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.
The Girl from Ipanema
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
When she walks, she's like a samba
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
How can he tell her he loves her
Yes I would give my heart gladly
But each day, that she walks to the sea
She looks straight ahead, not at he
Tall, (and) tan, (and) young, (and) lovely
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
And when she passes, he smile - but she doesn't see
(Doesn't see)
(She just doesn't see, she never sees him)
The lyrics of Henry Mancini's song "The Girl from Ipanema" tell the story of a young and beautiful woman walking along the streets of Ipanema, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The song describes her as tall, tan, young, and lovely, capturing the attention of everyone who sees her. As she walks, she moves with grace and rhythm, resembling the smooth and gentle movements of a samba.
While many admire her from a distance, there is one person who watches her with longing and sadness. The singer of the song, presumably a man, is deeply in love with the girl from Ipanema but finds it difficult to express his feelings. He wishes he could confess his love to her and freely give his heart, but he is aware that she does not notice him. Despite his affection, she continues to walk to the sea, looking straight ahead, oblivious to his presence.
The lyrics beautifully depict admiration from afar, unrequited love, and the bittersweet feeling of longing for someone who remains unaware of one's feelings. The contrasting emotions between the girl's radiance and the singer's unfulfilled desire create a poignant atmosphere in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Tall and tan and young and lovely
She is tall, has a golden tan, is young, and is beautiful.
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
This girl from Ipanema frequently takes leisurely walks.
And when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
Everyone who she passes by admires her and gets captivated.
When she walks, she's like a samba
Her walking style resembles the vibrant and captivating rhythm of a samba dance.
That swings so cool and sways so gentle
Her walking movement is smooth, cool, and gracefully gentle.
That when she passes, each one she passes goes - ah
As she walks by, each person she passes reacts with awe and admiration.
(Ooh) But he watches her so sadly
However, there is a man who watches her with a deep sense of sadness.
How can he tell her he loves her
He struggles with how to express his love for her.
Yes, I would give my heart gladly
The man is willing and eager to give his heart to her with joy and enthusiasm.
But each day, that she walks to the sea
Yet, every day when she walks towards the ocean.
She looks straight ahead, not at he
She gazes straight ahead, not noticing or acknowledging him.
The girl from Ipanema goes walking
Once again, the girl from Ipanema goes on her walk.
And when she passes, he smiles - but she doesn't see
As she walks by, he smiles at her, yet she remains oblivious to his gesture.
(Doesn't see)
She doesn't see.
(She just doesn't see, she never sees him)
She never sees him; it is a repeated and constant occurrence.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius De Moraes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind