This week, I’ve had Frank Sinatra’s “The Good Life” #OnRepeat. I’ve been on a bit of a crooner stint lately, and this is one of the few songs by Sinatra that has always been bittersweet to me.
Frank Sinatra was a singer, producer, and actor from New Jersey who is probably one of the most well- known and influential singers of the Crooner musical genre that you’ve heard of. He got his start with swing band musicians like Tommy Dorsey and his solo career took off later in the 1940s when he signed with Columbia Records. After becoming a residency performer in Las Vegas, he began to be associated with the iconic group, The Rat Pack (Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop), going on to win several awards and accolades. Some of his most well-known songs are “My Way,” “Stardust,” “Summer Wind,” “They Say It’s Wonderful,” “New York, New York.”
“The Good Life” was a song written by Jack Reardon in 1962 and was featured in the movie Seven Capital Sins. Although the song is more widely known by Tony Bennett’s version, I personally am a huge fan of Sinatra’s interpretation of the song. The lyrics for the song have always held a message both of positivity and sorrow—life is good because you’re free to experience whatever you want, but you are alone in that experience. I always got the impression from this song like the narrator wants love and companionship, but also wants freedom at the same time. Sinatra’s voice conveys so many of the emotions found in this song–the grit and brashness that is found in the fun and care-free appreciation of life’s unknown, and the intimacy and fragileness that is found in the longing for companionship. Sinatra’s voice is the true picture of the crooner style and it is exemplified wonderfully in this song.
Take a listen below:
Do you have any songs you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!