Each time I find myself flat on my face
I pick myself up and get back in the race Frank Sinatra – That's Life
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When Sinatra recorded this song in 1966, his career had already stalled once, in the early 1950s (being reborn in 1953). However these lines aptly describe his attitude throughout his life, as his career stalled again in the late 1960s, to be revived yet again in 1973
In general, in order for Sinatra to ultimately achieve his enormous success, he had to suffer many setbacks and failures without giving up
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You are young and you must be living
So take your shower, shine your shoes, you got no time to lose
You are young and you must be living Dispatch – The General
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That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going Dispatch – The General
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Till one by one they stepped back, and not a word was said Dispatch – The General
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Not knowing what to do with their contradicting orders Dispatch – The General
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'Cause he's got his own Billie Holiday & Tony Scott and His Orchestra – God Bless the Child
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You can help yourself but don't take too much Billie Holiday & Tony Scott and His Orchestra – God Bless the Child
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Sinatra perhaps picked an unrealistic escapist fantasy such as flying away on a giant bird to show that it is unrealistic to simply give up and try to escape (especially since he would be flying without any particular destination)
Alternatively, this line can be interpreted as boarding a plane and living a life of soft leisure as a retired and mildly successful singer, rather than continuing to work to achieve success and ultimately becoming one of the most popular and influential musicians of the 20th century
I always thought it meant suicide. “Jump on a big bird” can be interpreted as jumping off a building and the “and then I’d fly” would refer to being in heaven. This would coincide with the final line “I’d roll up in a big ball and die.”