“In The Wee Small Hours-70 Years of a Masterpiece-Chapter 4. Repertoire: Glad To Be Unhappy”
Frank Sinatra “Glad to Be Unhappy“
(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, 1936)
This song was written for the musical On Your Toes and, for several years, was exclusively performed by women, with notable renditions by Lee Wiley and Lena Horne (in 1940 and 1947, respectively).
Afterward, it faded into obscurity, and Frank’s version played a crucial role in transforming it into a standard of the American songbook, one that has continued to be recorded and performed to this day.
“Look at yourself
If you had a sense of humor
You would laugh to beat the band
Look at yourself
Do you still believe the rumor
That romance is simply grand?
Since you took it right on the chin
You have lost that bright toothpaste grin
My mental state is all a jumble
I sit around and sadly mumble
Fools rush in, so here I am
Very glad to be unhappy
I can’t win, but here I am
More than glad to be unhappy
Unrequited love’s a bore
And I’ve got it pretty bad
But for someone you adore
It’s a pleasure to be sad
Like a straying baby lamb
With no mammy and no pappy
I’m so unhappy
But oh, so glad”
The breakdown of his marriage to Ava Gardner did not put an end to his obsession with her, and Frank Sinatra likely found a certain dark pleasure in dwelling on his torment—something masterfully reflected in this piece. The celesta that dominates the arrangement creates a delicate, almost childlike atmosphere, supporting Frank’s sweet yet desolate interpretation, giving voice to a lover with barely the strength to resist his melancholy.
Article written by Mahnuel Muñoz. (Al Mal Tiempo, Frank Sinatra) https://www.facebook.com/groups/120950148274703
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