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.
Song From M.A.S.H
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I worry and wonder.
Your lips may be near,
but where is your heart?
It's always like this,
I worry and wonder.
You're close to me here,
It's a sad thing to realize
that you've a heart that never melts.
When we kiss, do you close your eyes,
pretending that I'm someone else?
You must break the spell,
this cloud that I'm under.
So please won't you tell, darling,
where is your heart?
The Song From M.A.S.H. is a classic tune with deep emotional undertones. The lyrics describe the singer's anxiety when it comes to intimacy with their partner. Every time they kiss, they worry and wonder where their partner's heart truly lies. The proximity of their lips is not enough assurance that their partner reciprocates their feelings. The singer laments that their partner has a heart that never melts, implying that they are emotionally distant. They even question whether their partner closes their eyes during the kiss, pretending they are someone else.
The singer pleads with their partner to break the spell and help them understand where their heart truly lies. They're tired of living under the cloud of uncertainty and seek clarity. This song captures the essence of a relationship that is clouded by doubts and insecurities. It is a poignant reminder that proximity does not always equate to intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
When ever we kiss,
The singer expresses concern and confusion whenever they engage in physical intimacy with their partner.
I worry and wonder.
The singer experiences both anxiety and curiosity regarding their partner's emotional commitment to the relationship.
Your lips may be near,
Although physically proximate, the singer questions whether their partner is truly present and engaged in the moment.
but where is your heart?
The artist fears that their partner may not reciprocate the depth of their emotional connection and may be emotionally distant or uncommitted to the relationship.
It's always like this,
The artist is expressing that this feeling of uncertainty is a recurring occurrence in their relationship.
I worry and wonder.
The singer continuously experiences anxiety and confusion regarding their partner's emotional commitment to the relationship.
You're close to me here,
Although physically close to the singer, the partner's emotional distance places a metaphorical gap between them.
but where is your heart?
The artist is pleading for their partner to reveal the true depth of their emotional investment in the relationship.
It's a sad thing to realize
The artist experiences a degree of sadness upon coming to a realization about their partner.
that you've a heart that never melts.
The artist is expressing that their partner may be emotionally unavailable or unwilling to deeply connect on an emotional level.
When we kiss, do you close your eyes,
The singer is wondering whether their partner may be emotionally disengaged during moments of physical intimacy.
pretending that I'm someone else?
The artist questions whether their partner may be projecting their emotional desires onto another person during moments of physical intimacy.
You must break the spell,
The singer is urging their partner to take action and break the cycle of emotional distance in their relationship.
this cloud that I'm under.
The singer is expressing how their partner's emotional distance is having a negative effect on their own emotional wellbeing and mental state.
So please won't you tell, darling,
The singer is gently imploring their partner to openly communicate their emotions and feelings.
where is your heart?
The artist is directly asking their partner to reveal the true depth of their emotional commitment to the relationship.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GEORGES AURIC, WILLIAM ENGVICK, JACQUES LARUE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind