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" O´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.
Gonna Fly Now
Henry Mancini Lyrics
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Gonna fly, fly, fly
Rocky's ready to make a move, yeah
Rocky's ready he just can't lose, yeah
Every nerve a wire sweatin' blood, like fire
Body's achin' from the hurt it's takin'
muscles screamin' like a burnin' demon
Every nerve a wire sweatin' blood, like fire
Tryin' hard now, it's so hard now
Tryin' hard now, Rocky power by the hour
Pumpin' iron God ya know he's tryin'
Every nerve a wire sweatin' blood, like fire
Gonna fly now, flyin' high now
Gonna fly, fly, fly
Feelin' strong now, won't be long now
Gettin' strong now, fists like thunder gonna put you under
Pumpin' iron God ya know he's tryin'
Every nerve a wire sweatin' blood, like fire
Gonna fly now, flyin' high now
The lyrics of Henry Mancini's "Gonna Fly Now" are highly motivational in nature, clearly depicting the physical and mental preparation of Rocky Balboa, the main character of the film "Rocky." The theme of the song is all about pushing oneself beyond the limits to achieve greatness. The lyrics depict the singer's state of mind and body, as he trains to be the best boxer in the world. The first verse of the song highlights how Rocky is prepared to make his move, leaving no room for failure. His body is pushed to its limits and is screaming from the unimaginable pain. However, he is so determined and resilient that he continues to push himself beyond his limits.
The lyrics in the second verse illustrate the same perseverance; Rocky's determination is such that he is giving it his all, and it's still not enough. He's trying hard now, harder than ever before, and every single nerve is wired with electricity, sweat pouring like blood, and his heart racing like fire. The third verse underscores this further, as Rocky now feels strong and is even more determined to succeed. Every punch he throws is like thunder, and he knows that he has what it takes to achieve his dreams. Finally, in the chorus, he is ready to fly, fly high, with his fists raised in the air, representing his innermost confidence and determination to become the greatest boxer in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna fly now, flying high now
The feeling of becoming victorious is apparent and is bound to take the singer to great heights.
Gonna fly, fly, fly
The singer is all set to soar above all the hindrances that come in the way of success.
Rocky's ready to make a move, yeah
The singer is completely prepared to take the leap and approach the goal with confidence.
Rocky's ready he just can't lose, yeah
The artist has a strong will and determination to overcome any obstacles that may come in the way of his success.
Every nerve a wire sweatin' blood, like fire
The artist is going through the toughest of the tests, but his determination and strength are unbreakable.
Body's achin' from the hurt it's takin'
The singer has been putting in a lot of hard work, and his body is feeling the pain and exhaustion from that hard work.
Muscles screamin' like a burnin' demon
The singer's muscles are contorting and tensing up, as if they are being tormented by a demon.
Tryin' hard now, it's so hard now
The artist is finding it incredibly difficult to push himself through this tough phase.
Tryin' hard now, Rocky power by the hour
The artist is summoning all of his physical and mental strength to keep going.
Pumpin' iron God ya know he's tryin'
The artist is working out and building up his muscles under immense pressure to get stronger.
Feelin' strong now, won't be long now
The singer can feel the increased strength within him and is sure that he is edging closer to his goal.
Gettin' strong now, fists like thunder gonna put you under
The artist is now capable of delivering powerful punches, which can take down his opponents.
Gonna fly now, flyin' high now
The singer is on the verge of tearing down all the obstacles and emerging victorious.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AYN ROBBINS, CAROL CONNORS, BILL CONTI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind