Operatic career:
Born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was exposed to opera and singing at a young age, and by the age of 16 his vocal talent became apparent. Starting out in local operatic productions in Philadelphia, he later came to the attention of conductor Serge Koussevitzky, who provided young Cocozza with a full student scholarship to the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. Koussevitzky would later tell Lanza that, "Yours is a voice such as is heard once in a hundred years."
His operatic debut, as Fenton in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, was at Tanglewood on August 7, 1942, after just six weeks of study with conductors Boris Goldovsky and Leonard Bernstein. It was here that Cocozza adopted his stage name from his mother Maria's maiden name of Lanza. His performances at Tanglewood won him critical acclaim, with Noel Straus of The New York Times hailing the 21-year-old tenor as having "few equals among tenors of the day in terms of quality, warmth, and power."
His operatic career was interrupted by World War II, when he was assigned to Special Services in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He appeared on the wartime shows On the Beam and Winged Victory while in the Air Corps.
He resumed his singing career in October 1945 on the CBS radio program Great Moments in Music, where he made six appearances singing various operatic selections. He later studied under Enrico Rosati for fifteen months, then embarked on an 86-concert tour of the United States, Canada and Mexico between July 1947 and May 1948 with George London and Frances Yeend. In April 1948, he sang Pinkerton in the New Orleans Opera's Madama Butterfly. A concert at the Hollywood Bowl brought Lanza to the attention of MGM's Louis B. Mayer, who signed Lanza to a seven-year film contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer. This would prove to be a turning point in the young singer's career.
Film career:
MGM's contract with Lanza required him to commit to the studio for six months, and at first Lanza was able to combine his film career with his operatic one, singing two acclaimed performances as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for the New Orleans Opera Association in April 1948. He also continued to perform in concert, both in solo appearances and as part of the Bel Canto Trio with George London and Frances Yeend. In May 1949, he made his first commercial recordings with RCA Victor. However, his first two films, That Midnight Kiss and The Toast of New Orleans, were very successful, as was his recording career, and Lanza's fame increased dramatically.
In 1951, Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso in The Great Caruso, which proved to be an astonishing success. At the same time, his popularity exposed Lanza to intense criticism by music critics, including those who had praised his work years earlier.
In 1954, Lanza was dismissed by MGM after he had pre-recorded the songs for The Student Prince. The film was subsequently made with actor Edmund Purdom miming to Lanza's vocals. During this period Lanza came very close to bankruptcy as a result of poor investment decisions made by his former manager. Owing about $250,000 in back taxes to the IRS, Lanza withdrew from the public eye for a time.
Mario Lanza at home.He returned to an active film career in 1956 in Serenade; despite its strong musical content, it was not as successful as his previous films. Lanza then moved to Rome, Italy in May 1957, where he worked on the film Seven Hills of Rome and returned to live performing in a series of acclaimed concerts throughout Britain, Ireland and the European Continent. In early 1958, he auditioned for the management of La Scala in Milan, and was immediately offered a minimum two-year contract to sing at that theatre. The opera initially discussed was Puccini's Tosca. Later that year, Lanza also agreed to open the 1960/61 season at the Rome Opera as Canio in Pagliacci. At the same time, however, his health began to decline, with the tenor suffering from a variety of ailments, including phlebitis and acute high blood pressure. The following year, in April 1959, Lanza suffered a minor heart attack, followed by double pneumonia in August. He died in Rome in October of that year at the age of 38 from a pulmonary embolism. His widow moved back to Hollywood with their four children and died of a drug overdose five months later; the younger of their two sons died of a heart attack at the age of 37. When Lanza died rumors spread that the notorious mob boss Lucky Luciano (Salvatore Luciano) had had him killed after he refused to perform for him but those rumors quickly died down because they simply were not true. Soprano Maria Callas would later say of him, "My biggest regret is not to have had the opportunity to sing with the greatest tenor voice I've ever heard."
Lanza's short career covered opera, radio, concerts, recordings, and motion pictures. He was the first artist for RCA Victor Red Seal to receive a gold disc. He was also the first artist to sell two and half million albums. A highly influential artist, Lanza has been credited with inspiring the careers of successive generations of opera singers, including Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci and Jose Carreras, as well as those of singers with seemingly different backgrounds, and influences, his RCA Victor label-mate Elvis Presley being the most notable example. In 1994, tenor José Carreras paid tribute to Lanza in a worldwide concert tour, saying of him, "If I'm an opera singer, it's thanks to Mario Lanza."
Drink
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lift your stein and drink your beer
Ein zwei drei vier
Lift your stein and drink your beer
Drink! Drink! Drink!
To eyes that are bright as stars when they're shining on me!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
Here's a hope that those bright eyes will shine
Lovingly, longingly soon into mine!
May those lips that are red and sweet,
Tonight with joy my own lips meet!
Drink! Drink!
Let the toast start!
May young hearts never part!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
Let every true lover salute his sweetheart!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
To arms that are white and warm as a rose in the sun!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
To hearts that will love one, only when I am the one!
Here's a hope that those soft arms will twine
Tenderly, trustingly soon around mine!
All I ask is the right to see those smiling eyes beguiling me
Drink! Drink!
Let the toast start!
May young hearts never part!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
Let every true lover salute his sweetheart!
Let's drink!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
To eyes that are bright as stars when they're shining on me!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
To lips that are red and sweet as the fruit on the tree!
Here's a hope that those soft arms will twine
Tenderly, trustingly soon around mine!
All I ask is a right to see those smiling eyes beguiling me
Drink! Drink!
Let the toast start!
May young hearts never part!
Drink! Drink! Drink!
Let every true lover salute his sweetheart!
Let's drink!
The song "Drink Drink Drink," performed by Mario Lanza, is a celebratory piece that encourages the audience to lift their spirits and glasses high. The opening lines of the song are particularly animated, inspiring listeners to lift their steins and drink their beer, beginning the revelry. The chorus further entreats all lovers in the room to celebrate their beloveds, whom they describe in glowing, poetic terms. The song also contains a hopeful message about the singer's own desires to be in the arms of a loved one, emphasized with repetition and repeated toasts.
The lyrics to "Drink Drink Drink" are a reminder of the importance of relationships and lovers in society, particularly in times of joy and celebration. The song encourages listeners to think of times past and to look forward to the future, and to enjoy every moment of life, particularly in the company of loved ones. The song is a classic and evokes feelings of nostalgia, romance, and adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
Ein zwei drei vier Lift your stein and drink your beer
Counting and calling lifting glasses, encouraging cheers and drinking of beer
Drink! Drink! Drink! To eyes that are bright as stars when they're shining on me!
Toast dedicated to the beauty of the eyes of the person in front of the singer
Drink! Drink! Drink! To lips that are red and sweet as the fruit on the tree!
Toast complementary to the person's red lips' sweetness and beauty
Here's a hope that those bright eyes will shine Lovingly, longingly soon into mine!
Expression of hope to attract reciprocated affections from the person with the bright eyes
May those lips that are red and sweet, Tonight with joy my own lips meet!
Request or desire to kiss the person with the red lips
Drink! Drink! Let the toast start! May young hearts never part!
Call to keep young hearts together, accompanied by a toast
Drink! Drink! Drink! Let every true lover salute his sweetheart!
Toast encouraging all lovers to salute their partners and rejoice in their love
Drink! Drink! Drink! To arms that are white and warm as a rose in the sun!
Toast dedicated to the person's arms, which are white and warm as roses in the sun
Drink! Drink! Drink! To hearts that will love one, only when I am the one!
Toast pinning the hope of the artist to be loved exclusively by the person's heart
Here's a hope that those soft arms will twine Tenderly, trustingly soon around mine!
Longing for an embrace with the person present in the room
All I ask is the right to see those smiling eyes beguiling me Drink! Drink!
Desire to exchange love with the person while toasting again and again
Let the toast start! May young hearts never part! Drink! Drink! Drink!
Call to celebrate love and keep young hearts together with drinks and toasts
Let every true lover salute his sweetheart! Let's drink!
A concluding message to all lovers - to celebrate their love by raising a glass and drinking!
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOROTHY DONNELLY, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yunghanma47
My mother passed away in 1957 when I was 13. During the last couple of years of her life, she just kept mentioning this scene: the beautiful voice of Mario, the perfect performance and lip-synching of Edmund. Miss my mom so much. And thanks Vicent, for bringing back all the memories.
@trollking99
Your mom passed 65+ years ago and you still miss her, wow. My own mom is around your age, and I make a point of seeing her (and my dad) at least once a week as I'm blessed that they're still around.
@harleylee._.
This song was my grandfather's favorite song. Before he died, I played it on YouTube. Recently, I had a dream of drinking with my grandfather, and I heard this song vaguely. Grandpa, I love you. Your pumpkin grandson.
@davidwhite1585
I would sing this down the pub at the end of every Saturday evening, to see all the locals swinging their glasses and rocking from side to side was wonderful, a fitting memorial to Mario the greatest tenor of all times.
@coreycox2345
When I was 4, my mum used to play this every Friday, when she paste waxed the wood floor in our tiny bungalo. They always looked great?
@darrenhirst9900
Later in the evening it went from drink to pissed 😂
@donnageorge2761
This makes me think of my father he just loves Mario Lanza typical Italian for a typical Italian family we used to do our chores on Saturdays to his record this was my fathers favorite song, my father died just two months ago and so this is him, I miss talking to you dad 💚❤️💚❤️🇮🇹🇮🇹
@Royalhighlander
As a child this album was played in our home. I grew up listening to some of the most beautiful music and talented artists ever. Tennessee Ernie Ford, The ink |spots Jimmy Dean..and the list goes on
@Salakert
can you share that album? ;)
@andreatreas
Mine too. Every Saturday morning 😁