It Was a Very Good Year

1961 song by Ervin Drake

"It Was a Very Good Year"

Single by Frank Sinatra
from the album  September of My Years
B-side| "Moment to Moment"
Released| December 1965
Recorded| 1965
Studio| United Western Recorders, United A
Genre| Pop
Length| 2:55
Label| Reprise
Songwriter(s)| Ervin Drake
Producer(s)| Sonny Burke
Frank Sinatra singles chronology
| "Ev'rybody Has the Right to Be Wrong! (At Least Once)"
(1965)  | "It Was a Very Good Year"
(1965)  | "Strangers in the Night"
(1966)

|
|

"It Was a Very Good Year" is a song composed by Ervin Drake in 1961 and originally recorded by Bob Shane with the Kingston Trio.[1][2] It was made famous by Frank Sinatra's version in D minor,[3] which won the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance in 1966 and became Sinatra's first number one Adult Contemporary single, also peaking at No. 28 on the Hot 100.[4]

## Description

[edit]

The nostalgic[5] and melancholic song[6][7] recounts the type of girls with whom the singer had relationships at various years in his life: when he was 17, "small-town girls ... on the village green"; at 21, "city girls who lived up the stair"; at 35, "blue-blooded girls of independent means". Each of these years he calls "very good". In the song's final verse, the singer reflects that he is older, and in the autumn of his years, and he thinks back on his entire life "as vintage wine". All of these romances were sweet to him, like a wine from a very good (i.e., vintage) year.

## Composition

[edit]

Drake composed the song in 1961 at the suggestion of record producer Artie Mogull, who told Drake that Bob Shane of The Kingston Trio needed a solo to include in the group's upcoming album Goin' Places.[8] Drake wrote the song in less than a day,[9] although he had been considering employing the metaphor of life as a vintage wine in a lyric for several years prior.[10]

Ervin Drake's inspiration to write the song was his then wife-to-be, Edith Vincent Bermaine. She was a showgirl whom he had dated and eventually married twenty years after the song was written.[11]

## Notable covers

[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

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* The Kingston Trio introduced the song on their album Goin' Places (1961). This is the recording that influenced Frank Sinatra to want to record his own version.[2][12]
* Lonnie Donegan released it as a 45 rpm single on Pye Records in 1963.
* The Modern Folk Quartet recorded it on their eponymous first album The Modern Folk Quartet (1963).[13]
* Chad & Jeremy's version was released in March 1965 as the B-side of What Do You Want From Me?
* Frank Sinatra recorded it for his September of My Years album (1965) and released a stripped-down performance on his Sinatra at the Sands live album (1966)
* The Turtles had a Canadian hit with their version (Quality 1791X) in early 1966.
* William Shatner released a spoken-word rendition with instrumental accompaniment on his 1968 album The Transformed Man, juxtaposed with an excerpt from Hamlet.
* Paul Young covered the song on his self-titled album (1997)
* The Reverend Horton Heat recorded a version of the song that was released as a single in 2000.
* British pop star Robbie Williams recorded a version for his album Swing When You're Winning (2001), in duet with Sinatra's original vocals. The instrumental track was also sampled from Sinatra's first recording.
* Ray Charles included it on his 2004 Grammy winning album Genius Loves Company as a duet with Willie Nelson.[14]
* Australian entertainer Bob Downe performed a unique rendition of the song replacing the original lyrics with Australian references during his Viva Bob Vegas Tour of 2022.
* Female singers Della Reese and Marlena Shaw covered the song with a female viewpoint in the lyric about their male former lovers. Reese's cover came out in 1966 and Shaw's in 1979. Reese's version was a charting single on the US Hot 100, peaking at number 99 in 1966.[15]

## In popular media

[edit]

* In 1971, Michael Jackson sang a parody of this song in a skit with Diana Ross during the television special Diana!, which aired on the ABC-TV network.[16]
* Mel Tormé hosted a 1971 summer television show named It Was a Very Good Year, using the song as opening and closing theme music.[citation needed]
* The Muppets Statler and Waldorf sing the song in episode 406 of The Muppet Show from 1979.
* Frank Sinatra's version of the song is featured in the Spike Lee film Jungle Fever (1991).[17]
* In a 1993 episode of The Simpsons ("Duffless"), Homer sings a parody of this song entitled "I Drank Some Very Good Beer", recounting the first beer he ever purchased (with a fake ID, on which the name was Brian McGee), and he "stayed up listening to Queen."[18]
* Sinatra's version is used in the opening of the second season of The Sopranos (2000), "Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist's Office...", during a montage showing the characters' activities over the previous year.[19][better source needed]
* In 2005, They Might Be Giants parodied this song on their first podcast.[20]
* Alain Resnais used the Sinatra recording over the closing credits of his film You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (2012).

## See also

[edit]

* List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1966 (U.S.)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rubeck, Shaw, Blake et al., The Kingston Trio On Record (Naperville IL: KK Inc, 1986), p. 46
2. ^ a b Friedwald, Will (2009-04-02). "When He Was 46 it Was a Very Good Year - WSJ". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
3. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 22 - Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66: A skinny dip in the easy listening mainstream. [Part 1]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)
5. ^ Browne, Ray Broadus; Ambrosetti, Ronald J. (1993). Continuities in Popular Culture: The Present in the Past & the Past in the Present and Future. Popular Press. ISBN 9780879725938.
6. ^ "50 years later, a look back at Sinatra's influential "It Was a Very Good Year"". 2 September 2015. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
7. ^ American Icons: Frank Sinatra. Stonesong Press. 2018-04-15. ISBN 9781493033010.
8. ^ Bush, William (2013). Greenback Dollar - The Incredible rise of the Kingston Trio. Lanham MD: Scarecrow Press. p. 221\. ISBN 9780810881921.
9. ^ Bush, p. 222
10. ^ Friedwald, Will (April 2, 2009). "When He Was 46 it Was a Very Good Year". The Wall Street Journal. New York, New York. Retrieved May 6, 2002.
11. ^ Bernstein, Adam (January 15, 2015). "Ervin Drake, songwriter of 'It Was a Very Good Year,' dies at 95". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
12. ^ Peppiat, Wheaton et. el. Sinatra: A Man and his Music. Warner Bros. DVD, prod. Hemion, Raskin, 1999
13. ^ "Modern Folk Quartet - Modern Folk Quartet | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
14. ^ "Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic". AllMusic.
15. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 699.
16. ^ "Michael Jackson - It Was A Very Good Year - Diana TV Show Special 1971 - GMJHD". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
17. ^ "Ervin Drake, songwriter - obituary". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
18. ^ ""The Simpsons" Duffless (TV Episode 1993)". imdb.com. IMDb, Inc. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
19. ^ "Songfacts, It Was A Very Good Year". songfacts.com. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
20. ^ Rabasca Roepe, Lisa (2 September 2015). "50 Tears Later, a Look Back at Sinatra's Influential "It Was a Very Good Year"". AVClub.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2020.

* v
* t
* e

Frank Sinatra singles

Discography

Columbia singles
(1939–1940)|

* "It's Funny to Everyone but Me"
* "On a Little Street in Singapore"
* "Ciribiribin"
* "All or Nothing at All"

RCA Victor singles
(1940–1942)|

* "Imagination"
* "I'll Be Seeing You"
* "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)"
* "I'll Never Smile Again"
* "The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)"
* "Our Love Affair"
* "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)"
* "Stardust"
* "Dolores"
* "It's Always You"
* "Oh! Look at Me Now"
* "Without a Song"
* "Let's Get Away from It All"
* "This Love of Mine"
* "Blue Skies"
* "Pale Moon (An Indian Love Song)"
* "Embraceable You"
* "Just as Though You Were Here"
* "Take Me"
* "In the Blue of Evening"
* "How About You?"
* "There Are Such Things"

Bluebird singles
(1942–1943)|

* "Night and Day"
* "The Night We Called It a Day"
* "The Song Is You"

Columbia singles
(1943–1953)|

* "Close to You"
* "You'll Never Know"
* "Sunday, Monday, or Always"
* "People Will Say We're in Love"
* "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'"
* "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening"
* "White Christmas"
* "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)"
* "I Dream of You (More Than You Dream I Do)"
* "Ol' Man River"
* "Stormy Weather"
* "When Your Lover Has Gone"
* "Dream"
* "If I Loved You"
* "You'll Never Walk Alone"
* "Mighty Lak' a Rose"
* "Nancy (with the Laughing Face)"
* "America the Beautiful"
* "Day by Day"
* "Full Moon and Empty Arms"
* "Soliloquy (Part 1 & 2)"
* "Begin the Beguine"
* "Silent Night"
* "Adeste Fideles"
* "Jingle Bells"
* "Oh! What It Seemed to Be"
* "September Song"
* "Five Minutes More"
* "Sweet Lorraine"
* "Time after Time"
* "Mam'selle"
* "Almost Like Being in Love"
* "Tea for Two"
* "My Romance"
* "So Far"
* "A Fellow Needs a Girl"
* "But Beautiful"
* "I've Got a Crush on You"
* "All of Me"
* "Nature Boy"
* "Everybody Loves Somebody"
* "My Melancholy Baby"
* "Autumn in New York"
* "Why Can't You Behave?"
* "Some Enchanted Evening"
* "Bali Ha'i"
* "Let's Take an Old Fashioned Walk"
* "I Only Have Eyes for You"
* "The Old Master Painter"
* "Peachtree Street"
* "Goodnight, Irene"
* "Nevertheless (I'm in Love with You)"
* "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
* "We Kiss in a Shadow"
* "April in Paris"
* "I Could Write a Book"
* "The Birth of the Blues"

Capitol singles
(1953–1961)|

* "I'm Walking Behind You"
* "I've Got the World on a String"
* "My One and Only Love"
* "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)"
* "I Love You"
* "Young at Heart"
* "Don't Worry 'bout Me"
* "Three Coins in the Fountain"
* "The Gal That Got Away"
* "Someone to Watch Over Me"
* "Melody of Love"
* "Learnin' the Blues"
* "Love and Marriage"
* "(Love Is) The Tender Trap"
* "You're Sensational"
* "True Love"
* "Well, Did You Evah!"
* "Mind If I Make Love to You?"
* "Hey! Jealous Lover"
* "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
* "All the Way"
* "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)"
* "Witchcraft"
* "Mistletoe and Holly"
* "French Foreign Legion"
* "High Hopes"
* "Old MacDonald"
* "My Blue Heaven"
* "I'll Remember April"
* "I Love Paris"

Reprise singles
(1961–1983)|

* "Granada"
* "I'll Be Seeing You"
* "The One I Love (Belongs to Somebody Else)"
* "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You"
* "Polka Dots and Moonbeams"
* "Without a Song"
* "Stardust"
* "Come Rain or Come Shine"
* "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
* "Me and My Shadow"
* "Call Me Irresponsible"
* "I Have Dreamed"
* "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
* "My Kind of Town"
* "Softly, as I Leave You"
* "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day"
* "The Little Drummer Boy"
* "It Was a Very Good Year"
* "Strangers in the Night"
* "Summer Wind"
* "You Make Me Feel So Young"
* "That's Life"
* "The September of My Years"
* "Somethin' Stupid"
* "The World We Knew (Over and Over)"
* "My Way of Life"
* "My Way"
* "Goin' Out of My Head"
* "Something"
* "Bein' Green"
* "Send In the Clowns"
* "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
* "Theme from New York, New York"
* "Here's to the Band"
* "To Love a Child"

Qwest singles
(1983–1984)|

* "Teach Me Tonight"
* "Mack the Knife"
* "It's All Right with Me"
* "Until the Real Thing Comes Along"

