Wednesday, April 5, 2017

One For My Baby - sung by Frank Sinatra

Here's another post offering poetry in songwriting. If pressed, I think I might say that One For My Baby, written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, is my favorite song. And Sinatra's vocalizing is sublime. The stage seems to disappear, and we 'see' that guy talking to the bartender. Do you suppose people still do this - talk over their troubles with bartenders?




Here are the words. You'll see Sinatra changed a couple in the live version.


It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place except you and me
So, set 'em up, Joe, I got a little story you oughta know
We're drinkin', my friend, to the end of a brief episode
Make it one for my baby and one more for the road
I got the routine, so drop another nickel in the machine
I'm feelin' so bad, wish you'd make the music easy and sad
I could tell you a lot, but you've got to be true to your code
Just make it one for my baby and one more for the road
You'd never know it but buddy, I'm a kind of poet
And I got a lot of things I'd like to say
And when I'm gloomy, you simply gotta listen to me
Till it's talked away
Well that's how it goes and Joe, I know your gettin' pretty anxious to close
And thanks for the cheer, I hope you didn't mind my bendin' your ear
But this torch that I found must be drowned or it soon might explode
So, make it one for my baby and one more for the road
The long, it's so long, the long, very long

22 comments:

  1. You've about convinced me, Nan. It is "easy and sad".

    Three generations of Sinatra lovers in my family: my mom (and probably hers), me, my daughter.

    When he rubs his face I just wanta say, "It'll be okay, Frank."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know!! Besides being a great singer, he is a very good actor which I think made his renditions of songs so real. Here's a link to a radio show out of NYC. Jonathan Schwartz is THE Sinatra scholar in the world, I think. http://www.wnyc.org/series/jonathan-channel/
      You may click 'listen' live, and you've got it. The whole channel is on the American Songbook, and Jonathan himself has shows on Wednesday through Sunday at 12pm - Live and
      Replays Monday & Tuesday at 12pm, Tuesday – Friday at 7pm, and Saturday & Sunday at 8pm

      Delete
  2. Wonderful! Thanks for sharing the video Nan, it was so lovely to see that again and yes I’m sure people still talk to talk over their troubles with bartenders. I can’t say I’ve ever done it myself, but my hairdresser is a good listener! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My hairdresser and I talk, too. Nonstop! Not about troubles necessarily. She's younger than I but we grew up in the same town, and we have so much fun. I'm always there alone, and when she's done, she sits right down in the dryer chair and we talk for another half hour or so.

      Delete
    2. She obviously enjoys your company just as much as you enjoy hers - which is just lovely.

      Delete
    3. It is lovely!! And I'm heading there this morning!

      Delete
  3. One of my all time favorites, Nan! Sinatra filled our house when my boys where young. All my wonderful Sinatra music are on cassette tapes though. I really need to update to CD and get him singing in the house again. Thanks for the song!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so happy you enjoyed it. That performance is really special. Please read what I wrote above to Dewena, if you'd like to hear Sinatra on streaming radio.

      Delete
  4. Gosh, this brings back so many memories. Ole Frank was a great entertainer. Singing and puffing away on a cigarette. Times they have changed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was so great!! Everyone used to smoke everywhere when I was a kid. I'm not sure how many have really quit. I see a lot of young people still smoking.

      Delete
  5. Oh I love this! His phrasing is so brilliant, he makes it effortless. I love 'Come fly with me' as well. I think he was underrated as an actor. Thanks for posting, I will be humming it for the next few hours. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with all you said. I really liked him in Young At Heart with Doris Day. Not an appealing character at all, and so well acted. I also The Manchurian Candidate. Happy to set you humming!

      Delete
  6. No idea about bars, but people do like to talk about their troubles with disinterested (not uninterested) parties. My mother-in-law was a beautician and she kind of served in the bartender role for all her "ladies"....and when our daughter owned a day-care center, she said she should have charged for an hour of counseling time because when they came to pick up kids all the moms told her about all their problems at work and home -- decompression time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe only men talk to bartenders? Only now there are bartender women so maybe that changed? All very interesting what you said.

      Delete
  7. I think this is my favorite FS song. Such atmosphere. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh yes, an all time favorite! I love the music of that era. Thank you so much for the link to the radio program. I'll certainly be checking it out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so pleased that you will search out the Jonathan Channel! The goal is to keep the American Songbook alive, and bring it to new generations.

      Delete
  9. This is a lovely choice and it's extra fun as every time I've spotted your blog post title on my page I've 'heard' him singing the song. It's such an evocative piece of music and it makes me smile.
    Thanks Nan

    ReplyDelete
  10. Add me to the list of Sinatra fans. They really don't write songs like this anymore and there isn't another Sinatra to sing them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amen! If you look above, there is a link to a wonderful NYC radio station that is the 'home' of Sinatra in the radio world. Jonathan Schwartz is a Sinatra scholar.

      Delete

I'll answer your comments as soon as I possibly can. Please do come back if you've asked a question.
Also, you may comment on any post, no matter how old, and I will see it.