Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the steel town of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His parents emigrated from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Mancini's father, Quinto, was a steelworker, who made his only child begin flute lessons at the age of eight. When Mancini was 12 years old, he began piano lessons. Quinto and Henry played flute together in the Aliquippa Italian immigrant band, "Sons of Italy". After high school, Mancini attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. In 1943, after roughly one year at Juilliard, his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the army. In 1945, he participated in the liberation of a South German concentration camp.
Mancini recorded over 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band to classical to pop. Eight of these albums were certified gold by The Recording Industry Association of America. He had a 20 year contract with RCA Records, resulting in 60 commercial record albums that made him a household name composer of easy listening music.
Mancini's range also extended to orchestral and ethnic scores (Lifeforce, The Great Mouse Detective, Sunflower, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", Molly Maguires, The Hawaiians), and darker themes ("Experiment In Terror," "The White Dawn," "Wait Until Dark," "The Night Visitor").
Mancini was also a concert performer, conducting over fifty engagements per year, resulting in over 600 symphony performances during his lifetime. Among the symphony orchestras he conducted are the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He appeared in 1966, 1980 and 1984 in command performances for the British Royal Family. He also toured several times with Johnny Mathis and with Andy Williams, who had sung many of Mancini's songs.[citation needed]
Mancini had experience with acting and voice roles. In 1994 he made a one-off cameo appearance in the first season of the sitcom series Frasier, as a call-in patient to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show. Mancini voiced the character Al, who speaks with a melancholy drawl and hates the sound of his own voice, in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast?" Mancini also had an uncredited performance as a pianist in the 1967 movie Gunn, the movie version of the series Peter Gunn, the score of which was originally composed by Mancini himself.
Mancini was nominated for an unprecedented 72 Grammys, winning 20 Additionally he was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning four. He also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmys.
Mancini won a total of four Oscars for his music in the course of his career.
Mancini died at the age of 70 in Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, California of pancreatic cancer. He was working at the time on the Broadway stage version of Victor/Victoria. At the time of his death, Mancini was married to singer Virginia "Ginny" OΒ΄Connor, with whom he had three children. Ginny Mancini went on to found the Society of Singers a non profit organization which benefits the health and welfare of professional singers worldwide. Additionally the Society awards scholarships to students pursuing an education in the vocal arts and holds the annual Ella Awards.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP) Foundation "Henry Mancini Music Scholarship" has been awarded annually since 2001.
Friends to The End
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We two weβ²re friends to the end
Ain't we, my friend?
We kinda blend together
Coffee and cream
Boy, what a team!
Youβ²ll never find two other guys
We're two of a kind
Much of a mind
We find our way together
Thinkin' as one
Searchinβ² for sunny skies
True, the sun may turn to rain
We donβ²t mind a drop of rain
But you won't hear us complain
Doesnβ²t help to stop the rain
What's to gain if we complain?
Causes lots of stress and strain
We keep smilinβ²
And the pitter-patter
Doesn't matter
Why let it drive us insane?
We know the weather will mend
Wonβ²t it my friend?
We'll weather life together
So what the heck?
Here's what we recommend:
The greatest gift in lifeβ²s a friend
Take it, frankie!
Pays a daily dividend
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
Come on, one more time!
The greatest gift in lifeβ²s a friend
Take it, puggs!
Pays a daily dividend
Uh huh
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
Hey, come on, guys! you two try! you can do it! be friends!
All right, i'll give it a shot. here we go.
We two weβ²re friends to the end
Ain't we, my friend?
We kinda blend together
Coffee and cream
Boy, what a team!
Youβ²ll never find two other guys
Compatible as steak and fries
We're two of a kind
Much of a mind
We find our way together
Thinkinβ² as one
Searchin' for sunny skies
True, the sun may turn to rain
We don't mind a drop of rain
But you wonβ²t hear us complain
Doesnβ²t help to stop the rain
What's to gain if we complain?
Causes lots of stress and strain
We keep smilinβ²
And the pitter-patter
Doesn't matter
Why let it drive us insane?
We know the weather will mend
Wonβ²t it my friend?
We'll weather life together
So what the heck?
Hereβ²s what we recommend
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Pays a daily dividend
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
Again, again!
Take it home!
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Pays a daily dividend
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
The song "Friends to the End" by Henry Mancini is a celebration of the bond of friendship that can weather the ups and downs of life. The lyrics introduce the two friends as a perfect match, like coffee and cream or steak and fries, who think and act as one. They maintain a positive attitude even in the face of adversity, recognizing that complaining won't solve anything and might even cause more stress. Instead, they choose to smile through the "pitter-patter" of life, knowing that the sun will shine again eventually.