Compositions|

* "This Love of Mine"
* "Sheila"
* "Peachtree Street"
* "Take My Love"
* "I'm a Fool to Want You"
* "Mistletoe and Holly"
* "Mr. Success"

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Della Reese

* Discography
* Filmography

Studio albums|

* Melancholy Baby
* Amen!
* The Story of the Blues
* What Do You Know About Love?
* Della
* Della by Starlight
* Della Della Cha-Cha-Cha
* Special Delivery
* The Classic Della
* Waltz with Me, Della
* Moody
* C'mon and Hear Della Reese!
* Black Is Beautiful

Live albums|

* Della Reese at Basin Street East

Singles|

* "And That Reminds Me"
* "Don't You Know?"
* "Not One Minute More"
* "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"
* "After Loving You"
* "It Was a Very Good Year"
* "Games People Play"
* "Compared to What"

Related articles|

* Touched by an Angel

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

1950s|

* "Catch a Falling Star" – Perry Como (1958)
* Come Dance with Me! – Frank Sinatra (1959)

1960s|

* "Georgia on My Mind" – Ray Charles / The Genius of Ray Charles – Ray Charles (1960)
* "Lollipops and Roses" – Jack Jones (1961)
* "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" – Tony Bennett (1962)
* "Wives and Lovers" – Jack Jones (1963)
* "Hello, Dolly!" – Louis Armstrong (1964)
* "It Was a Very Good Year" – Frank Sinatra (1965)
* "Strangers in the Night" – Frank Sinatra (1966)
* "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" – Glen Campbell (1967)
* "Light My Fire" – José Feliciano (1968)
* "Everybody's Talkin'" – Harry Nilsson (1969)

1970s|

* "Everything Is Beautiful" – Ray Stevens (1970)
* "You've Got a Friend" – James Taylor (1971)
* "Without You" – Harry Nilsson (1972)
* "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" – Stevie Wonder (1973)
* Fulfillingness' First Finale – Stevie Wonder (1974)
* Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon (1975)
* Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder (1976)
* "Handy Man" – James Taylor (1977)
* "Copacabana (At the Copa)" – Barry Manilow (1978)
* 52nd Street – Billy Joel (1979)

1980s|

* "This Is It" – Kenny Loggins (1980)
* Breakin' Away – Al Jarreau (1981)
* "Truly" – Lionel Richie (1982)
* Thriller – Michael Jackson (1983)
* "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" – Phil Collins (1984)
* No Jacket Required – Phil Collins (1985)
* "Higher Love" – Steve Winwood (1986)
* Bring On the Night – Sting (1987)
* "Don't Worry, Be Happy" – Bobby McFerrin (1988)
* "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" – Michael Bolton (1989)

1990s|

* "Oh, Pretty Woman (live 1987)" – Roy Orbison (1990)
* "When a Man Loves a Woman" – Michael Bolton (1991)
* "Tears in Heaven" – Eric Clapton (1992)
* "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" – Sting (1993)
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" – Elton John (1994)
* "Kiss from a Rose" – Seal (1995)
* "Change the World" – Eric Clapton (1996)
* "Candle in the Wind 1997" – Elton John (1997)
* "My Father's Eyes" – Eric Clapton (1998)
* "Brand New Day" – Sting (1999)

2000s|

* "She Walks This Earth" – Sting (2000)
* "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" – James Taylor (2001)
* "Your Body Is a Wonderland" – John Mayer (2002)
* "Cry Me a River" – Justin Timberlake (2003)
* "Daughters" – John Mayer (2004)
* "From the Bottom of My Heart" – Stevie Wonder (2005)
* "Waiting on the World to Change" – John Mayer (2006)
* "What Goes Around... Comes Around" – Justin Timberlake (2007)
* "Say" – John Mayer (2008)
* "Make It Mine" – Jason Mraz (2009)

2010s|

* "Just the Way You Are" – Bruno Mars (2010)

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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