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."
Somebody Bigger Than You & I
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who made the trees
Who made the rivers that flow out to the seas
And who hung the moon in the starry, starry, starry sky
Chorus:
Somebody bigger
I know I know he's bigger than you and I
Somebody bigger
He's bigger, he's bigger than you
He's bigger than you
My God is, my God is oh
Now who made the flowers bloom in the spring, yeah
And who writes the songs for the robins to sing uh
And who sends the rain when the Earth is dry
I know, I know, I know
Somebody bigger yeah
Than you and I
Somebody bigger than you and I
Bigger than you and I
He lights the way when road is alone
Keeps me company with love to guide you
He walks beside you just like he walks with me
When I am weary, and filled with despair
Who gives me courage to go on and on and on from there
And who gives me faith
I will never, never, never, never, never doubt
Somebody bigger yeah
Somebody bigger than me and you
Bigger than you and I
Somebody bigger
My Lord is bigger than you
Bigger than you and I
He lights the way when the road is long
Keeps you company with love to guide you
He walks beside you just like he walks with me
The lyrics of Mario Lanza's "Somebody Bigger Than You & I" express a deep sense of faith and wonderment at the majesty of the world around us, while also recognizing that there is a higher power at work. The opening lines of the song speak to the grandeur of nature, asking who created the mountains, trees, and rivers that flow into the sea. This is followed by the awe-inspiring image of the moon hanging in the starry sky.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the concept of a "somebody bigger" who is greater than any individual human being or even the natural world itself. This somebody is identified as God, who is bigger than both the singer and the listener. The verses that follow continue this theme by focusing on the mystery of life and creation, wondering who made the flowers bloom in spring, who writes the songs for the robins, and who sends rain to the Earth when it is dry.
The final verse of the song is perhaps the most personal, as the singer speaks directly to the listener about the comfort and guidance that their faith provides. He speaks of the way that God lights the way when we are alone, walks beside us when we are in need, and gives us the strength to go on even in the face of despair. Through this powerful expression of faith, the singer seeks to convey the message that no matter what challenges we face in life, there is always a higher power to turn to for support and guidance.
Line by Line Meaning
Who made the mountains
Identifying that there's a creator of the mountains
Who made the trees
Asking for the origin of the trees and the creator behind them
Who made the rivers that flow out to the seas
Acknowledging a superior being's role in creating rivers
And who hung the moon in the starry, starry, starry sky
Expressing awe and admiration towards the creator of the moon
Somebody bigger
Praising God and acknowledging His superiority over human beings
I know I know he's bigger than you and I
Affirming that God is greater than any human being, without a trace of doubt
My God is bigger
Emphasizing and taking pride in God's omnipotence
He's bigger, he's bigger than you
Stressing on the fact that God is more powerful than any individual human being
He's bigger than you
Reiterating that God surpasses humans in strength and capabilities
My God is, my God is oh
Repeating one's unwavering devotion to God
Now who made the flowers bloom in the spring, yeah
Asking rhetorically about the creator of spring and highlighting the wonder associated with it
And who writes the songs for the robins to sing uh
Contemplating on the source behind birds' ability to express themselves through beautiful melodies
And who sends the rain when the Earth is dry
Marveling at the act of sending rain to quench the thirst of the earth
I know, I know, I know
Stating one's unwavering belief in God's existence
Than you and I
Comparing mere mortals to the supreme being, God
Bigger than you and I
Reiterating the vast distinction between human beings and God's greatness
He lights the way when road is alone
Depicting God as a light that illuminates the way when one is lonely and lost
Keeps me company with love to guide you
Expressing the notion that God is an all-encompassing companion, who guides through love
He walks beside you just like he walks with me
Stressing that God accompanies every individual like a constant presence by their side
When I am weary, and filled with despair
Describing the feeling of tiredness and hopelessness
Who gives me courage to go on and on and on from there
Acknowledging God as a source of hope and energy, enabling one to move ahead
And who gives me faith
Pointing out that faith in God is a gift granted by Him
I will never, never, never, never, never doubt
Emphasizing that doubt will never cross one's mind when it comes to faith in God
My Lord is bigger than you
Stating the prominence and power of God compared to a mere mortal
Bigger than you and I
Reiterating that humans are no match for his grandeur
Somebody bigger
Referring to God as the Most High, powerful beyond measure
Bigger than you and I
Comparing the greatness of humans with the supreme Being, God.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HY HEATH, JOHNNY LANGE, SONNY BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cary Pragdin
It's 2019 in South Africa and my 10-year-old daughter needs to memorise an Afrikaans poem. I've just played her this song because I realised that the rhythm and meter of the poem are based on this work. I expected her to be bored or not appreciate it, but instead she tried to sing along. My mom, who was born the year before this recording, entered the room and sang along. I was so moved that I burst into tears. Thank you for uploading this beautiful song that will endure forever.
SrSoapFan
An inspirational, meaningful song, sung by Mario Lanza in all his glory! He's sorely missed & remembered always. Thanks for sharing.
kevin temme
Mario Lanza was a brilliant singer with an amazing voice
rick rock
this man could sing anything the greats voice ever ...........
Jenny Varlamova
such song helps one to feel that we are not alone
Matthew Bulger
Last Month My Beloved Mother Passed Away At The Age Of 94.This Song In Some Ways Is Helping Me Get My Life Back Together.
Clive Newman
When my dad died in 1999 we played ave Marie the man is simply a legend
Anthony G
God bless you for uploading this song.
Gabry C.
Mario Lanza te best tenore in the world.. Now and forever
Radiotron47
X🙏🙏 Praise the Lord. 💕💕