One For My Baby

I have all of my Frank Sinatra CD's surrounding me. The one I choose to listen to while I write... Well, I haven't decided yet. Because of recent personal developments, I have culled five from the lot: No One Cares, Where Are You?, Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely, In The Wee Small Hours, and Point Of No Return.

These are some of the greatest albums to listen to when heartache is your companion. FS has a way of making you realize that there is no sin in missing someone. He helps you through it, and has Songs For Swingin' Lovers and A Swingin' Affair waiting for you when you're ready.

It's not easy to select from these albums. No One Cares has "Here's That Rainy Day." This is indeed a great sad song. "Funny how love becomes a cold rainy day / Funny, that rainy day is here." I could listen to this track over and over again. That's just how strong the impact is. For anyone who ever said that Sinatra can't sing, I ask you to listen to this one. The other really, really important song here is "I'll Never Smile Again." Very beautiful.

The next album I look over is Where Are You? This one really hits you where you love. Between the title track and "I'm A Fool To Want You," there is nothing but a deluge of tears. After that, it really starts to get sad. I don't think the darkness has surrounded me enough yet for this one, but it's such a wonderful album, I doubt I can resist its sweet painful melancholy.

For Only The Lonely has so many classics including "Angel Eyes," "What's New," Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry," and "One For My Baby," probably the greatest drinking song ever written. The best version of this being on the Capitol Years 3 disc set (simple piano/vocal arrangement), but none the less, a song that puts perspective on how a man can be affected by love, but still feels like he must remain a man. Very difficult. Very sad.

In The Wee Small Hours and Point Of No Return are making my decision difficult as well. The songs "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "I'll Be Seeing You" are two of my all time favorite songs. Can I really dismiss these tonight?

My final choice to listen to? All of them. I'm going to be sad for a while. I was in love with her, and now she's gone. But I'll need another drink first, "So make it one for my baby, and one more for the road. That long... that long... it's long..."