leaving their keys in the door. The pre-chorus expresses the singer's frustration with the expectations of society, feeling pressure to be more conventional but unable to conform to a society that doesn't really align with their "kind of crazy world."
The song feels like a declaration of self-love and acceptance, as the singer encourages their loved one to let people wonder, laugh, and frown, but to remember that they were always their clown. The last line of the song, "Why try to change me now?" feels like a final plea to be accepted for who they are, and for their quirks and eccentricities to be celebrated rather than changed.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm sentimental, so I walk in the rain
I have a sensitive side, which is why I enjoy indulging in melancholy activities like walking in the rain.
I've got some habits even I can't explain
There are certain behaviors I engage in that even I can't make sense of.
Could start for the corner, turn up in Spain
I have a tendency to be impulsive and unpredictable, which can lead me on unexpected journeys.
But why try to change me now?
Given my quirks and flaws, why would anyone bother trying to alter my personality?
I sit and daydream, I've got daydreams galore
I spend a lot of time lost in thought, and I have a rich imagination that fuels my daydreams.
Cigarette ashes, there they go on the floor
I smoke, and sometimes I let my ashes fall to the ground without a care.
I'll go away weekends, leave my keys in the door
I am not always responsible, and sometimes I take off for the weekend without any real plan, leaving my keys in the door.
Why can't I be more conventional?
I sometimes wish I could fit in more with societal norms and expectations.
People talk, people stare, so I try
I am aware that people judge me and my behavior, so I do make some effort to appease them.
But that's not for me, 'cause I can't see
However, conforming to conventionality and 'normalcy' is not in my nature or best interest.
My kind of crazy world go passing me by
In fact, I find such world view to be boring and uninspiring, preferring my own unpredictable and exciting perspective.
So, let people wonder, let 'em laugh, let 'em frown
At the end of the day, people can think and feel however they want about me - I'm comfortable with myself regardless.
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
Despite my issues and oddities, my love for you remains steadfast and unwavering over time and circumstance.
Don't you remember I was always your clown?
In fact, you have always enjoyed and appreciated the unique qualities that make me who I am, including my ability to make you laugh and bring joy to your life.
Why try to change me now?
So why would you suddenly decide to try and change me, rather than accepting me for who I am?
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Cy Coleman, Joseph Mccarthy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MixSonaProductions
I'm sentimental, so I walk in the rain
I've got some habits even I can't explain
Could start for the corner, turn up in Spain
But why try to change me now?
I sit and daydream, I've got daydreams galore
Cigarette ashes, there they go on the floor
I'll go away weekends, leave my keys in the door
But why try to change me now?
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk, people stare, so I try
But that's not for me, 'cause I can't see
My kind of crazy world go passing me by
So, let people wonder, let 'em laugh, let 'em frown
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
Don't you remember I was always your clown?
Why try to change me now?
@alexmm1902
I'm sentimental
So I walk in the rain
I've got some habits
Even I can't explain
Go to the corner
I end up in Spain
Why try to change me now?
I sit and daydream
I've got daydreams galore
Cigarette ashes
There they go on the floor
Go away weekends
Leave my keys in the door
Why try to change me now?
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk and they stare, so I try
But that can't be 'cause I can't see
My strange little world just go passing me by
Let people wonder
Let 'em laugh
Let 'em frown
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
Don't you remember I was always your clown
Why try to change me now?
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk and they stare, so I try
But that can't be because I can't see
My strange little world just go passing me by
So let people wonder
Let 'em laugh
Let 'em frown
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
Don't you remember I was always your clown
So why try to change me?
Why would you want to change me?
Why try to change me now?
@idgafanythng
I'm sentimental, so I walk in the rain
I've got some habits even I can't explain
Could start for the corner, turn up in Spain
But why try to change me now?
I sit and daydream, I've got daydreams galore
Cigarette ashes, there they go on the floor
I'll go away weekends, leave my keys in the door
But why try to change me now?
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk, people stare, so I try
But that's not for me, 'cause I can't see
My kind of crazy world go passing me by
So, let people wonder, let 'em laugh, let 'em frown
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
Don't you remember I was always your clown?
Why try to change me now?
@seankennedy18
I'm sentimental, so I walk in the rain
I've got some habits even I can't explain
Could start for the corner, turn up in Spain
But why try to change me now?
I sit and daydream, I've got daydreams galore
Cigarette ashes, there they go on the floor
I'll go away weekends, leave my keys in the door
But why try to change me now?
(Bridge)
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk, people stare, so I try..
But that's not for me, 'cause I can't see
My kind of crazy world go passing me by
(Verse)
So, let people wonder, let 'em laugh, let 'em frown
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
Don't you remember I was always your clown?
Why try to change me now?
(Music break)
Don't you remember I was always your clown?
Why try to change me..
Why try to change me now?
@mundomatematico2143
I'm sentimental, so I walk in the rain
I've got some habits even I can't explain
Could start for the corner, turn up in Spain
But why try to change me now?
I sit and daydream, I've got daydreams galore
Cigarette ashes, there they go on the floor
I'll go away weekends, leave my keys in the door
But why try to change me now?
Why can't I be more conventional?
People talk, people stare, so I try
But that's not for me, 'cause I can't see
My kind of crazy world go passing me by
So, let people wonder, let 'em laugh, let 'em frown
You know I'll love you till the moon's upside down
X2 Don't you remember I was always your clown?
Why try to change me now
@reythomas8532
One of the most beautiful songs Sinatra ever recorded. “Turn UP in Spain.” One word…up…genius.
@kokolatte825
I definitely prefer this version. It has a melancholy tone to match the lyrics, which is missing from the first version.
@dda8373
the episode of Good Doctor brought me here because I wanted to hear more
@astridlovelight9809
I prefer this version, it has such a melancholy sense of resignation to it. No One Cares is one of my favorite Sinatra records, but it's one that I have to be in the right mood to listen to. One of my ex-girlfriends hated when I listened to it, though, she thought it was too depressing. I like the Dylan version a lot too--and although they only met a handful of times, to hear Dylan tell it there seemed to have been a deep sense of connection between the two men.
@MM-gl4qy
I'm an old man and this is perfect just close you eyes and listen and remember
@stephaniekeller4449
I’m listening and doing the same thing now.
@leroy2298
@@stephaniekeller4449 as you should 😁
@jvblhc
It feels like in the first recording, who ever he's talking to is still with him. In this version, she's either leaving or she's gone. Both versions are wonderful, but this one takes the top prize.
@paulviardot4400
ARRANGEMENT ORCHESTRAL TRÈS FIN QUI MET EN VALEUR TOUTE LA SENSIBILITÉ DE FRANK SINATRA.
@helaina400
Achingly beautiful