Her career peaked in the late 1960s with a string of pop music hits. Her best-known hit, These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - which popularized and made her synonymous with Go-Go boots - was written by Lee Hazlewood. These Boots... has been covered by many artists such as Geri Halliwell, Megadeth, Jessica Simpson, Lil' Kim, Little Birdy, Billy Ray Cyrus, Crispin Hellion Glover and KMFDM.
Nancy also co-starred in a number of films, including Roger Corman's The Wild Angels with Peter Fonda and Bruce Dern, and Speedway with Elvis Presley, made guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, and starred in a number of television specials, most notable among them the 1967 Emmy Award-winning special "Movin' with Nancy", in which she appeared with her father and his Rat Pack pals Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.. In the 1970s, she slowed down her musical activity and ceased acting in order to concentrate on being a wife and mother. She returned to the studio in 1981 to record a country album with Mel Tillis called, Mel & Nancy.
At the age of 54, she posed for Playboy in their May 1995 issue, released a new CD, One More Time, and made guest appearances on TV shows to promote the new material.
Most Recently, the song Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (originally recorded by Cher) was used on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's hit Kill Bill.
On July 28, 2006, for the film Another Gay Movie (2006), she released the song "Another Gay Sunshine Day" from the Another Gay Movie Soundtrack.
See the Little Children
Nancy Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fantasy is such a common thing (common thing)
Love is why the flowers grow
Of all the red and blue
I wish they never had to know
Love can hurt them too
See the little children laugh and sing (laugh and sing)
See the little children running by (running by)
And love is just a mountain tall
Where angels learn to sing
How could they know that angels fall
Before they grow their wings?
See the children running by (running by)...
See the little children on their way (on their way)
Give them kisses, candy and today (And today)
Tomorrow will be soon enough to know what we speak of
Tomorrow will be soon enough to know the hurt of love
See the children on their way...
The lyrics to Nancy Sinatra's "See the Little Children" convey a message about the innocence of childhood and the harsh realities of life that can eventually shatter that innocence. The opening line sets the tone for the rest of the song, with children laughing and singing. The second line introduces the idea that fantasy is a common thing in childhood, where imagination can take us to far-off places and allow us to believe in the impossible. However, the lyrics take a melancholy turn when referencing the reality that love is what makes the flowers grow, but it can also hurt children.
In the second verse, the lyrics again focus on the happiness and whimsy of children dancing, but the next line draws a parallel between love and a mountain, where angels learn to sing. The following line, "How could they know that angels fall before they grow their wings?" suggests that the pain of love is unheard of by children until they experience it themselves. The last verse reveals that the song is a message from adult to adult, urging them to give children happiness and love while they can, because tomorrow will bring enough hurt in due time.
Overall, the lyrics are a reminder of the fleeting and precious nature of childhood innocence and the importance of cherishing those moments and protecting children from the harsh realities of the world for as long as possible.
Line by Line Meaning
See the little children laugh and sing
Observing the joyous laughter and singing from the children
Fantasy is such a common thing
Imagination and dreams are a frequent occurrence in childhood
Love is why the flowers grow
Explaining the world's natural beauty is a result of love's existence
Of all the red and blue
Of all the various colors and varieties
I wish they never had to know
Desiring the children would never have to experience a painful reality
Love can hurt them too
Explaining that love can cause pain even to children
See the little children running by
Observing the children's playful activity as they run by
Happiness is dancing in each pie
Expressing that joy exists in all elements of life and nature
And love is just a mountain tall
Comparing love to an enormous and overwhelming mountain
Where angels learn to sing
Imagining angels learning to sing in the midst of love's grandeur
How could they know that angels fall
Rhetorically questioning children's awareness of love's potential for pain and sadness
Before they grow their wings?
Before they gain knowledge and experience
See the children running by
Observing the children's playful activity as they run by
See the little children on their way
Watching as the children continue on their journey through life
Give them kisses, candy and today
Offering moments of sweetness and happiness in the present moment
Tomorrow will be soon enough to know what we speak of
Suggesting that the harsh realities of life can wait until tomorrow
Tomorrow will be soon enough to know the hurt of love
Implying that love's pain can come at a time in the future
See the children on their way...
Continuing to watch as the children journey through life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEE HAZLEWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charles Wilson
Totally BEAUTIFUL song sung by a BEAUTIFUL woman. Great!
Marlene Sullivan
SO BEAUTIFULLY SANG ❤
Simon Edgbaston
I love all Nancy's music as much as all her Fathers ❤
Noorah101
First time I've seen her with short hair...very cute and stylish! One of my favorite songs by her.
oldan68
She was the top notch girl of the 60's Hair, mini skirt and such beauty
Nolan Williams
How sweet. 👶🏻👶🏼👶🏽👶🏾👶🏿
Aramanth
Remember when music had emotion? Remember subtly. simplicity and passion?
Dan Jakobsson
This song is one of Lee Hazlewood.s songs. He Is my favourit songwriter. And Nancy Sinatra is also my favourit.
Grammatical Errors
Dan Jakobsson * lee hazlewood’s and favorite.
Dan Jakobsson
@Grammatical Errors They have the same meaning, favorite is the preferred spelling in the U.S., while favourit is preferred in British English.