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.
Why Spring Ain't Here
Michael Franks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never knew there could be Love Supreme til I lost it
Playing solo seemed ultra-cool - now it's clear
Our mid-winter goodbye must be why
Spring ain't here
Buds unopening refuse to bloom in low pressure
I feel like the man who lost the map to his treasure
I'm unsprung like the Spring i the absence of you
Increasingly, I start to see
Why Spring ain't here
A wiser man, I understand
Why Spring ain't here
Wintertime just won't break, like the calendar's rusted
Where is April and May, is the equinox busted?
My mistakes was in letting you disappear
Our French film-like goodbye must be why
Spring ain't here
Increasingly, I start to see why
Spring ain't here
I can't demote my overcoat cause
Spring Ain't here
I still am seem in L.L.Bean cause
Spring ain't here
Turn up the song and don't be long....
Make Spring be here
The lyrics to Michael Franks's song Why Spring Ain't Here take the listener on a journey through lost love and the longing for the return of the warmth and color of spring. Franks opens the song stating, "Never knew the point of No Return til I crossed it" which sets the tone for the nostalgic and introspective lyrics to follow. He laments the loss of a "love supreme" and the realization that playing solo is not as cool as he once thought. Franks cleverly connects the theme of lost love to the absence of spring, using the metaphor of buds refusing to bloom in low pressure to represent his own inability to fully blossom without his lost love. He questions if the notes he sings will ever stop turning blue, highlighting the sadness and frustration he feels over the inability to move on.
As the song progresses, Franks becomes increasingly introspective and begins to see the reasons why spring is not yet here. He acknowledges his mistakes in allowing his love to disappear and realizes that their "French film-like goodbye" may be the reason that spring has not yet arrived. Franks expresses a desire for the return of spring, longing for the warmth and color that it brings. He implores the listener to turn up the song, perhaps as a way to drown out the lingering winter and bring forth the energy and vibrancy of spring.
Overall, Why Spring Ain't Here is a thoughtful and introspective exploration of lost love and the longing for the return of spring. Through clever metaphors and descriptive language, Michael Franks takes his listeners on a journey of introspection and reflection.
Line by Line Meaning
Never knew the point of No Return til I crossed it
I didn't realize I was beyond the turning point until I was already there.
Never knew there could be Love Supreme til I lost it
I didn't appreciate love until I no longer had it.
Playing solo seemed ultra-cool - now it's clear
At first, I thought being alone was cool, but now I realize how wrong I was.
Our mid-winter goodbye must be why
Spring ain't here
I think our goodbye in the winter is why spring hasn't arrived yet.
Buds unopening refuse to bloom in low pressure
The buds won't open and bloom because of the low pressure in the atmosphere.
I feel like the man who lost the map to his treasure
I feel lost and hopeless, like a person who has lost their way to their treasure.
Will the notes that I sing ever stop turning blue?
Will my sad songs ever stop being so blue?
I'm unsprung like the Spring i the absence of you
I'm unprepared and not ready for spring because you're not here with me.
Increasingly, I start to see
Why Spring ain't here
I'm starting to understand why spring hasn't arrived yet.
A wiser man, I understand
Why Spring ain't here
I've become wiser and now I understand why spring hasn't come yet.
Wintertime just won't break, like the calendar's rusted
Winter won't go away, it feels like it's stuck and won't break free.
Where is April and May, is the equinox busted?
I wonder where April and May are, is something wrong with the equinox?
My mistakes was in letting you disappear
My mistake was letting you slip away from me.
Our French film-like goodbye must be why
Spring ain't here
Our goodbye was like a scene from a French film, and that's why spring hasn't come yet.
I can't demote my overcoat cause
Spring ain't here
I can't take off my coat because spring hasn't arrived yet.
I still am seem in L.L.Bean cause
Spring ain't here
I'm still wearing my L.L.Bean clothes because spring hasn't come yet.
Turn up the song and don't be long....
Make Spring be here
Let's turn up the music and enjoy ourselves in the hopes that spring will finally arrive soon.
Contributed by Kaelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.