Michael Franks (born 18 September 1944 in La Jolla, California, USA) is a s… Read Full Bio ↴Michael Franks (born 18 September 1944 in La Jolla, California, USA) is a smooth jazz singer and songwriter from the United States. He has recorded with a variety of well-known artists, such as Patti Austin, Brenda Russell, Art Garfunkel, and David Sanborn. His songs have been recorded by The Manhattan Transfer, Patti Labelle, Carmen McRae, Diana Krall, Shirley Bassey and the Carpenters.

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.

NEVER SAY DIE
Michael Franks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Money misery grows
Oh woe is we
Who know where it will end
Hard luck follows us
Minus never plus
Will we break or just bend
Never say die
We've got the worst behind us

If we just try
Soon we'll be feeling strong
Cancel that frown
Somehow the light will find us
Can't keep us down
Well at least not for long
Worry's worn us thin
But when our ship comes in
All our troubles will fold
We're a perfect fit

Come to think of it
Love's more precious than gold

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Michael Franks's song Never Say Die talk about the struggles and hardships that people face in life. The first few lines talk about how money troubles can cause misery and how everyone is unsure where the situation will end. The second line talks about how "hard luck follows us" and that this leads to a negative outlook towards life. However, the next few lines talk about the importance of being optimistic. Even though things may be tough, one should never give up and always keep trying. The phrase "never say die" is a reminder to keep fighting even when the situation seems bleak. The following lines provide hope that things will get better if only people try. It urges one to remain positive, and things will work out.

The last few lines of the song are about the power of love. It talks about how love is more valuable than gold, and everything falls into place when one finds true love. The lyrics suggest that no matter the obstacles, love can overcome all. The final line serves as motivation to keep going, knowing that something beautiful is waiting just around the corner.

Overall, the song's meaning is that life can be hard, and hurdles often seem insurmountable, but persistent effort and an optimistic outlook can change things. Even when things appear grim, there is always hope. The power of love often makes everything worthwhile, and ultimately love can conquer all.

Line by Line Meaning

Money misery grows
Our financial problems continue to increase

Oh woe is we
We are in a sad and difficult situation

Who know where it will end
We are unsure of what the future holds for us

Hard luck follows us
We seem to be constantly unlucky in life

Minus never plus
We only ever seem to experience negative things

Will we break or just bend
We wonder if our hardships will break us or make us stronger

Never say die
We should never give up or lose hope

We've got the worst behind us
Our toughest times are over

If we just try
If we put in some effort

Soon we'll be feeling strong
We will soon regain our strength and confidence

Cancel that frown
We need to stop feeling sad and negative