The Tender Trap
Frank Sinatra featuring Bill Miller Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You see a pair of laughing eyes
And suddenly your sighing sighs
You're thinking nothing's wrong
You string along, boy, then snap

Those eyes, those sighs,
They're part of the tender trap
You're hand in hand beneath the trees
And soon there's music in the breeze
You're acting kind of smart, until your heart just goes wap

Those trees, that breeze,
They're part of the tender trap

Some starry night, when her kisses make you tingle
She'll hold you tight, and you'll hate yourself for being single

And all at once it seems so nice
The folks are throwing shoes and rice
You hurry to a spot, that's just a dot on the map

You're hooked, you're cooked,
You're caught in the tender trap

Some starry night, when her kisses make you tingle
She'll hold you tight, and you'll hate yourself for being single

And all at once it seems so nice
The folks are throwing shoes and rice
You hurry to a spot that's just a dot on the map

And then you wonder how it all came about




It's too late now there's no gettin' out
You fell in love, and love is the tender trap

Overall Meaning

The song "The Tender Trap" by Frank Sinatra and Count Basie speaks about the trap of falling in love. The lyrics describe how easily a person can fall in love, even when they are not expecting it. The song begins by talking about how all it takes is seeing a pair of "laughing eyes" for a person to start sighing and "thinking nothing's wrong." This then leads to the person "stringing along" until they are eventually caught in the "tender trap."


The lyrics continue to explore the feeling of falling in love and how it can be both wonderful and terrifying. The line "She'll hold you tight, and you'll hate yourself for being single" speaks to the feeling of being so enamored with someone that it almost feels like a weakness. However, the song ultimately suggests that falling in love is worth the risk, even if it means being caught in the "tender trap."


Overall, "The Tender Trap" is a classic love song that explores the feeling of falling in love, and the fear and excitement that come with it.


Line by Line Meaning

You see a pair of laughing eyes
You observe someone with an attractive and happy gaze.


And suddenly your sighing sighs
You feel a deep emotional connection resulting in a meaningful and hopeful sigh.


You're thinking nothing's wrong
You believe that there is no harm in experiencing these feelings.


You string along, boy, then snap!
You continue to be led on until your heart cannot take it anymore and you snap.


Those eyes, those sighs, they're part of the tender trap
The attraction and emotions you are feeling are part of a dangerous trap.


You're hand in hand beneath the trees
You are taking a romantic stroll with someone special in a natural setting.


And soon there's music in the breeze
The subtle sounds of nature create a romantic and intimate atmosphere.


You're acting kind of smart, until your heart just goes wap!
You try to be rational, but your heart quickly takes over, and you fall in love.


Those trees, that breeze, they're part of the tender trap
The surreal atmosphere created by nature is leading you into a dangerous trap.


Some starry night, when her kisses make you tingle
On a magical night, her kisses generate a sensory response in you.


She'll hold you tight, and you'll hate yourself for being single
Her embrace will make you regret being alone and not experiencing her love earlier.


And all at once it seems so nice
Everything suddenly feels perfect and complete when she's with you.


The folks are throwing shoes and rice
The people around you are happy, and they give you a celebratory send-off.


You hurry to a spot, that's just a dot on the map
You journey to a spot that holds significance for you both but may seem insignificant to others.


You're hooked, you're cooked, you're caught in the tender trap
You cannot escape the trap of love's hold on you.


And then you wonder how it all came about
You reflect on how you got to this point of being in love.


It's too late now there's no gettin' out
It's too late to go back. You can only move forward with your love.


You fell in love, and love is the tender trap
You fell into the trap of love, and now it has you captured.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, THE MUSIC GOES ROUND
Written by: Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@angloaust1575

The era of the musical
Faded out in the oncoming
Years but still appreciated!

@ejseabury

I watched “The Tender Trap” for the first time on TCM On Demand just two nights ago.

I loved it and now I can’t get this song out of my head, which suits me just fine.

@deaneaton8105

Only Charles Walters could've made this opening. Pick the best angle possible to let Frank be the center, make the staging simple - the hallmarks of his style and craft.

@arthurinuk

The way Francis remains on the horizon whilst moving forward. Genius.

@erinbower7162

I love Frank Sinatra! Wish I could have seen him live, but only learned about him around the time he passed away.

@richardlee8495

to see him live was a totally thrilling experience. he snapped his fingers when he came on to sing "Ive Got You..." and he did. in Baltimore. twice. nobody took the stage as effortlessly as Frank Sinatra.

@mwghoneim

Same here I am 12y old

@surgeclips8635

@@mwghoneimdo you still like him?

@RoyHWagnerASC

This song was photographed in the afternoon on MGM's Lot 3 in Culver City. The cloud background was the huge painted backdrop for the huge water tank (of course empty for this shot).

@onirannam

Fabulous open. On a huge screen in CinemaScope it was breathtaking.

More Comments