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.
The Song Is Ended
Tony Bennett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts' content
The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
But the melody lingers on
The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
"Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may"
There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn
You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on
In Tony Bennett's song The Song Is Ended, the lyrics are an emotional reflection of a moment in time, as the singer reminisces about a night spent dancing with someone he loved. The lyrics detail the joy felt in the moment, as their hearts were filled with a romantic song that they sang to their hearts' content. However, as the night came to an end, so did the song and the fleeting moment between the two came to a close. Despite this, the melody of the song and the memory of the moment lingers on in the singer's mind.
As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that the night was transitional, like the season of summer which will inevitably pass away. This is an analogy to the fact that the moment that the singer is reflecting on has also passed and will never be the same again. The lyrics suggest that it's important to cherish the happy moments while you can because they can disappear all too soon.
In the final verse, the lyrics describe the dawn of a new day, and as the moon descended and morning arrived, the singer realizes that his loved one and the song are both gone. Yet, despite this, the melody continues to linger on in the singer's heart, as it is a reminder of the special moment spent together.
Overall, the song is a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of time and how important it is to celebrate and cherish the happy moments while they last.
Line by Line Meaning
My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
I am reminiscing about a perfect moment in the past
A moment of bliss we spent
We were completely happy and content in that moment
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
Our love was so strong that it felt like music
As into the night we went
We continued to enjoy our time together even as it got late
And sang to our hearts' content
We expressed our love and joy through the lyrics of the song
The song is ended
The moment has passed and the music has stopped
But the melody lingers on
The memory of that beautiful moment still remains
You and the song are gone
You and the music have disappeared from my life
But the melody lingers on
But the happy memory of our time together remains
The night was splendid
The night was perfect in every way
And the melody seemed to say
Even the music seemed to express the fleeting nature of our happiness
"Summer will pass away
"This moment will not last forever
Take your happiness while you may"
Enjoy this moment of joy while you have the chance
There 'neath the light of the moon
We were enjoying our time under the stars
We sang a love song that ended too soon
Our love was cut off abruptly, leaving us wanting more
The moon descended
The night came to an end
And I found with the break of dawn
When the morning came, I realized that the moment had ended
You and the song had gone
You and the music were no longer there
But the melody lingers on
The memory of that perfect moment will remain with me always
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind