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.

Wives And Lovers
Frank Sinatra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up
Soon he will open the door
Don't think because there's a ring on your finger
You needn't try any more
For wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
I'm warning you

Day after day, there are girls at the office
And the men will always be men
Don't stand him up with your hair still in curlers
You may not see him again
Wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
He's almost here

Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty
Something you wear to go to the city
Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music
Time to get ready for love

It's time to get ready for love

Yes, it's time to get ready for love
It's time to get ready, kick your shoes off, baby

Overall Meaning

The song "Lover" by Frank Sinatra tells a story of a wife's duty to remain a lover to her husband even after marriage. The song speaks to the societal expectations of wives in the 1940s and 1950s to maintain their appearance, be attentive to their husbands, and avoid neglecting them. In the first verse, Sinatra advises the woman to comb her hair and fix her make-up because her husband will soon arrive home. Though she is married and has a ring on her finger, Sinatra suggests that she still needs to make an effort to be a lover to her husband, implying that she shouldn't take her marriage for granted.

In the second verse, Sinatra warns the woman not to stand up her husband and to always be a lover to him because men will always be men. He encourages the woman to run into his arms the moment he arrives home, suggesting that they should have a romantic and passionate reunion. In the final verse, Sinatra instructs the woman to get ready for a special night. He advises her to wear something pretty and to dim the lights, pour some wine, and start the music. This is the woman's chance to show her husband that she is still his lover and that she values their relationship.

Overall, "Lover" is a song that speaks to the societal expectations of wives in the 1940s and 1950s. It tells a story of a wife who must remain a lover to her husband even after marriage. Sinatra's advice to the woman is that she should always make an effort to maintain her appearance and be attentive to her husband, while also reminding her that neglecting her husband could lead to the deterioration of their marriage.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey, little girl, comb your hair, fix your make-up
Take care of yourself, make sure you look your best because your lover is coming soon

Soon he will open the door
Your lover is about to arrive

Don't think because there's a ring on your finger You needn't try any more
Just because you're married, you should still put in effort to keep the spark alive

For wives should always be lovers too
Married partners should also maintain a romantic relationship

Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you
Greet your lover with enthusiasm and affection when they come home

I'm warning you
This advice is important and should be heeded

Day after day, there are girls at the office And the men will always be men
There will always be temptation, but men should remain faithful to their wives

Don't stand him up with your hair still in curlers You may not see him again
Don't take your partner for granted, because you never know what could happen

He's almost here
Your lover is getting closer

Hey, little girl, better wear something pretty Something you wear to go to the city
Put on your best outfit to impress your lover

Dim all the lights, pour the wine, start the music
Set the mood for a romantic evening

Time to get ready for love
It's time to focus on your relationship and prioritize intimacy

It's time to get ready for love Yes, it's time to get ready for love It's time to get ready, kick your shoes off, baby
Reiterating the message that it's important to put effort into your romantic relationship

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BURT BACHARACH, HAL DAVID

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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