“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.”


Perhaps your life, too, sometimes seems like a line from Kerouac’s “On the Road”.  We’re just back from Florida as I write this (yes, Italy prior to that) and are re-packing for a weekend wedding in Rhode Island.  Then, upon our return, we repack for Florida.  It’s wonderful to be able to bring your work with you.

Although the road and the skyways above it make up much of life just now, at least there’s the opportunity to pick some tomatoes, mow the lawn and dash off this posting.  And what better selection than this one from Frank Sinatra’s classic 1958 album, “Come Fly With Me.”

It’s hard not to argue that Sinatra’s Capitol Records years (’54 – ‘61) were by far his best, when he collaborated with many of that era’s greatest arrangers to produce such concept albums as “Songs for Young Lovers”, “In the Wee Small Hours” and “Only the Lonely”.

Devised as a musical trip around the world and arranged/conducted by Billy May, “Come Fly With Me” reached Number One on the Billboard Album Chart in its second week.  Intriguingly, a young George Martin (“the Fifth Beatle”) was visiting Hollywood’s Capitol Tower, home to Capitol Studios, during the recording sessions and later noted how Sinatra’s famous temper was on display after he was shown the mock-up of the album cover, because he felt it looked like an advertisement for TWA…and he did have a point.

Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, who also wrote the album’s title track, today’s selection (as with all the album’s songs) was recorded in stereo but released in monaural (aka “Mono”).  Capitol didn’t actually release it in stereo until 1962, by which time Sinatra had formed his own label (Reprise Records) and entered his “Ring-a-Ding-Ding” years.

LISTEN TO TODAY’S SELECTION – Thursday 23 August 

It’s Nice To Go Trav’ling

 It’s very nice to go trav’ling

To Paris London and Rome

It’s oh so nice to go trav’ling

But it’s so much nicer

Yes it’s so much nicer

To come home

It’s very nice to just wander

The camel route to Iraq

It’s oh so nice to just wander

But it’s so much nicer

Yes it’s oh so nice

To wander back

 The mam’selles and frauleins

And the senoritas are sweet

But they can’t compete ’cause they just don’t have

What the models have on Madison Ave

It’s very nice to be footloose

With just a toothbrush and comb

It’s oh so nice to be footloose

But your heart starts singin’

When you’re homeward wingin’ across the foam.

And you know your fate is

Where the Empire State is

All you contemplate is

The view from Miss Liberty’s dome

It’s very nice to go trav’ling

But it’s oh so nice to come home.

 You will find the maidens

And the gay muchachas are rare

But they can’t compare with that sexy line

That parades each day at Sunset and Vine

 It’s quite the life to play gypsy

And roam as gypsies will roam

It’s quite the life to play gypsy

But your heart starts singin’

When you’re homeward wingin’ across the foam

And the Hudson River

Makes you start to quiver

Like the latest flivver

That’s simply drippin’ with chrome

 It’s very nice to go trav’ling

But it’s oh so nice to come home

 No more Customs

Burn the passport

No more packing and unpacking

Light the home fire…

Get my slippers…

Make a pizza….