“A Song That I Cannot Stand”: The Frank Sinatra Classic That Sinatra Hated With a Passion

When musicians play songs over and over again in order to sell out crowds and sell units. It comes as no surprise as to why they grow such a disdain for their own work. Kurt Cobain, Radio Head, and countless other musicians have undergone this affliction and publicly expressed their disgust. Another notable name to tack onto the long list is Frank Sinatra and his hit song, “Strangers of The Night.”

Released in 1966, the song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on the chart for a total of 15 weeks. Furthermore, the song sold 2 million copies worldwide and won two Grammies. The public couldn’t have enough of the song. However, Sinatra wishes he never made it.

Sinatra’s Outspoken Dislike

According to Far Out, Sinatra would publicly acknowledge his animosity towards the song. Stating to crowds before he sang it, “Here’s a song that I cannot stand.” To double down on his distaste and to make sure people knew about it, he took a more extreme approach. In the 2006 biography, Sinatra: The Life, writers Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swan claimed that Sinatra called the song “a piece of sh*t” and “the worst f***ing song that I have ever heard.” Safe to say he got his message across.

The origins of Sinatra’s dislike derive from the lyrics. Barbara Sinatra wrote in her book, Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank, “He always said the words were not subtle enough, too ‘on the nose’.” Furthermore, Sinatra homophobically expressed that the lyrics seemingly were “about two f$#@s who meet in the bus station bathroom.” The lyrical hatred can be attributed to the song’s writers, Eddie Snyder and Charles Singleton.

There Was No Stopping the Song

Regardless of Sinatra’s abhorrence towards the song, it was massively successful. In addition to the accolades stated previously, the song also garnered him his No. 1 in 11 years. Additionally, the song was Sinatra’s best-selling single and made it on the iconic Sinatra: Nothing But The Best album. Thus, it is, at least to the public, one of the greatest Sinatra songs of all time.

Sinatra reportedly wanted nothing more than to stop singing the song during shows. Although, he was a performer, and as a performer, he knew what he had to do to keep fans entertained and extend his career. Regardless of its quality and success, “Strangers of The Night” has been tainted by Sinatra’s heated opinion, and he’s probably grateful for it.

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