Along with Jobim’s original compositions, the album features three standards from the ‘Great American Songbook’, (“Change Partners”, “I Concentrate On You”, and “Baubles, Bangles and Beads”) arranged in the bossa nova style.
Sinatra and Jobim reconvened to record a follow up in 1969, with arrangements by Eumir Deodato. Though the recordings were released briefly on 8 track tape, as 'Sinatra-Jobim', the regular album release was suspended. The recordings did not appear on album until 1971, when issued as side 1 of 'Sinatra & Company', with Sinatra solo recordings occupying Side 2.
Three songs recorded at the 'Sinatra-Jobim' session – "Bonita", "Sabiá", and "Off Key (Desafinado)" – were omitted from 'Sinatra & Company' : "Sabiá" was released in the USA in 1970 as the flip side of the 45 rpm single "Lady Day" and appeared with "Bonita" on the 1977 compilation 'Portrait of Sinatra' and the 1979 compilation, 'Sinatra-Jobim Sessions' ; "Off Key (Desafinado)" was unreleased until its inclusion on the box set 'The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings' in 1995.
In 2010 the Concord Records label issued ''Sinatra-Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings', a collection of all the tracks recorded in the 1967 and 1969 sessions by the artists.
I Concentrate On You
Frank Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and trouble begins to brew
Whenever the winter winds become too strong
I concentrate on you
When fortune cries "Nay, nay" to me
People declare "You're through"
Whenever the blues become my only songs
On your smile, so sweet, so tender
When at first my kiss you do decline
On the light in your eyes when you surrender
And once again our arms intertwine
And so when wise men say to me
That love's young dream never comes true
To prove that even the wise men can be wrong
I concentrate on you
The song "I Concentrate on You" by Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim speaks about the power of love and how it can help one overcome hardships and obstacles in life. The lyrics describe the singer's state of mind when everything seems gloomy, when the skies are gray, and the winter winds are too strong. Despite facing negativity and rejection, the singer concentrates on the person they love and how their smile, tenderness, and light in their eyes bring them joy and happiness. The singer also talks about how love helps them disprove wise men's theory that "love's young dream never comes true."
The lyrics' power lies in how they portray the importance of persevering through difficult situations by holding onto the love that they have. It indicates that the person's love acts as a source of hope, energy, and inspiration in times of despair, loneliness, and sadness. The verse "Whenever the blues become my only songs, I concentrate on you" underscores this message. In summary, the song emphasizes the strength of love and loyalty, how they can help a person overcome any obstacle in life, and that focusing on the things we love can bring happiness in even the most difficult conditions.
Line by Line Meaning
Whenever skies look gray to me
When life feels bleak and dreary,
and trouble begins to brew
and problems start to arise,
Whenever the winter winds become too strong
When the chill of winter sets in too deep,
I concentrate on you
I focus on you and the positive things you bring to my life.
When fortune cries "Nay, nay" to me
When luck seems to be against me,
People declare "You're through"
And people doubt my abilities and say I'm finished,
Whenever the blues become my only songs
When sadness seems to be all I can feel,
I concentrate on you
I focus on you to lift my spirits and find joy in life again.
On your smile, so sweet, so tender
Your lovely, gentle smile,
When at first my kiss you do decline
Even when you reject my initial advances,
On the light in your eyes when you surrender
On the brightness in your eyes when you finally give in to me,
And once again our arms intertwine
And we embrace and hold each other close like we used to.
And so when wise men say to me
And despite what the wise men may tell me,
That love's young dream never comes true
That love and romance are doomed to fail in the end,
To prove that even the wise men can be wrong
To show that the wise men are not always right,
I concentrate on you
I focus on you and our love, proving that it can thrive and bring me happiness.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind