The young daughter of Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra was an aspiring diva with a string of disappointments even her father’s usually indomitable influence couldn’t make into hits. Thus she was delivered to Hazlewood by fellow producer and Reprise bigwig Jimmy Bowen. The result, to almost everyone’s satisfaction, was wall to wall hits for the next 5 years. Described by detractors as a tuneless drone, Nancy’s voice was more importantly a tough and life-wisened instrument, and certainly not lacking in a canny sexuality which, inadvertently or not, anticipated liberated, strong female singing from Nico and Pat Benatar to Kim Gordon and Joan Jett. Hazlewood, naturally, saw these elements for the strengths that they were, and knew exactly how to highlight them sonically. He sculpted, again with the help of his now famous session men, a countryfied pop brew to bathe tunes which, though not without their novelty aspects, were more novel in the literary sense — concisely constructed layers of sophisticated artifice operating on several levels of meaning, depending on how deep you were willing to go.
Sinatras singing career received a boost with the help Hazlewood, who had been making records for ten years, notably with Duane Eddy. Hazlewood became Sinatra's inspiration. He had her sing in a lower key and crafted pop songs for her. Bolstered by an image overhaul — including dyed-blonde hair, frosted lips, heavy eye make-up and Carnaby Street fashions — Sinatra made her mark on the American (and British) music scene in early 1966 with "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'", its title inspired by a line in Robert Aldrich's 1963 western comedy 4 for Texas starring her father and Dean Martin. One of her many hits written by Hazlewood, it received three Grammy nominations.
The first string of hits, “These Boots Are Made For Walking”, “Sugar Town”, “How Does That Grab You Darlin’?”, made Nancy Sinatra a worldwide star, and is perhaps what gave her the confidence to begin sharing the mic with Lee. The duet hits that followed include the hardcore C&W rollick of “Jackson”, and the sublime “Some Velvet Morning”, perhaps Lee’s finest moment as a lyricist. It’s important to note that Lee was stalking the very top of the pops with vaguely cloaked S&M and drug references, amid other implications of miscellaneous naughtiness, yet ironically, because of the context in which he worked, was the epitome of unhip. By contrast, Lou Reed was addressing similar subjects in his eventually more celebrated style, but within the hermetic confines of Warhol’s Factory, an association which inevitably made his “vanguard” work infinitely less assailable from a critical standpoint.
Sinatra enjoyed a parallel recording career cutting duets with the husky-voiced, country-and-western-inspired Hazlewood, starting with "Summer Wine" (originally the B-side of "Sugar Town"). Their biggest hit was a cover of the country song, "Jackson". The single peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1967, when Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash also made the song their own. In December they released the "MOR"-psychedelic single "Some Velvet Morning", regarded as one of the more unusual singles in pop, and the peak of Sinatra and Hazlewood’s vocal collaborations. It reached #26 in the USA. The promo clip is, like the song, sui generis. The British broadsheet The Daily Telegraph placed "Some Velvet Morning" in pole position in its 2003 list of the Top 50 Best Duets Ever. ("Somethin' Stupid" ranked number 27).
In the autumn of 1971 Sinatra and Hazlewood’s duet "Did You Ever?" reached number two in the UK singles chart. In 1972 they performed for a Swedish documentary, Nancy & Lee In Las Vegas, which chronicled their Vegas concerts at the Riviera Hotel and featured solo numbers and duets from concerts, behind-the-scenes footage, and scenes of Sinatra's late husband, Hugh Lambert, and her mother. The film did not appear until 1975.
By 1975 she was releasing singles on Private Stock, which are the most sought-after by collectors. Among those released were "Kinky Love", "Annabell of Mobile", "It's for My Dad," and "Indian Summer" (with Hazlewood).
By the mid-1970s, as Nancy slowed her musical activity and ceased acting to concentrate on being a wife and mother, and collaboration with Hazlewood slowed down too.
After Rhino Records reissued their hit 60s duets on CD as Fairytales & Fantasies, Lee and Nancy reunited in 1995 for a small-scale world tour to rave reviews. She and Lee Hazlewood embarked on a U.S. tour playing the House of Blues, the Viper Room, the Whiskey-a-Go-Go, the now-defunct Mama Kin in Boston, and The Fillmore. 1995
In 2003 she reunited with Hazlewood once more for the album Nancy & Lee 3. It was released only in Australia. 2003
Don't Let Go
Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Come on, baby, it's time to rock,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
I'm so happy I got you here,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Keeps me grinnin' from ear to ear.
