Although she had classical voice training, early in her career she was drawn to the songs of the era’s brilliant young songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin, who were inspiring a resurgence in popular music. In 1934, at age 27, she became the top-polled ‘girl singer’. The famous composer and producer, Billy Rose, when asked to name the top ten female singers, is reported to have replied, “Jane Froman and nine others”.
She was severely injured by an aircraft crash on February 22, 1943, when a USO plane carrying Jane and thirty-eight others crashed into the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal. One of fifteen survivors, Jane sustained horrible injuries: a cut below the left knee nearly severing her leg, multiple fractures of her right arm, and a compound fracture of her right leg that doctors threatened to amputate.
Jane underwent thirty-nine operations over the years. She stubbornly fought amputation, but with dignity and aplomb wore a leg brace the remainder of her life. However, she returned and entertained the troops in World War II, despite having to walk with crutches, giving ninety-five shows throughout Europe.
She is credited with three movies, Kissing Time (1933), Stars Over Broadway (1935) and Radio City Revels (1938). From 1952 to 1955, she hosted her own TV show The Jane Froman Show -- initially called USA Canteen -- on the CBS network. The show was fifteen minutes long and initially alternated with The Perry Como Show. The very first hit song to be introduced on television, I Believe, was written for Froman by the show’s musicians, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl, and Al Stillman and earned her a gold record in 1953.
Jane Froman's life story was the subject of the hit film With a Song in My Heart (1952), starring Susan Hayward as Froman. Froman herself supplied Hayward’s singing voice. The Capitol album of songs from the movie was the Number One best-selling album of 1952 and remained in the catalogue for many years. DRG recently issued it on a compact disc along with the 1952 original cast album of Pal Joey. The show's star, Vivienne Segal, could not record the album because of a previous album made, so Froman was substituted and she does quite well with her vocals. A Collectors' Choice CD called Jane Froman on Capitol is a nice collection of her Capitol Records singles and tracks from albums.
Jane retired to her home town of Columbia in 1961, but continued the volunteer work for which she was known throughout her career. In 1980, she died of cardiac arrest due to chronic heart and lung disease.
That Old Feeling
Jane Froman Lyrics
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Last night my heart was so gay
Last night I found myself dancing
In my favorite cabaret
You were completely forgotten
Just an affair of the past
Then suddenly something happened to me
And I found my heart beating, oh, so fast
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
“That Old Feeling” is a song by Lew Brown and Sammy Fain that tells a story about reunited love. The song begins with the singer describing how happy and carefree they felt as they danced in their favorite cabaret. They were enjoying their night, and they had completely forgotten any love affairs from the past. However, their life turned around when they saw their former lover walk into the room. Suddenly, their heart began racing, and they realized that the spark of love between them was still alive.
The singer gets overwhelmed with emotions when they see their ex-lover walk into the room. They are reminded of the old feelings they had and all of sudden, they feel the yearning for this person again. Although they know that it's foolish to start a new romance, they admit that the old feeling is still in their hearts. The song's message is that sometimes, reconnecting with someone from our past can be an emotional experience, and feelings that might have faded away could be brought to life again.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I started out happy
I was in a good mood when the night began
Last night my heart was so gay
I was feeling happy and carefree
Last night I found myself dancing in my favorite cabaret
I started dancing in the place I love the most
You were completely forgotten, just an affair of the past
I had completely forgotten about you and our relationship
Then suddenly something happened to me and I found my heart beating, oh, so fast
But then something happened that made my heart race
I saw you last night and got that old feeling
When I saw you, I felt a familiar sensation
When you came in sight I got that old feeling
Just the sight of you brought back that same feeling
The moment that you danced by I felt a thrill
Watching you dance gave me an exciting feeling
And when you caught my eye my heart stood still
And when we made eye contact, my heart skipped a beat
Once again I seemed to feel that old yearning
I had the same longing feeling I had before
And I knew the spark of love was still burning
I realized that the love between us was still there
There'll be no new romance for me, it's foolish to start
I won't pursue any new relationships because it's pointless
For that old feeling, is still in my heart
Because that old feeling still remains in my heart
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PD TRADITIONAL, SANFORD SCHMIDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind