Song lyric of the day by Frank Sinatra: '​That's life... you're riding high in April, shot down in May' ; what American music icon's song That's Life tells us about staying hopeful

What is life if not unpredictable? No matter how much we strive for stability and routine, life has a way of shocking us out of the blue. Years ago, music icon Frank Sinatra reminisced about one bittersweet reality of life: Nothing is safe from change and life defies predictability. In the chartbuster That’s Life, he presents his fans with a grim truth - life doesn’t happen the way we want it to, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t cherish it.

Song Lyric Of The Day By Frank Sinatra

One of the most hard-hitting lyrics of the song goes as follows: “That's life (that's life)
That's what all the people say
You're riding high in April, shot down in May

But I know I'm gonna change that tune
When I'm back on top, back on top in June..”

The song celebrates that life is beyond all our best-laid plans and even though it may not materialise the way we want it to, doesn’t make it any less precious.

Decoding The Lyrics

Despite sharing a bitter truth - life doesn’t always adhere to our wishes or carefully drafted plans, the ultimate message behind the lyrics is undoubtedly positive and uplifting: Even if we face disappointments or setbacks in life, doesn’t mean we should lose hope or become a bitter pessimist.

Another part of the song encourages people to meet challenges head-on and not give up even if they face one hardship after the other. The lyrics go like this: “I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet
A pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing
Each time I find myself
Flat on my face
I pick myself up and get
Back in the race..”

A Look At The History Of This Hit Song

That's Life is a well-known track composed by Dean Kay and Kelly Gordon, originally recorded in 1963 by Marion Montgomery. The rendition that achieved the greatest fame was performed by Frank Sinatra and featured on his 1966 album That's Life. His interpretation became a major hit, climbing to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and further cementing the song’s status as a timeless anthem of perseverance and resilience.

About Frank Sinatra

Sinatra was an American singer and was regarded as one of the greatest music icons of the 20th century. He is considered as one of the most popular musical acts in history with an estimated sales of 150 million album sales. Born to Italian immigrants in New Jersey, Sinatra made his musical debut with the album The Voice Of Frank Sinatra in 1946. In 1960, Frank Sinatra departed from Capitol Records to establish his own label, Reprise Records to gain more creative control. He delivered several hit albums through his new label.

During this period, Sinatra joined forces with legendary jazz musician Count Basie for celebrated collaborations such as Sinatra-Basie: An Historic Musical First and It Might as Well Be Swing.

Sinatra also enjoyed a thriving acting career. Some of his notable films include: The Man With The Golden Arm, Guys And Dolls, High Society, Pal Joey.