As Sinatra himself once explained, he usually began with a sheet of lyrics without music: ³At that point, I¹m looking at a poem. I¹m trying to understand the point of view of the person behind the words. I want to understand his emotions. Then I start speaking, not singing the words, so I can experiment and get the right inflections. When I get with the orchestra, I sing the words without a microphone first, so I can adjust the way I¹ve been practicing to the arrangement. I¹m looking to fit the emotion behind the song that I¹ve come up with to the music. Then it all comes together.

You sing the song.²

From Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan.