LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW
FRANK SINATRA
SONGWRITERS: JULE
STYNE & SAMMY CAHN
COUNTRY: U. S. A.
ALBUM: LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!
LABEL: COLUMBIA RECORDS
GENRE: CHRISTMAS SONG
YEAR: 1957
Francis Albert Sinatra (/sɪˈnɑːtrə/;
December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer, actor and producer
who was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th
century. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time,
having sold more than 150 million records worldwide.
Born to Italian immigrants in Hoboken,
New Jersey, Sinatra was greatly influenced
by the intimate easy listening vocal style of Bing
Crosby and began his musical career in the swing era with bandleaders Harry
James and Tommy Dorsey.
Sinatra found success as a solo artist after he signed with Columbia Records in 1943, becoming the idol of the "bobby
soxers". He released his debut album, The Voice of Frank Sinatra, in
1946. But by the early 1950s his professional career had stalled and he turned
to Las Vegas,
where he became one of its best known residency performers as part of the Rat Pack.
His career was reborn in 1953 with the success of From
Here to Eternity, with his performance
subsequently winning an Academy Award and Golden
Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Sinatra
released several critically lauded albums, including In
the Wee Small Hours (1955), Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (1956), Come Fly with Me (1958), Only the Lonely (1958) and Nice 'n'
Easy (1960).
Sinatra left Capitol in 1960 to start his own
record label, Reprise Records,
and released a string of successful albums. In 1965, he recorded the
retrospective album, September
of My Years and starred in the Emmy-winning
television special Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music. After
releasing Sinatra
at the Sands, recorded at the Sands
Hotel and Casino in Vegas with frequent
collaborator Count Basie in early 1966, the following year he recorded one of his most famous
collaborations with Tom Jobim,
the album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos
Jobim. It was followed by 1968's Francis A. & Edward K. with Duke Ellington.
Sinatra retired for
the first time in 1971, but came out of retirement two years later. He
recorded several albums and resumed performing at Caesars Palace,
and released "New York, New York" in 1980. Using his Las Vegas shows as a
home base, he toured both within the United States and internationally until
shortly before his death in 1998.
Sinatra
forged a highly successful career as a film actor. After
winning an Academy Award for From
Here to Eternity, he starred in The Man with the Golden Arm (1955),
and received critical acclaim for his performance in The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He
appeared in various musicals such as On
the Town (1949), Guys
and Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), and Pal Joey (1957), winning another Golden Globe for the latter. Toward the end
of his career, he frequently played detectives, including the title character
in Tony Rome (1967). Sinatra would later receive the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1971. On television, The Frank Sinatra Show began on ABC in 1950, and he continued to make
appearances on television throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Sinatra was also
heavily involved with politics from the mid-1940s, and actively campaigned for
presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman,
John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
Sinatra was
investigated by the FBI for his alleged relationship with the Mafia.
While
Sinatra never learned how to read music, he worked very hard from a young age
to improve his abilities in all aspects of music. A perfectionist, renowned for
his dress sense and performing presence, he always insisted on recording live
with his band. His bright blue eyes earned him the popular nickname "Ol'
Blue Eyes". Sinatra led a colorful personal life, and was
often involved in turbulent affairs with women, such as with his second wife Ava Gardner.
He later married Mia Farrow in 1966 and Barbara
Marx in 1976. Sinatra had several violent
confrontations, usually with journalists he felt had crossed him, or work
bosses with whom he had disagreements. He was
honored at the Kennedy
Center Honors in 1983, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by
Ronald Reagan in 1985, and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997.
Sinatra was also the recipient of eleven Grammy Awards,
including the Grammy
Trustees Award, Grammy
Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was
collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential
people. After Sinatra's death, American
music critic Robert Christgau called him "the greatest singer of the 20th century", and
he continues to be seen as an iconic figure.
"Let
It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", also known as
simply "Let It Snow", is a song written by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jule Styne in July 1945. It was written in Hollywood,
California during a heat wave as Cahn and Styne
imagined cooler conditions.
Despite the lyrics making no mention of any
holiday, the song has come to be regarded as a Christmas song in North America due to its winter theme, being played on radio stations during the Christmas and holiday season and
having often been covered by various artists on Christmas-themed albums. In the
Southern
Hemisphere, however, it can be played
during the winter months of June, July, and August; and in New Zealand, some
play it at Matariki.
Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful
But The Fire Is So Delightful
Since We've No Place To Go
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
It Doesn't Show Signs of Stopping
And I've Brought Some Corn For Popping
The Lights Are Turned Down Low
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
When We Finally Kiss Goodnight
How I'll Hate Going Out In A Storm
But If You Really Hold Me Tight
All The Way Home I'll Be Warm
The Fire Is Slowly Dying
And My Dear We're Still Goodbying
As Long As You Love Me So
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
(Backup Voices)
He Doesn't Care If It's In Below
He's Sitting By The Fires Gloosy Glow
He Don't Care About The Cold And The Winds
That Blow
He Just Says, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let
It Snow
(Frank) Let It Snow!
(Backup Voices)
Oooooh Wee Goes The Storm
Why Should He Worry When He's Nice And Warm
His Girl By His Side And The Lights Turned
Low
He Just Says, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
(Frank) I Don't Care!
(Instrumental)
(Frank)
The Weather Outside Is Frightful
But That Fire Is Ummm.. Delightful
Since We've No Place To Go
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
It Doesn't Show Signs Of Stopping
And I've Brought Lots Of Corn For Popping
The Lights Are Way Down Low
So Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
(Backup Voices) Let It Snow!
(Frank)
When We've Finally Say Goodnight
How I'll Hate Going Out In A Storm
But If You'll Only Hold Me Tight
All The Way Home I'll Be Warm
The Fire Is Slowly Dying
And My Dear We're Still Goodbying
Long As You Love Me So
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!