Finale: Before The Music Ends - Frank Sinatra

I reached the age of forty somewhat sooner than expected

Living at a fairly hectic pace

When I count the years that I have happily collected

The future shows its apprehensive face

(But now, Francis, what the hell do you do now, Francis?)

Quite a different song must be sung

When the singer is no longer young

Before the music ends, before it fades away

There are several very necessary things I must do

Friends I must see again, certain places

Where I must be again

Before the music ends

I must go to Hoboken one more time

I wanna run down that street where that thin Italian kid ran

Then slow down at the school

Where those nice old ladies tried to teach me

Unaware that I knew much more than they did

And stop at the poolroom for a beer

And sadly say to myself, I don’t know anybody here

(Francis, don’t go home again.)

One thing I’d like to do

Before the music ends

Is to thank some wonderful life-long friends

I’ve never met but have known so well

From one Frank to another, thank you for your dream

Your dream is now my own

And thank you Ludwig Van

For the flights of fancy you sent me on

Thank Mrs. Verdi, for Joe and a special thanks to Giacomo

All of you took turns in delivering sunrise a little sooner to my window

Before the music ends, with company by Dino and Sarge

I’d like to make one more charge at Vegas

You won’t find me at that idiot wheel that spins, and spins and spins

I won’t play the slot machine

The management always wins

Not for me the game where the Jack is called Black:

Hand me them dice and stand back!

(Put five hundred on the line

And a hundred on the come

If Sinatra makes his Nine, blow the trumpets, beat the drum!)

You won’t hear me talk about baby‘s new shoes, baby’s got 57 pairs…

All I ask is a Nine, just a plain and simple Nine

(just a little five and four, just a little six and three

Nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine)

Nine!!!

In years to come, I may forget if I lost or if I won

But I’ll always remember how much fun it was

(just a little five and four, just a little six and three)

And when the music ends

I’d like it to end this way

I’ll ask Chester to write me one more song

I’ll get Lefty to make me one more chart

And I’ll make one more record with the best musicians in the world

And when that cat with the scythe

Comes tugging at my sleeve

I’ll be singing as I leave

(Sinatra, Sinatra, Sinatra)