After a brief turn at active service near the end of the war he moved to New Jersey. He toured with Jimmy Dorsey's band from 1945 to 1947, later forming the Soft Winds trio with Dorsey's guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist Lou Carter. During this time he wrote the music and words of the standard "Detour Ahead",[2] which has been recorded by Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Evans, and Carola among others.
In 1951 Frigo returned to Chicago, primarily working as a studio bassist and arranger. He also led the band at Mr. Kelly's, a popular Rush Street nightspot. Between 1951 and 1960 he played fiddle hoedowns and novelties with the Sage Riders, the house band for WLS's long-running National Barn Dance. He continued playing with the Sage Riders for another four years after WGN revived the show in 1961.
In the mid-1980s Frigo largely abandoned playing bass to refocus on the violin. After sitting in with Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, and Herb Ellis at Chicago's Jazz Showcase, Alexander invited him to join the trio for several upcoming live dates that produced Triple Treat II and Triple Treat III (Concord 1987). Johnny Carson once asked Frigo why it took so long to start his career as a violinist. Frigo replied "I wanna take as long as I could in my life so I wouldn't have time to become a has-been".[2]
He performed as a jazz violinist at festivals worldwide, including the Umbria Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz Festival. Frigo also was a published poet and artist. He wrote and performed the 1969 Chicago Cubs fight song "Hey Hey, Holy Mackerel."[3]
[edit]
The Song Is You
Johnny Frigo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A beautiful theme of every
Dream I ever knew.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
I feel it start, then melt away.
I hear music when I touch your hand,
A beautiful melody
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say,
Is this the day?
I alone have heard this lovely strain,
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
Must it be forever inside of me,
Why can't I let it go,
Why can't I let you know,
Why can't I let you know the song
My heart would sing?
That beautiful rhapsody
Of love and youth and spring,
The music is sweet,
The words are true
The song is you.
The Song is You by Johnny Frigo is a love song that describes the feelings of an individual in love. The lyrics depict the intensity of emotions felt by the singer when he sees his beloved. The first stanza reveals that the singer hears music in his heart when he looks at his partner, which is reflective of the beautiful dreams he has had. His heart feels the passion and intensity of this rhythm and then it fades away slowly. In the second stanza, the singer feels a beautiful melody every time he touches his partner's hand. According to him, the melody belongs to an enchanted land. In his heart, the singer feels that this could be the day he has been waiting for.
The singer has a secret, which is revealed in the final stanza. He alone has ever heard this beautiful melody that represents his feelings for his partner. He wonders why he can't let his partner know about the songs in his heart. The beautiful and soulful melody is a reflection of the singer's love, youth, and the joyousness of spring season.
Overall, the lyrics of the song reveal how music touches the soul and the heart of the singer. The melody and lyrics represent the feelings that the singer has for his partner.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear music when I look at you,
Looking at you fills me with a beautiful melody that represents all the dreams I have ever had.
A beautiful theme of every Dream I ever knew.
The melody that I hear when I look at you is the perfect representation of every dream I have ever had.
Down deep in my heart I hear it play.
I feel the melody deep inside my heart stirring my emotions.
I feel it start, then melt away.
The melody fills me up and then slowly disappears, but the emotions linger on.
I hear music when I touch your hand,
When I touch you, a beautiful melody emanates from within.
A beautiful melody from some enchanted land.
It's like the melody is coming from a magical, enchanting place filled with wonder and beauty.
Down deep in my heart, I hear it say, Is this the day?
This melody fills me up with anticipation and hope, making me wonder if today is the day my dreams come true.
I alone have heard this lovely strain,
This beautiful melody is something that only I have heard and experienced.
I alone have heard this glad refrain:
The wonderful tune I hear is a reminder of happy moments in my life.
Must it be forever inside of me,
I can't help but wonder why this beautiful melody should stay within me alone.
Why can't I let it go,
Why can't I share my emotions and the beautiful music with others, letting go of my fears?
Why can't I let you know,
Why can't I be open with you and share what's in my heart?
Why can't I let you know the song
I want to share the beautiful melody with you, let you listen too and know what's in my heart.
My heart would sing?
I envision my heart exploding with joy, singing with the beautiful melody that's deep inside me.
That beautiful rhapsody
The melody is the epitome of beauty and splendor.
Of love and youth and spring,
It represents love, youthfulness, and the magic of springtime.
The music is sweet,
The melody is beautiful and full of sweetness.
The words are true
The emotions that the melody evokes are sincere and genuine.
The song is you.
You are the one who brings this magic and beauty to my life, the one that the melody represents.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JEROME KERN, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind