From Rags to Riches . . .

VOCABULARY

Frank Sinatra and John Lennon were world famous singers. Both of them are remembered in December, for very different reasons; one for his death and the other for his birth. Last Sunday marked 100 years since Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, in New Jersey. He captivated the world with his voice, even though he had had a punctured ear drum since birth and he had no formal music training. He became the heartthrob of many women in the 1940s, but in his earlier performances his fans were paid to scream as loudly as possible. Dozens of events have taken place to mark the anniversary, even though O’ Blue Eyes died 17 years ago.

Many scandals surrounded Frank Sinatra, including his connections to the mafia, and even though he seemed very self-confident he was insecure about his height and always wore lifts in his shoes. There are other facts that you may not know about him. He campaigned against racial discrimination and refused to perform in any Las Vegas casinos which banned African-Americans.

He always carried a roll of dimes in his pocket after his only son, Frank Junior, was kidnapped and he ran out of money while ringing the kidnappers on a payphone. Apparently, he was even buried with some coins in his pocket. Believe it or not, he hated the classic "My Way", but could not stop other people from loving it. It always makes me cry when I hear it played at a funeral, but please don’t play it at mine. I will always remember Frank Sinatra as every time I came home from school, my father was playing one of his LPs. I know all his songs by heart.

John Lennon, on the other hand, was born 25 years later on October 9, 1940, in Merseyside, Liverpool, during a German air raid in World War II. As his father left the family when he was four, he was brought up by his Aunt Mimi, who wasn’t very well-off. John’s mother, Julia, remarried but visited him regularly and taught him how to play the piano and guitar. He was devastated when his mother was hit by a car, in 1958, and later died. John met Paul McCartney at a church fete on July 6, 1957. He invited Paul to join his group, and the two eventually formed one of the most successful song writing partnerships in musical history.

The group became "The Beatles" and the rest is history. John Lennon was shot by Mark Chapman, a deranged fan, on 8 December, 1980, in the archway of the building where he lived, in New York. He was only 40. John tried to bring our attention to wars and hatred in the world and composed the song "Imagine". I am sure that he is turning in his grave when he sees that things have got worse not better. Maybe he had the right ideas about world peace, even if the grammar in his song text is not perfect: Imagine there’s no countries It isn’t hard to do Nothing to kill or die for and no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world You may say I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope one day you will join us And the world will live as one. On that note, I would like to wish all readers of the Salzburger Nachrichten, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. I hope you will join me again in 2016 to "Test your English". in common – gemeinsam humble backgrounds – bescheidener Hintergrund from rags to riches – vom Tellerwäscher zum Millionär punctured ear drum – ein Loch im Trommelfell heartthrob – Mädschenschwarm performance – Vorstellung to scream – schreien to mark an anniversary – einen Jahrestag begehen surrounded – umgeben self-confident – selbstbewusst to refuse – sich weigern to ban – den Zutritt verweigern to carry – dabei haben dimes – Zehn-Cent-Stücke kidnapped – entführt apparently – anscheinend coins – Münzen believe it or not – ob man es glaubt oder nicht funeral – Begräbnis by heart – auswendig air raid – Luftangriff well-off – begütert taught – gelehrt devastated – am Boden zerstört eventually – schließlich successful – erfolgreich deranged – verwirrt archway – Torbogen imagine – stellen Sie sich vor worse – schlimmer possessions – Besitztümer I wonder – ich frage mich greed – Gier to share – teilen on that note – in diesem Sinne