Wednesday, June 18, 2008

And One More For The Road

It's a quarter to three
There's no one in the place except you and me
So, set 'em up Joe
I've got a little story you oughtta know

We're drinking 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 put another nickel in the machine
I'm feelin so bad
I wish you'd make the music dreamy and sad

Could tell you a lot
But you've got to be true to your code
Make it one for your baby
and one more for the road

You'd never know it
But buddy, I'm kind of poet
And I've gotta lotta things to say
And when I'm gloomy
You simply gotta listen to me
Until it's talked away

Well, that's how it goes
And Joe, I know you're anxious to close
So thanks for the cheer
I hope you don't my bending your ear

The torch that I've found
Must be drowned or it soon might explode
Make it one for my baby
And one more for the road

6 comments:

  1. I saw Frank Sintra in one of his last concerts at an open air venue at the Ballys at the end of the boardwalk in Atlantic City. It was the year before he died. It was an outside concert at sunset and the atmosphere was great. The problem was that Frank had a problem reading the Teleprompter for a lot of the songs. He ran through a lot of his hits in a medly, such chestnuts as My Way, the Summer Wind and Strangers in the Night. He only really sang his heart out on two songs. Angel Eyes which is one of my favorites. And "One more for the Road." The emotion he put into those songs was unbelievable. He knew he was at the end of the road and that paticular song was really poignant.

    Of course the real fun was listening to him curse out his son Frank Jr who was the conductor. "Waddaya doing you moron. Get the cues right. I should've let kill you idiot." You had to be there. His mike was on the whole time. Priceless.

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  2. You know I have been in the spot many a time in my younger drinking days. The last guy in the bar. Nursing a drink. Of course the bartender was always buying me a drink. And I was usually chatting up some bimbo. Then we would jump in a cab for breakfast at a 24 hour diner. Then well ya never know. Let me tell you, a quiet married life is about a million times better.

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  3. Depression rules in bars at last call. Also craziness. Desperate people looking for depserate solutions. Loneliness and craziness are a bad mix. The sadness in that song is real, that why it resonated with Frank. He had been in that spot alot I bet.

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  4. Yep. It's a late night song. I shocked myself (literally, with electricity) last night and came within a few inches of electrocution. (If I'd touched the circuit breaker with both hands instead of just one.)

    Frank was an interesting guy. Probably too interesting for his own good. I've come to appreciate his influence over the years.

    We just recently watched "A Hole In The Head". He was a real star, though I'm not very fond of a lot of that era. I love the '30s and '40s, so the '50s and '60s often seem coarse by comparison. (And when you get into the late '60s and the '70s, ugh.)

    I mean, I love Philadelphia Story but TCM showed it back to back with High Society and I had to turn the latter off.

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  5. Well the sixties had a charm all their own. The swingers phase that so many people went through is just the best example of that. When I was a kid I thought that was all crap but now I miss the big cars and the scotch and the music and dressing up in the sharp suit with the skinny tie. It was the coolest daddio.

    One of the most neglected icons of that era was Sammy Davis Jr. I want to recommend a great flic to you. "A Man Called Adam" also starring Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and a young Ceicly Tyson. Directed by Leo Penn, who I think is Sean Penns father. The story of a jazz musician and his demons. Great over the top acting by Sammie. The sixties come alive. A lot of fun and a slice of life from those days.

    Ties right in with the song too.

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  6. Funny enough, the boy seems to like the more formal dress. I don't want to jump the gun, but I can see him doing the whole suit-and-tie thing.

    An interesting sort of "rebellion" from my generation.

    I wonder if people are going to get nostalgic over SUVs and energy drinks 40 years from now. Heh.

    I'll check out "A Man Called Adam". I've seen a couple of scenes--they used to run it on TV a bit.

    Fun fact: Leo Penn is, in fact, Sean and Chris Penn's dad, and I lived a few houses down from him growing up.

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