The chorus reinforces the sentiment of the song by proclaiming that the greatest gift in life is a friend. The daily dividend of having a friend is immeasurable, and the song encourages listeners to be like the two friends and start a trend of lifelong friendship. The playful call and response between the two male vocalists, Frankie and Puggs, adds a lighthearted and jovial tone to the song, suggesting that even in difficult times, a good friend can make us smile and sing along.
Line by Line Meaning
We two we're friends to the end
We are best friends forever
Ain't we, my friend?
Right, pal?
We kinda blend together
We complement each other
Coffee and cream
Like two halves of the same whole
Boy, what a team!
We are unbeatable together
You'll never find two other guys
No one else could be better than us
Compatible as steak and fries
Perfectly matched
We're two of a kind
Similar in every way
Much of a mind
We think alike
We find our way together
We navigate life as a team
Thinkin' as one
We have a shared perspective
Searchin' for sunny skies
We seek out positivity
True, the sun may turn to rain
Life can have unexpected hurdles
We don't mind a drop of rain
We are resilient
But you won't hear us complain
We don't dwell on negativity
Doesn't help to stop the rain
Complaining won't fix things
What's to gain if we complain?
There's nothing positive to be gained from complaining
Causes lots of stress and strain
Complaining is counterproductive
We keep smilin'
We maintain a positive mindset
And the pitter-patter
We take life's challenges in stride
Doesn't matter
It's not a big deal
Why let it drive us insane?
We won't let negative thoughts overwhelm us
We know the weather will mend
Things will get better
Won't it my friend?
Right, buddy?
We'll weather life together
We'll face life's challenges together
So what the heck?
Let's do this!
Here's what we recommend:
Our advice is
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Friends are invaluable
Pays a daily dividend
Being friends is rewarding
Be like us and start a trend
Follow our example and make friends
Be friends to the end
Stay friends for life
Writer(s): Henry N. Mancini, Leslie Bricusse
Contributed by Lucy H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gabriel.m.cardoso7570
Mmmm...
We two we're friends to the end
Ain't we, my friend?
We kinda blend together
Coffee and cream
Boy, what a team!
You'll never find two other guys
Compatible as steak and fries
We're two of a kind
Much of a mind
We find our way together
Thinkin' as one
Searchin' for sunny skies
True, the sun may turn to rain
We don't mind a drop of rain
But you won't hear us complain
Doesn't help to stop the rain
What's to gain if we complain?
Causes lots of stress and strain
We keep smilin'
And the pitter-patter
Doesn't matter
Why let it drive us insane?
We know the weather will mend
Won't it my friend?
We'll weather life together
So what the heck?
Here's what we recommend:
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Take it, frankie!
Pays a daily dividend
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
Come on, one more time!
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Take it, puggs!
Pays a daily dividend
Uh huh
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
Hey, come on, guys! you two try! you can do it! be friends!
All right, i'll give it a shot. here we go.
We two we're friends to the end
Ain't we, my friend?
We kinda blend together
Coffee and cream
Boy, what a team!
You'll never find two other guys
Compatible as steak and fries
We're two of a kind
Much of a mind
We find our way together
Thinkin' as one
Searchin' for sunny skies
True, the sun may turn to rain
We don't mind a drop of rain
But you won't hear us complain
Doesn't help to stop the rain
What's to gain if we complain?
Causes lots of stress and strain
We keep smilin'
And the pitter-patter
Doesn't matter
Why let it drive us insane?
We know the weather will mend
Won't it my friend?
We'll weather life together
So what the heck?
Here's what we recommend
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Pays a daily dividend
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
Again, again!
Take it home!
The greatest gift in life's a friend
Pays a daily dividend
Be like us and start a trend
Be friends to the end
@lucas-hw6jm
i don't give a shit what anyone says, this movie will always and forever hold a special place in my heart.
@CherryPascalle
In a world full of hate, we need friendship. I always thought the message that even bitter enemies can become friends was great.
"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve, and bad things are very easy to get." ~ Confucius
@jeef506
Who could dislike a masterpiece such as this?
@RobloxGuestNews
Aunt dog and lickboot
@MonSuper21
mmmm
@teenage-mutant-turtle21
Nostalgia Critict
@PrideEepy64
@@teenage-mutant-turtle21exactly what I knew when I came back to this
@redieval3454
Guess they donβt have friends to the end
π€·πΌββοΈ
@justincanha6162
RIP Ed Gilbert (1931-2009) David Lander (1947-2020) Dana Hill (1964-1996)
@swisscheesegamer
Ed Gilbert actually died in 1999