It was a Very Good Year - wikipedia It was a Very Good Year This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( January 2009 ) `` It Was a Very Good Year '' is a song Ervin Drake composed in 1961 for and originally recorded by Bob Shane with the Kingston Trio. It was subsequently made famous by Frank Sinatra 's version in D minor, which won the Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male in 1966. Gordon Jenkins was awarded Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist ( s ) for the Sinatra version. This single peaked at # 28 on the U.S. pop chart and became Sinatra 's first # 1 single on the Easy Listening charts. That version can be found on Sinatra 's 1965 album September of My Years, and was featured in The Sopranos season two opener, `` Guy Walks into a Psychiatrist 's Office... ''. A live, stripped - down performance is included on his Sinatra at the Sands album. Contents 1 Description 2 Inspiration 3 Recordings 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Description The song recounts the type of girls the singer had relationships with 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. Inspiration 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. Recordings 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. Lonnie Donegan released it as a 45 rpm single on Pye Records, in 1963. The Turtles recorded a version on their debut album, It Ai n't Me Babe ( 1965 ). They also released it as a single in Canada ( Quality 1791 ) in January 1966. Wes Montgomery included a version of the song in his album Goin ' Out Of My Head ( 1965 ). Chad & Jeremy included the song into their Second album ( January, 1965 ). It was the last track on their last UK LP so it seems to correlate with the song title somehow. They also released it as a single in The US ( World Artists 1052 ) & Canada ( Capitol 72239 ) as `` A Very Good Year '' Frank Sinatra on his September of My Years album ( 1965 ) and a stripped - down performance on his Sinatra at the Sands live album ( 1966 ) Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass included a melancholy instrumental version of the song on their album What Now My Love ( 1966 ) Gábor Szabó recorded a version in his album Spellbinder ( 1966 ). Eddie Harris recorded a version in his album Mean Greens ( 1966 ). William Shatner did a spoken - word cover of this song interspersed with lines from Hamlet on his album The Transformed Man ( 1968 ). Lou Rawls covered this song in 1966, produced by David Axelrod and included on his hit album Soulin ' as part of a `` Memory Lane '' medley. Rawls also performed it just before his death on 2006 's `` An Evening of Stars '' telethon, backed by the Rickey Minor Band. Harry James released a version in 1967 on his album Our Leader ! ( Dot DLP 3801 and DLP 25801 ). Lennie Hibbert included this as the last song on the album `` Creation '' ( Studio One ) mislabeled as `` Nature Boy. '' The brilliant Jackie Mitoo organ instrumental is accompanied only by hand drums. Boris Karloff performed a moving rendition of the song on The Jonathan Winters Show in 1968, at the age of 80. Rowan & Martin 's Laugh - In did a skit wherein Dan Rowan changes army uniforms from World War II, Korea, and then Vietnam as the song plays in the background. In 1971, Michael Jackson sang a parody of this song in a skit with Diana Ross during the Diana ! TV Special. Baden Powell recorded an instrumental version of it, titled `` It Was A Wonderful Year '', on his album Grandezza on Guitar ( 1971 ) Della Reese performed the song at the Playboy Club in Chicago and was later featured on her LP, One More Time !. In the 78th episode of The Muppet Show, Statler and Waldorf performed the song from their box. 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 original recording. Frank Sinatra 's version of the song was featured in the Spike Lee film Jungle Fever ( 1991 ). 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 ; his name was Brian McGee ) and he `` stayed up listening to Queen. '' The Flaming Lips covered this song on the compilation Chairman of the Board ( Interpretations of Songs Made Famous by Frank Sinatra ) ( 1993 ). The Reverend Horton Heat covered the song in 2000 and released it as a single to promote the album Spend a Night in the Box ( 2000 ). It has been adapted in French, as `` C'était une très bonne année '', by Robert Charlebois on his album Doux sauvage ( 2001 ). Paul Young included a cover version on his album The Essential Paul Young ( 2003 ) Ray Charles covered the song ( as a duet with Willie Nelson ) on his album Genius Loves Company ( 2004 ). In 2005, They Might Be Giants parodied this song on their first ever podcast. An instrumental version appears on the album Big City ( 2005 ) by Dave Stryker. Gordon Goodwin 's Big Phat Band recorded a version for the album The Phat Pack ( 2006 ). Irish folk singer / songwriter Ronnie Drew included a coverversion of the song on his album There 's life in the old dog yet ( 2006 ) Brett Anderson sang it live as can be heard on the album Live at Queen Elizabeth Hall ( 2007 ). At the end of the song Brett jokingly says that he wrote it last night. Dee Snider of Twisted Sister recorded a version for the album SIN - atra ( 2011 ), a heavy metal cover album of Frank Sinatra songs A recording was included on Alfie Boe 's album Alfie ( 2011 ). Alain Resnais used the Sinatra recording over the closing credits of his film You Ai n't Seen Nothin ' Yet ( 2012 ). The song plays no role in the film proper, but in You Ai n't Seen Nothin ' Yet ( French title : Vous n'avez encore rien vu ) has similar themes and tone of autumnal reminiscence as the Sinatra recording -- a dead stage director invites his actors to a wake and performance of a play they all had acted in for him. Shirley Bassey recorded it on her album Hello Like Before ( 2014 ), produced by Stuart Barr. Mel Torme hosted a 1971 summer replacement television show named after the song, using it as open and close music See also List of number - one adult contemporary singles of 1966 ( U.S. ) References Jump up ^ Rubeck, Shaw, Blake et al., The Kingston Trio On Record ( Naperville IL : KK Inc, 1986 ), p. 46 ^ Jump up to : Friedwald, Will ( 2009 - 04 - 02 ). `` When He Was 46 it Was a Very Good Year - WSJ ''. Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 20. Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1996 ). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition ( Billboard Publications ) Jump up ^ 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. Jump up ^ Peppiat, Wheaton et. el. Sinatra : A Man and his Music. Warner Bros. DVD, prod. Hemion, Raskin, 1999 Jump up ^ `` Chad Stuart & Jeremy Clyde ''. Chadandjeremy.net. 2006. Retrieved 2014 - 06 - 20. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Frank Sinatra singles discography Columbia singles ( 1939 - 1940 ) `` All or Nothing at All '' RCA Victor singles ( 1940 - 1942 ) `` Imagination '' `` East of the Sun ( and West of the Moon ) '' `` The One I Love ( Belongs to Somebody Else ) '' `` Stardust '' `` Oh ! Look at Me Now '' `` Without a Song '' `` Let 's Get Away from It All '' `` Blue Skies '' `` Pale Moon ( An Indian Love Song ) '' `` Embraceable You '' `` 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 '' `` September Song '' `` 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 Ca n'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 '' `` 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 '' `` Do n't Worry ' bout Me '' `` Three Coins in the Fountain '' `` The Gal That Got Away '' `` Someone to Watch Over Me '' `` Melody of Love '' `` Two Hearts, Two Kisses ( Make One 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 ? '' `` Who Wants to Be a Millionaire ? '' `` All the Way '' `` Chicago ( That Toddlin ' Town ) '' `` Witchcraft '' `` 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 '' `` 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 '' Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Was_a_Very_Good_Year&oldid=810000416 '' Categories : 1961 songs 1966 singles Frank Sinatra songs Songs about old age Billboard Adult Contemporary number - one singles Grammy Award for Best Vocal Performance, Male Songs written by Ervin Drake Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist ( s ) Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from January 2009 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Français Nederlands Polski Русский Türkçe Українська Edit links This page was last edited on 12 November 2017, at 20 : 53. 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Question: who wrote the song when i was 17
Answer: Ervin Drake