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Ah shucks, I wouldn't stop for a million bucks.
I love you so, Just hold me tight.
Don't let go!
Thunder, lightening, wind and rain,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Love is stormin' inside my brain,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
I'm so eager, I'm nearly dyin',
Don't let go, Don't let go.
You've been keepin' your lips from mine.
Oo-wee, This feelin's killin' me;
Ah shucks, I wouldn't stop for a million bucks.
I love you so, Just hold me tight.
Don't let go!
Hound dog barkin' up side the hill,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Love is draggin' him thru the mill,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
If it wasn't for havin' you,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
I'd be barkin' and howlin' too.
Oo-wee, This feelin's killin' me;
Ah shucks, I wouldn't stop for a million bucks.
I love you so, Just hold me tight.
Don't let go!
One day, baby, you'll quit me yet,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
I'll be cryin' and soakin' wet,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
One thing, baby, I'll never stand,
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Your lips kissin' some other man.
Oo-wee, This feelin's killin' me;
Ah shucks, I wouldn't stop for a million bucks.
I love you so, Just hold me tight.
Don't let go!
Just hold me tight, Don't let go!
The song "Don't Let Go" by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood is a great example of the popular music of the 1960s. The song follows a typical rock and roll structure, featuring a guitar riff, a steady beat, and vocals that emphasize the playful and light-hearted mood of the lyrics. The lyrics themselves are fairly simple and straightforward, detailing a moment in time in which the singer is enjoying the company of their lover and wishing to hold on to them tightly.
The opening lines "Hear that whistle, it's ten o'clock. Don't let go, Don't let go. Come on, baby, it's time to rock, Don't let go, Don't let go" set the tone for the rest of the song, emphasizing a sense of urgency and excitement. Throughout the song, the singer repeatedly pleads with their lover to not let them go, highlighting the intense emotional attachment they have towards their partner. The use of playful imagery, such as "Hound dog barkin' up side the hill" and "Love is stormin' inside my brain," further emphasizes the playful and upbeat nature of the song.
Overall, "Don't Let Go" is a great example of the upbeat and playful music that characterized the 1960s. The song's simple yet effective structure and playful lyrics make it a timeless classic that continues to be enjoyed by audiences to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear that whistle, it's ten o'clock.
I'm excited to get this party started and the clock is ticking!
Don't let go, Don't let go.
Stay close and don't leave me alone.
Come on, baby, it's time to rock,
Let's have some fun, dance and enjoy the moment.
I'm so happy I got you here,
I'm grateful to have you by my side.
Keeps me grinnin' from ear to ear.
Your presence makes me happy and brings me joy.
Oo-wee, This feelin's killin' me;
I'm so excited and overwhelmed by my emotions.
Ah shucks, I wouldn't stop for a million bucks.
I wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.
I love you so, Just hold me tight.
I care deeply about you and want to be close to you.
Thunder, lightening, wind and rain,
Even with life's challenges, I want to stay with you.
Love is stormin' inside my brain,
I'm overwhelmed with love and passion for you.
I'm so eager, I'm nearly dyin',
I'm desperate to be with you and don't want to wait any longer.
You've been keepin' your lips from mine.
I want to kiss you, but you're holding back.
Hound dog barkin' up side the hill,
Even the dog senses the intensity of our love.
Love is draggin' him thru the mill,
Our love is so strong and consuming, it's affecting everyone around us.
If it wasn't for havin' you,
Without you, my life would be incomplete.
I'd be barkin' and howlin' too.
I would be just like the dog, lost and alone.
One day, baby, you'll quit me yet,
I'm afraid you'll leave me someday.
I'll be cryin' and soakin' wet,
If you leave me, I'll be devastated and in tears.
One thing, baby, I'll never stand,
I won't tolerate you being with someone else.
Your lips kissin' some other man.
The thought of you being with another man hurts me deeply.
Just hold me tight, Don't let go!
I want to be close to you and never let you go.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JESSE ALBERT STONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind