Ol' Blue Eyes and a 3 Hour Tour

I should listen to Frank Sinatra.

Not listen in the sense I should sit back and lose myself in the smoothness of the Chairman of the Board as it were, but actually listen. Take heed in what Ol' Blue Eyes was actually trying to tell me. Subliminal messages from The Voice himself, beyond the grave.

I've always been a fan of Frank. I swooned when I heard that velvety voice crooning through my radio way back when. I watched, eyes glued to my TV old black & white and Technicolor movies, he and various co-stars dancing and singing away along the Silver Screen.

But if you think about it, there are some serious lessons to be learned coming from that man.

"Accentuate the Positive". Prime example. Frankie flat out telling me I need to stop being Debbie Downer for crying out loud! I need to focus. That's right Apryl, you heard me right, focus!

"You've gotta accent-tcu-ate the positive, eli-my-nate the negative,
Latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with Mister In-between.
You gotta spread joy up to the maximum, bring gloom down to the minimum.
Have faith or pandemonium's li'ble to walk upon the scene."

That Frankie I tell ya, he sure had a way with words.

"Button Up Your Overcoat". Another gem. Common sense really, it gets chilly outside! Good old Frank always looking out for me! Doesn't want me sick, reminding me to take care of myself. What a guy!

"Button up your overcoat,
When the wind is free,
Oh, take good care of yourself,
You belong to me!"

"Cheek to Cheek". A little trickier to get his message, but he's such a romantic that Frank. And a dancing fool! I mean, he did quite a job over the years keeping up with the likes of Gene Kelly. And to think of losing himself in a dance...just reminding you to focus on each other...so sweet he is!

"Heaven, I'm in heaven
And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancin' cheek to cheek"

"Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong". Ah Frank. You make a girl feel so special, so loved. Reminding us that we can't be right all the time, that we are allowed to make mistakes, that we're human after all.

"Everybody has the right to be wrong at least once
Everybody has the right to be dunce-like, once-like
Not being too smart is, is no disgrace
What sets you apart is smilin' with egg on your face
It’s naive to make believe that you're right, it's not bright
Only fools go walking on thin ice, twice
You and life can skip the strife and you'll both get along
All it takes is simply saying you're wrong when you're wrong
And everybody has the right to be wrong"

"I've Got You Under My Skin". Oooh we've all been there. That one person who gets to us. That we can't get enough of. Who we could eat, drink or breathe if we could. That one we tried so hard to resist, out of fear maybe that you cared more than they a little. But they GOT you. Frank knew it. Damnnit he's good.

"I've got you under my skin.
I've got you deep in the heart of me.
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me.
I've got you under my skin.
I'd tried so not to give in.
I said to myself: this affair never will go so well.
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know so well
I've got you under my skin?"

"Luck Be A Lady". We've all needed luck in our lives. We've all crossed our fingers, we've all had some sort of good luck charm, or rubbed something to get some sort of positive energy out of it at some point. We never wanted luck to shun us, to be a vile and evil spinster. We wanted it to be kind, demure. Lady like. Frank you did it again.

"Luck be lady tonight
Luck be lady tonight
Luck if you've been a lady to begin with
Luck be a lady tonight
Luck let a gentleman see
Just how nice a dame you can be
I know the way you've treated other guys you've been with
Luck be a lady with me"

"Make Someone Happy". Obvious really. Not a seemingly difficult task. The Karma Gods will likely pay it forward. You make someone happy, they in turn will make you happy. A non-vicious circle. Frank, you're like Gandhi.

"Make someone happy, make just one someone happy.
Make just one heart the heart you sing to.
One smile that cheers you, one face that lights when it nears you.
One gal you're everything to.
Fame, if you win it, comes and goes in a minute.
Where's the real stuff in life to cling to?
Love is the answer, someone to love is the answer.
Once you've found her, build your world around her.
Make someone happy, make just one someone happy
And you will be happy too."

"Pick Yourself Up". Wow. It never ends his advice does it? He's got an answer for everything! You're down in the dumps, you're down on yourself, and there he is. Ol' Blue Eyes himself getting you back on life's horse. I tell you, the man's a pillar. A beacon.

"Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son!
Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again."

"My Way". Pivotal. You need to be yourself. Figure things out for yourself. Make mistakes, have regrets, but learn from them. Be your own person and never back down. Do things in a way that is purely your own. Make your own mark on the world. I mean, Frank did right?

"Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention
I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way"

"Red Roses for A Blue Lady". Fella's, not rocket science from Frank on this one! If someone's feeling down, you cheer them up! A little bouquet never hurt anything. (especially if it was in fact you who made the mood, well sour) But ladies, if it was you, a little pick-me-up on your end isn't out of the question either.

"I want some red roses for a blue lady,
Mister florist, take my order, please.
We had a silly quarrel the other day,
I hope these pretty flowers chase her blues away."

"Summer Wind". Ah sweet summer. Everything is better. The air is warmer, the sun shines brighter. Moods are lighter. Love is in the air. (likely because we wear a lot less clothing but I digress) Summer brings out the best in us all. Makes us remember being kids and doing fun and outdoorsy things. Sitting on beaches doing nothing, just enjoying each other's company.

"The summer wind, came blowin' in from across the sea
It lingered there to touch your hair and walk with me
All summer long we sang a song and then we strolled that golden sand
Two sweethearts and the summer wind"

"That's Life". Ok so it can't be great all the time. Good Ol' Frank bringing me back to reality. But saying you know what? It's ok. There's nothing you can do about it, that's just the way it is.

"That's life (that's life), that's what all the people say
You're ridin' high in April, shot down in May
But I know I'm gonna change that tune
When I'm back on top, back on top in June
I said that's life (that's life), and as funny as it may seem
Some people get their kicks stompin' on a dream
But I don't let it, let it get me down
'cause this fine old world, it keeps spinnin' around"

"Young At Heart". You're only as young as you feel, and if in your heart you hold onto your child-like innocence, then Frankie say's you'll be young forever!

"Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you're young at heart.
For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you're young at heart."

"Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat". Ok ok. Now this one resonates. THIS one hits me Frank. I get it.

"For the people all said
Sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat
Sit down, sit down you're rocking the boat
And the devil will drag you under
By the sharp lapelle
Of your checkered coat
Sit down!
Sit down!
Sit down!
Sit down you're rocking the boat!"

You're sailing along your life, trying ever so hard to not tip over, to stay balanced. Even keeled. (Boat...keel, get it?) And it happens, an imbalance, an inability to compromise. Maybe not just from you, because let's face it, most boats have more than one passenger these days. So it's lopsided and teetering. You're ready to go overboard.

But they're yelling at YOU to sit down. YOU are rocking the boat. But how do they know it's you? You are not in it alone after all. Not the only one paddling this vessel. It could be them. It could be all of you.

Maybe everyone needs to sit down. Maybe, just maybe a squatting compromise is needed by all parties aboard to avoid some Gilligan-esque catastrophe on the boat. It takes a whole crew to navigate a vessel these days, one person sitting shouldn't be the obvious or fair solution.

I'm thinking Frank needs to come back and throw me a life preserver and save me from this 3 hour tour.