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.
How Do You Keep The Music Playing
Tony Bennett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How do you make it last?
How do you keep the song from fading too fast?
How do you lose yourself to someone?
And never lose your way
How do you not run out of new things to say?
And, and since we know we're always changing
How can it be the same? Yeah
You're sure your heart will fall apart
Each time you hear her name
I know the way you feel for her
It's now or never
The more I love, the more that I'm afraid
In her eyes may not see forever
Forever
Tony if we can be the best of lovers
And be, baby, be the best of friends
If we can try with every day to make it better as it grows
With any luck, then I suppose
The music never ends
Yes, I know, I know the way I feel for her
It's now or never, now or never
The more I love, the more that I'm afraid, more, more that I'm afraid
That in her eyes, I may not see forever
Forever, forever, forever
If we can be the best of lovers
Baby if we can be, ooh, be the best of friends
If we can try with every day to make it better as it grows
With any luck, I suppose
The music ne-ne-ever, never, never, never, never ends
Never ends
The song “How Do You Keep The Music Playing” talks about the difficulties and challenges that come with the pursuit of eternal love. The first verse poses a question: “How do you keep the music playing?” which can be interpreted as asking how to keep the spark of a relationship alive. This is followed by another question: “How do you make it last?” which is an open inquiry on how to make a relationship work in the long run. The third line, “How do you keep a song from fading too fast?” continues with the same theme - how to maintain a connection and passion in a relationship.
The second verse is more introspective and talks about how to lose oneself in a relationship while still maintaining a sense of individuality. “How do you lose yourself to someone, and never lose your way?” suggests that it’s easy to lose yourself in a relationship and forget where you stand as an individual. The next question, “How do you not run out of new things to say?” addresses the issue of what happens when the initial excitement of a relationship has passed, and how to keep the communication going.
The song acknowledges the fact that people and relationships change over time, and the challenge is to keep things interesting, to keep the music playing. The chorus suggests that true love is a combination of a deep friendship and a passionate romance. It also acknowledges the difficulty of the task, as it asks how, year after year, the heart can withstand hearing the name of a loved one without falling apart. In the end, the song suggests that if both partners work on constantly improving the relationship, the music never ends.
Line by Line Meaning
How do you keep the music playing
How do you maintain the love and passion in a relationship, just like the music that keeps playing
How do you make it last
How do you ensure that your love and relationship will last forever
How do you keep a song from fading too fast
How do you keep the spark and excitement in a relationship from fading away too quickly
How do you lose yourself to someone
How do you give yourself completely to someone you love
And never lose your way
Without getting lost or losing sight of who you are as a person
How do you not run out of new things to say
How do you keep the relationship fresh and exciting with new conversations and experiences
And if we know we're always changing
Given the fact that people change over time
Why should it be the same
Why should we expect the relationship to remain the same without any effort
And tell me how year after year
How can we maintain the love and passion in a relationship even as the years go by
You're sure your heart will fall apart
Without the person you love, it would feel like your heart is shattered into a million pieces
Each time you hear her name
Just merely hearing the person's name can be so emotionally overwhelming
I know the way I feel for you, it's now or never
I know that my love for you is so strong that I can't wait any longer to express it
The more I love, the more that I'm afraid
The more in love I am, the more scares me because the possibility of getting hurt increases
That in your eyes, I may not see forever, forever
I'm afraid that one day you may stop loving me and our love won't last forever
If, if we can be the best of lovers
If we can have both an intense romantic and a loving friendship relationship with each other
Yet be the best of friends
While also having a deep understanding and mutual respect as friends
If we can try with everyday to make it better
If we can both put forth the effort to improve the relationship day by day
As it grows, with any luck, then I suppose
As the relationship flourishes and grows stronger, hopefully
The music, the music, the music
The love and passion in the relationship
Never, never, never ends
Will never come to an end
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore
Written by: Michel Jean Legrand, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheXynos7
How do you keep the music playing?
How do you make it last?
How do you keep the song from fading too fast?
How do you lose yourself to someone?
And never lose your ways
How do you not run out of new things to say?
And since we're always changing
How can it be the same?
And tell me how year after year
You're sure your heart will fall apart
Each time you hear his name
I know the way I feel for you
It's now or never
The more I love the more that i'm afraid
That in your eyes I may not see forever..
