It Was a Very Good Year
music and lyrics by Ervin Drake
- Gerard Way
When I was seventeen
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for small town girls
And soft summer nights
We'd hide from the lights
On the village green
When I was seventeen
When I was twenty-one
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for city girls
Who lived up the stair
With perfumed hair
That came undone
When I was twenty-one
When I was thirty-five
It was a very good year
It was a very good year for blue-blooded girls
Of independent means
We'd ride in limousines
Our chauffeurs would drive
When I was thirty-five
But now the days are short
I'm in the autumn of the year
And now I think of my life as vintage wine
From fine old kegs
From the brim to the dregs
It poured sweet and clear
It was a very good year
© Richard Coffey - All Rights Reserved
(where applicable)
You know as we get older you start to think more and more about your mortality and the legacy you'll leave... What kind of a life have you led... What if any of the dreams you had were fulfilled? What an incredible song this is that seems to capture it all!
About the Arrangement
My arrangement features soft guitars and strings and varies from section to section. Give a listen to the subtle changes. 4 trombones take the torch in the middle section :)
About the Music
Gordon Jenkins' arrangement of Frank Sinatra's iconic 1965 recording of "It Was a Very Good Year," deservedly earned him a Grammy Award in 1966. Sinatra's highly orchestrated rendition was featured on his album September of My Years and became a massive hit, although the song itself was written by Ervin Drake in 1961 and originally recorded by Bob Shane with the Kingston Trio. Details
Give a listen to this masterpiece: Frank Sinatra's version of: It Was a Very Good Year.
Arranger: Gordon Jenkins
Conductor: Gordon Jenkins
Songwriter: Ervin Drake