He was born Frank Abelson to a Jewish family in Liverpool, England. The name Vaughan came from a grandmother whose first grandson he was, who used to call Frank "my number one" grandson, in whose Russian accent "one" sounded like "Vaughan."
In his early life, he was a member of the Lancaster Lads Club, a member group of the National Association of Boys' Clubs in the UK, and in his career he was a major contributor to the clubs, dedicating his monetary compensation from one song each year to them. He started out at the club intending to be a boxer. Then at age 14 he received a scholarship to the Lancaster College of Art, where he sang in the dance band. After a stint in the Royal Army Medical Corps in World War II (where he spent most of his time boxing) he returned to art school, this time at the Leeds College of Art.
When he won a prize to design a furniture exhibition stand, he left for London, where he won second prize on a radio talent show.
Frankie's career began in the late 1940s in the theatre doing variety song and dance acts. He was known as a fancy dresser, wearing top hat, bow tie, tails, and cane. In the 1950s he began making records, and was very popular in the UK. In 1955, he recorded what was to become his trademark song, "Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl."
He recorded a large number of songs that were covers of United States hit songs, including Perry Como's "Kewpie Doll," Jimmie Rodgers' "Kisses Sweeter than Wine,"Boyd Bennett's "Seventeen" (also covered in the US by the Fontane Sisters), Jim Lowe's "The Green Door," and (with the Kaye Sisters) the Fleetwoods' "Come Softly to Me." From the 1950s through the 1960s, his recordings were popular chart toppers in the UK.
He came to the United States in 1960 to make a movie with Marilyn Monroe, "Let's Make Love," and was an actor in several other movies, but his recordings were never chart hits in the US (though one, "Judy," did make the charts briefly and at a very low spot; even that one never got much air play in the US).
During the 1960's he became involved with youth social problems in Easterhouse, a large housing estate in the outskirts of Glasgow, and was influential in attracting new resources and inward investment to the area.
He continued performing until 1985, when he starred in a stage version of "42nd Street" at Drury Lane in London. After a year, he suffered a near fatal bout of peritonitis and had to leave the cast. He was married to Stella from 1951 to 1999 and they had three children and several grandchildren. He was awarded an OBE in 1965, a CBE in 1996 and had been a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the County of Buckinghamshire since 1993. He died from heart failure in 1999, aged 71.
Judy
Frankie Vaughan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every hope of Spring,
That's Judy,
My Judy,
If her eyes say "yes",
But you're wrong in your guess,
That's Judy,
If you hear her call,
In a soft, southern drawl,
"Hi! Stranger!",
That's danger.
If you're smart; watch yourr heart,
She'll upset 'most any fellows apple cart!
In a hundred ways,
You'll be shouting her praise,
She'll let 'ya,
She'll get 'ya.
When she sees you fall,
She will will tell you "That's all,..."
"You wrtech 'ya!"
You betcha.
Then you'l know all the heartaches,
Of a fool just like me.
If she seem a saint,
And you'll find that she ain't,
That's Judy,
Sure as you're born!
Frankie Vaughan's song "Judy" describes a woman named Judy, who has a charming voice capable of bringing hope and joy, especially in the springtime. If her eyes say "yes" but you misunderstand what she meant, it's still Judy. In the event of hearing Judy's call with a soft southern drawl, "Hi Stranger," you must be cautious because that could lead to danger. She'll upset almost any fellow's apple cart if you're not careful with your heart. She'll let and get you in a hundred ways, and when she witnesses your downfall, she will say, "that's all, you wretch, ya." This song is a cautionary story about the pain and heartaches that come with falling for someone like her.
The lyrics are a cautionary tale about falling in love with a woman that is difficult to handle. The song's message highlights the fact that love is not always easy and that the heartaches that come with it can be as much about what we do not see as what we do see. We must be careful about who we love and how we choose to do business with them. Judy is a symbol of all of the unattainable women who have captured the hearts of so many throughout time.
Line by Line Meaning
If her voice can bring,
If her singing can bring back the lively and joyful season of spring, then that's my girl Judy.
Every hope of Spring,
She is capable of rejuvenating anyone's soul with her voice, just as spring renews nature after the winter.
That's Judy,
Frankie Vaughan wants to emphasize that he is talking about his beloved girl Judy in these lyrics.
My Judy,
She belongs to him and he wants everyone to know that she is the one he is talking about.
If her eyes say "yes",
If her eyes approve of something you say or do, it may not be enough to reassure you of her interest in you.
But you're wrong in your guess,
You can't always trust a person's eyes as they can be misleading and confusing.
That's Judy,
Frankie Vaughan reminds his audience that he is once again referring to his one and only Judy.
My Judy.
He stresses the possessiveness he has over her.
If you hear her call,
If you hear her voice greeting you in a southern accent, that should raise a red flag for you.
In a soft, southern drawl,
She has a charming southern accent that adds to her allure and makes her sound more approachable.
"Hi! Stranger!",
She greets strangers with warmth and familiarity, which can create misunderstandings and jeopardize your relationship.
That's danger.
Frankie Vaughan adores Judy, but he wants to warn others that they should be wary of her charming ways.
If you're smart; watch yourr heart,
Frankie advises listeners that they should be careful and guard their heart before falling head over heels in love with someone like Judy.
She'll upset 'most any fellows apple cart!
She has the power to rock anyone's world and disrupt their emotions drastically.
In a hundred ways,
She has a plethora of qualities both good and bad that make her irresistible to some and a potential threat to others.
You'll be shouting her praise,
You can't help but praise her for her endearing qualities.
She'll let 'ya,
She will let you fall madly in love with her, but beware of the consequences.
She'll get 'ya.
She will win your heart and there might be little you can do about it.
When she sees you fall,
When she knows she has captured your heart, she will not hesitate to mock you when you fall from grace.
She will will tell you "That's all,..."
She will say something like, "That's enough, I'm done with you," or "I have you right where I want you," which can be crushing.
"You wrtech 'ya!"
She will denounce you and make you feel like a total nobody.
You betcha.
Frankie confirms that what he is warning people about in Judy is real and dangerous.
Then you'll know all the heartaches,
If you fall for Judy, he anticipates that you'll experience all the heartaches that come with loving someone who is unpredictable and hard to read.
Of a fool just like me.
He refers to himself as a fool because he, too, fell in love with Judy and found her hard to resist.
If she seems a saint,
If she appears like a person with a very high moral character or virtues or having obtained merit because of her good deeds, be careful because she may not be who she seems.
And you'll find that she ain't,
You'll be surprised to find out that her real character is far from what she appeared to be at first glance.
That's Judy,
Frankie Vaughan sums up the song by stating once again that he is talking about Judy and her ability to captivate and entrance people, but also to be dangerous and hard to handle.
Sure as you're born!
His certainty in the matter of Judy's true nature and its implications for those who might fall for her is unshakable and comes from personal experience.
Writer(s): SAMMY LERNER, HOAGY CARMICHAEL
Contributed by Xavier K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Josh Skriba
This song makes me think of judy garland