Sinatra; The Sound of My Memories

I bought a mini collection of Sinatra records at the back of a shop for $1. It’s called the Sinatra Trilogy: Past, Present, and Future, and it’s my second favorite way to listen to Ol’ Blue Eyes. My favorite way to listen is sitting around my grandfather’s old baby grand piano while my dad plays. My siblings and I grew up with a healthy appreciation for Sinatra, and were excited to get our dad a box set of some of his best movies. And while, of course, Frank Sinatra is the best crooner I’ve ever heard, it could be assumed that my love for him is an extension of my father’s love for his own dad. I mean, we all have our favorite songs: Past, Present, and Future.

“My Way” was my grandfather’s favorite song. It became his theme when I was growing up, the background music for each story I was told. “I’ll state my case, of which I’m certain” opened a dialogue I never got to have with my grandfather. And as those crooning notes blended beautifully with my families’ memories, the two began to blend. My grandfather telling me about biting off more than he could chew, all the laughs and tears he had for his children, saying what he truly felt. Those lessons made so much sense with the lessons he passed to my father, and I catch myself wondering if Tony Castiglia could sing as well.

“Fly Me To The Moon” was the song my father and I would dance to. As a toddler, I assumed that the moon was mine because it would follow our car wherever we drove. I even got quite defensive about this fact with other kids my age. So, when my dad would play piano for us, or put on a Sinatra CD, that was the song I’d always sing the loudest. He taught me how to swing dance when I was young, and I learned my favorite steps by standing on his toes. He’s still teaching me new moves when we go out to events together. And when we wonder what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars, I think about being spun around the living room.

“It Was A Very Good Year” is a song I stumbled upon on a streaming service. I was longing for some classic standards, and I’d never heard a song off the album September of My Years before. The song is about Sinatra looking back on his life through the different kinds of girls he would flock to, like any classic standard. Was he chasing freedom? Was he chasing the party? Or maybe just chasing success? The answers change as he grows, until he rests back and enjoys the life he’s living now, aged and autumnal and sweet. This song is close to my heart. As I’ve gotten to hear my grandfather’s story and I’ve gotten to see quite a bit of my dad’s, I look forward to being able to see where I grow, and what kind of year it’ll be.