Franks grew up in southern California with his father Gerald, his mother Betty and younger sister Christine who is the mother of Connor Sullivan (The lead singer of The Royal Nonesuch). Although no one in his family played music, his parents loved swing music and his early influences included Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer. At age 14 Franks bought his first guitar, a Japanese Marco Polo for $29.95 with six private lessons included - the only music education that he received.
At University High in Irvine, Franks discovered the poetry of Theodore Roethke with his off-rhymes and hidden meter. In high school, he began singing folk-rock, accompanying himself on guitar. Studying English at UCLA Michael discovered Dave Brubeck, Patti Page, Stan Getz, João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Miles Davis. He never studied music in college or later, but earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from UCLA in comparative literature in 1966 and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Oregon in 1968. He had a teaching assistantship in a Ph.D. program in American literature at the University of Montreal before returning to teach part-time at UCLA.
During this time Franks started writing songs, starting with the antiwar musical Anthems in E-flat starring Mark Hamill. He also composed music for the films Count Your Bullets, Cockfighter, and Zandy's Bride, starring Liv Ullmann and Gene Hackman. Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee recorded three of his songs, including "White Boy Lost in the Blues" on their album Sonny & Brownie. Franks played guitar, banjo and mandolin on the album and joined them in touring. In 1973, he recorded an eponymous album, later reissued as Previously Unavailable, which included the minor hit "Can't Seem to Shake This Rock 'n Roll".
In 1975 Franks released his second album The Art of Tea, beginning a long relationship with Warner Brothers Music. The Art of Tea featured Joe Sample, Larry Carlton and Wilton Felder of The Crusaders and included the hit song "Popsicle Toes". His third album, Sleeping Gypsy (1977), which includes the song "The Lady Wants to Know", was partially recorded in Brazil. Around this time, percussionist Ray Armando gave Franks a cabasa, which became a signature instrument for him to play on stage when he was not playing guitar. Burchfield Nines (1978), which includes the song "When the Cookie Jar Is Empty", reflects his move to New York City and features more of an East Coast sound. Since then, Franks has recorded more than 15 albums.
His best known works include "When I Give My Love to You", "Popsicle Toes", "Monkey See, Monkey Do", "Tiger in the Rain", "Rainy Night in Tokyo", and "Tell Me All About It". His biggest hit came in 1983 with "When Sly Calls (Don't Touch That Phone)" from the album Passionfruit. Radio hits include "Your Secret's Safe With Me" from 1985's Skin Dive, and "Island Life" from 1987s The Camera Never Lies.
Amazon
Michael Franks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear the jungle parrots scream
Just me and you
Alone in our dugout canoe
We kiss
The snakes hiss
We drift on
Amazon
Each day we fight
To stay alive
Make love each night
Drunk with desire
Asleep beside the jungle fire
We are
Like jaguar
And python
Amazon
In the morning we eat roast banana
In the evening we drink maté tea
And the waterfall water's sweet
In the green equatorial heat
Like the river we journey to the sea
Like the river we journey
Like the river we journey to the
Like the river we journey to the sea
The lyrics of Michael Franks's song "Amazon" depict a romantic dream-like journey through the Amazon rainforest, where the singer and his partner are alone in a dugout canoe, drifting along the river. The jungle parrots scream and the snakes hiss, adding to the exotic atmosphere. The couple has to fight each day to stay alive, but at night they make love, intoxicated with desire. The lyrics evoke a sense of freedom and adventure, as they journey down the river, surrounded by the lush greenery and the sound of the waterfall. The Amazon is portrayed as a place of wonder and danger, where jaguars and pythons roam free.
Line by Line Meaning
Inside my dream
In my mind's eye
I hear the jungle parrots scream
I tune in to the sounds of the lively tropical forest
Just me and you
Only the two of us
Alone in our dugout canoe
Riding peacefully in our carved wooden boat
We kiss
We passionately express our love
The snakes hiss
The serpents release their sibilant sounds
We drift on
We sail aimlessly
Amazon
Along the Amazon river
Each day we fight
Every day we struggle to survive
To stay alive
To keep breathing
Make love each night
Intimacy ensues every evening
Drunk with desire
Intoxicated by our passions
Asleep beside the jungle fire
Lulled into slumber near the blaze
We are
Our presence is
Like jaguar
Similar to a jaguar
And python
And a python
Amazon
Here on the Amazon river
In the morning we eat roast banana
At daybreak, we consume baked banana
In the evening we drink maté tea
Later on, we sip on maté tea
And the waterfall water's sweet
Also, the cascade's water is delectable
In the green equatorial heat
Amidst the hot and verdant equatorial climate
Like the river we journey to the sea
We travel to the ocean like the waterway does
Like the river we journey
Similar to the river's voyage
Like the river we journey to the
Like the river, we head towards the
Like the river we journey to the sea
We traverse until we reach the sea, just like the river
Contributed by Lauren H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mary Linn
Inside my dream I hear the jungle parrots scream Just me and you Alone in our dugout canoe We kiss The snakes hiss We drift on Amazon Each day we fight To stay alive Make love each night Drunk with desire Asleep beside the jungle fire We are Like jaguar And python Amazon In the morning we eat roast banana In the evening we drink mat tea And the waterfall water's sweet In the green equatorial heat Like the river we journey to the sea Like the river we journey Like the river we journney
Jonathan Lloyd
Still one of my favorite albums
RoboticsBay
Best voice in history
Malek Lamani Miñana
Very nice fusion
sammy campbell
Muito Muito Boa , Michael Franks ele é maravilhoso 👍🏾🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 O Amazon River em Brazil 🇧🇷
hk schubert
I love this song.
I sing it every chance I get.
Others who hear me say I sound just like Michael Franks and they urge me to keep singing to them.
White Men are So Sexy
I love this song💕💕👍👍
Lyd Krit
there's something so sad and beautiful about this song
Burt472
His zillionth masterpiece
DJ STAGE ONE
I came up on this record. R.i.p. pops!