Forever...
If we can be the best of lovers
Yet be the best of friends
If we can try with everyday to make it better as it grows
With any luck, then I suppose
The music never ends
The music
The music never ends
Never ends
Mark Blackburn
Nearing ten thousand "views" I see. Deepest thanks, "marcelo ferrari de almeida camargo" for sharing this visually stunning rendition of one of Tony Bennett's signature songs -- his show closer, here in Winnipeg Canada: Incidentally, that looks just like our Centennial Concert Hall which seats over a thousand -- where on that special night, Tony conspicuously put down his mic and sang this one 'unplugged.'
Minutes later I caught up with his Caddy SUV outside our finest hotel; as he emerged from the limo, accompanied by his daughter, I said:
"Mr. Bennett - that wasn't merely the best performance by an 83-year-old that I could imagine -- that was the finest performance by anyone that I have ever seen!" He smiled and offered his hand (warm but fragile I remember, like my grandpa's). He paused and said, "Really?" I offered my copy of his autobiography THE GOOD LIFE -- telling him as he inscribed the inside cover about how his description of his Dad (who died young of a heart disorder) "went straight to my heart." An assistant, a young blonde man had offered his Sharpie pen, and Mr. Bennett said: "No, no, this deserves a better one" and removed from his jacket pocket a fine pen.
"To Mark,
Thank you very much,
Tony Bennett."
My wife, a life-long Tony Bennett fan, was waiting in our car nearby. Said my Irene: "Don't wash it. I want to shake the hand that shook Tony Bennett's hand."
Thanks again, Marcelo. Shared this day at [search] " Great Melody, Great Lyric, Great Rendition, Songwriting Workshop, Harmony Central "
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"How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" lyrics
Tony Bennett Lyrics
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"How Do You Keep The Music Playing?"
(feat. George Michael)
How do you keep the music playing?
How do you make it last?
How do you keep the song from fading too fast?
How do you lose yourself to someone?
And never lose your way
How do you not run out of new things to say?
And since we know we're always changing
Why should it be the same?
And tell me how year after year
You're sure your heart will fall apart
Each time you hear her name
I know the way you feel for her
It's now or never
The more I love the more that I'm afraid
That in her eyes I may not see forever...
Forever...
If you can be the best of lovers
Yet be the best of friends
If we can try with everyday to make it better as it grows
With any luck, then I suppose
The music never ends
I know the way I feel for her
(How do you keep the music playing?)
It's now or never
(How do you make it last)
The more I love the more that I'm afraid
That in her eyes I may not see forever...
Forever...
If you can be the best of lovers
Yet be the best of friends
If we can try with everyday to make it better as it grows
With any luck, then I suppose
The music never ends
Donna Nalbach
Sublime…greatness has passed. So thankful I saw him live numerous times.
M Smith
I saw him at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles probably 10 or more years ago. I was sick with a terrible cold but by the time the concert was over I totally forgot I was sick. I’m so sad today. I miss him so much but his music lives forever and aren’t we so lucky
Frank Barcelona
It was in the early 50's that I first heard him on a jukebox Ina pizza restaurant my friends mother owned. The song was Because of You, then Rags to Riches ! I have his 50 year album . Saw him twice in person , so glad he lived !
Ken Kneidel
This is the song that tears me apart, goodby Tony, thanks for this and the many masterful performances you've given us.
Karl Hungus
I feel the same way, Ken. Losing Tony feels like losing a family member.
Ellen troyer
RIP Tony Bennett. Thank you for 70+ years of beautiful music.
Dorothy Kuveke
The strangest thing about this whole performance is that I was a very young child when Tony Bennett began singing his music. My mother and father loved him. I personally only knew his name. Tony Bennett. Today decades later I am listening to Tony Bennett because Tony Bennett is just a phenomenal singer. He is an act that just never dies out 🕊️🦋🌟🌟🌟
Andrew Barwood
One of the greatest songs sung by the greatest popular singer. Irreplaceable.
Guy Saperstein
Sinatra was better
Jennifer Lakshmi Dove
This song….Thank you, Tony, for all the music! Rest in peace. 🕊️❤️❤️❤️