Bennett began singing at an early age. He fought in the final stages of World War II as a U.S. Army infantryman in the European Theater. Afterward, he developed his singing technique, signed with Columbia Records and had his first number-one popular song with "Because of You" in 1951. Several tracks such as "Rags to Riches" followed in early 1953. He then refined his approach to encompass jazz singing. He reached an artistic peak in the late 1950s with albums such as The Beat of My Heart and Basie Swings, Bennett Sings. In 1962, Bennett recorded his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco". His career and personal life experienced an extended downturn during the height of the rock music era. Bennett staged a comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, putting out gold record albums again and expanding his reach to the MTV generation while keeping his musical style intact.
Bennett continued to create popular and critically praised work into the 21st century. He attracted acclaim for his collaborations with Lady Gaga, which began with the album Cheek to Cheek (2014); the two performers toured together to promote the album throughout 2014 and 2015. With the release of the duo's second album, Love for Sale (2021), Bennett broke the individual record for the longest span of top-10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart for any living artist; his first top-10 record was I Left My Heart in San Francisco in 1962. Bennett also broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material, at the age of 95 years and 60 days.
Bennett has amassed numerous accolades throughout his career, including 19 Grammy Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree. Bennett has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
In February 2021, it was revealed that Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Due to the slow progression of his illness, he continued to record, tour, and perform until his retirement from concert performances in August 2021 due to physical challenges.
Bennett died in New York City on Friday, July 21, 2023, at the age of 96. His death was announced by his publicist.
Heart
Tony Bennett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To show that you're my every dream
Yet you're afraid each thing
I do is just some evil scheme
A memory from your lonesome past
Keeps us so far apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
Another love before my time made
Your heart sad and blue
And so my heart is paying now
For things I didn't do
In anger unkind words are said
That make the teardrops start
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
There was a time when I believed
That you belonged to me
But now I know your heart
Is shackled to a memory
The more I learn to care for you
The more we drift apart
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
And melt your cold, cold heart
The song "Cold Cold Heart" by Tony Bennett is a ballad that explores the theme of unrequited love. The singer is trying his best to convince his love interest that he genuinely cares for her and that all his actions are not just a ploy to deceive her. However, the woman is unable to trust him due to her past experiences, and her "doubtful mind" is leaving the singer feeling hopeless.
The first stanza indicates the singer's frustration with being unable to win over his lover. He tries to show her that he loves her with all his heart, but she is unable to believe him due to a painful memory from her past. The second stanza reveals that the woman's past lover hurt her, and the singer is now paying the price for the past lover's mistakes. The third stanza confirms that the woman's heart is still stuck in her past, and her inability to move on is causing a rift between her and the singer.
The overall message of the song is that love is not easy, and even if someone truly loves another, it can be challenging to convince the other person that the love is real. The song expresses the idea that past hurts can make someone hesitant to trust again, and moving on from past traumas can be difficult.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried so hard, my dear
I put in so much effort to prove to you that you were everything I ever wanted
To show that you're my every dream
To show you that you were my one and only dream and desire
Yet you're afraid each thing
But you constantly doubt my intentions and are fearful of everything that I do
I do is just some evil scheme
You think that all of my actions are malicious in nature
A memory from your lonesome past
Something in your past, a painful memory, keeps us apart emotionally
Keeps us so far apart
This memory is the reason why we can't connect emotionally
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
I want to help you move past this memory that has caused you to doubt me
And melt your cold, cold heart
I want you to open up emotionally and let me in
Another love before my time made
You had a previous relationship that ended before we met
Your heart sad and blue
This relationship left you heartbroken and feeling down
And so my heart is paying now
I am now paying the price for what your previous partner did to you
For things I didn't do
I am being blamed for things that were done to you by someone else
In anger unkind words are said
You lash out at me with unkind and hurtful words due to the pain you've experienced
That make the teardrops start
These words make you cry and become emotional
There was a time when I believed
There was a time when I thought that you belonged to me and that we could overcome your past
That you belonged to me
I believed that we had a strong connection and that you were mine
But now I know your heart
However, now I realize that your heart is still stuck in the past and not fully with me
Is shackled to a memory
Your heart is still bound to the painful memories of your previous relationship
The more I learn to care for you
The more I get to know you and care for you deeply
The more we drift apart
The more distant we become due to your emotional barriers
Why can't I free your doubtful mind
I want to help you overcome your doubts and fears
And melt your cold, cold heart
So that we can take our relationship to a deeper and more meaningful level
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joe Tag
I was a set dresser on this video shoot. Tony and Shawn sang 22 takes of that song all the way through. Between those 22 takes, Tony would show me books and photos of the Italian influence in New York City architecture. Unexpected to be sure, his passion for subject and sharing that passion with a total stranger. He was a such a class act and gentleman. One of the best days I ever had at work. Thank you Mr. Bennett.
Roberto Tramontano
Tony Bennett is among the very best singers ever: great artistic personality; a voice that carries away and makes you believe that dreams may do , come true.
Martin Platt
I agree entirely. Just love him so much xxx
MrSeIgVo1989
Огромное спасибо! Как мне кажется, это один из лучших дуэтов в истории зарубежной популярной музыки, Тони Беннетт создан для таких произведений, чудесная песня!
Leito Gomezz Technology
I'm 24 year old, and I love this song!😍 definitely it's amazing and wonderful! I have it saved in my phone! greadings from Colombia 🇨🇴🤗
Miguel Ángel Pérez Merchant
No necesito ser de la época de Tony Bennet para entender lo trascendente de su música. Simplemente amazing.
Aldo Balderas
Pérez Merchant la musica es universal y no tiene edad
Emilia Mazur
I love Tonny ❤❤❤
Arun Paul
Goodbye Tony Bennett. Your beautiful swoons will always be in my playlist. RIP 🙏🏽
N.D
Love the movie, love the song too. 🎬🎶