What are some songs told from the perspective of an older woman?

[alcibiades_mystery]

It seems to me that few songs are told from the vantage of an older woman. I don't mean that older women wrote or sing the songs, necessarily, but that the implicit narrator of the song is an older woman (say, over fifty). I can only think of two:

Iris DeMent Our Town
Pearl Jam Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town

Anyone wanna help me out?

[Sufi Marmot]

1. Angel From Montgomery by John Prine

The lyrics can be found here.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Great!

Thanks.

[CatBoreal]

6. I love that song...

Particularly the Leslie Spit Tree-o cover.

[SeattleGirl]

10. I listen to that song quite often

It's in my computer's music library. Love it!

[NNadir]

15. Prine's best song.

An' my old man's just another child who's grown old.

[Parrcrow]

19. A great song from a great artist

written when he was about 21.

[Catchawave]

3. "Memory" from Cats ?

I can't get the link to work :argh:

Just google Memory lyrics Cats, there are several sites :hi:

I also thought of

Cher's "If you can turn back time"

Peggy Lee's "Is that all that there is"

Tina Turner's "Private Dancer"

Sinatra's "My Way" can cross gender !

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Hmmm

I guess Memories is right.

I don't really follow your reasoning on Cher, Peggy Lee, or Tina Turner, other than that they were older women singing the songs. Nothing in the lyrics themselves make them songs told from the vantage of an older woman. As for Sinatra, I think there are many, many, older men songs. That's what I find so curious about the relative lack of older women songs.

[Catchawave]

5. OK, gotcha......

The only reason I thought of the other songs was lyric interpretation symbolizing the "older" woman's angst. I'm over 50, and all those I mentioned can apply to all decades of a woman's transition and passages? Music speaks to me through all styles, I'm a huge fan of Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' too :hi:

Sinatra's "My Way" is an anthem to aging and reflecting, for instance, and this may sound morbid, I would want to have it played at my funeral :)

Mature ladies' specific lyrics? I'm not sure, but Memory is on target. Did you see Cats? The character is an old cat :)

[leftofthedial]

7. Anything by Barbra Streisand

[SOteric]

8. On Top of Old Smokey

On top of Old Smokey,
All covered with snow,
I lost my true lover,
For courting too slow.

For courting's a pleasure,
But parting is grief,
And a false-hearted lover,
Is worse than a thief.

A thief will just rob you,
And take what you have,
But a false-hearted lover,
Will lead you to your grave.

The grave will decay you,
And turn you to dust,
Not one boy in a hundred
A poor girl can trust.

They'll hug you and kiss you,
And tell you more lies,
Than crossties on a railroad,
Or stars in the sky.

So come ye young maidens,
And listen to me,
Never place your affection
In a green willow tree.

For the leaves they will wither,
The roots they will die,
And you'll be forsaken,
And never know why.

[hippywife]

9. This one

always makes me cry:

Where Have You Been? sung by Kathy Mattea (written by her husband)

Claire had all but given up
When she and Edwin fell in love
She touched his face and shook her head
In disbelief she sighed and said
In many dreams I've held you near
Now at last you're really here

Chorus
Where have you been?
I've looked for you for ever and a day
Where have you been?
I'm just not myself when you're away

He asked her for her hand for life
Then she became a salesman's wife
He was home each night by 8
But one stormy evening he was late
Her frightened tears fell to the floor
Until his key turned in the door

Chorus

They'd never spent a night apart
For 60 yrs she heard him snore
Now they're in a hospital
In seperate beds on different floors

Claire soon lost her memory, forgot the names of family
She never spoke a word again
Then one day they wheeled him in
He held her hand and stroked her hair
In a fragile voice she said

Chorus

Where have you been
Ive searched for you forever and a day
Where have you been
Im just not myself when your away
Im just not myself when your away

[soup]

13. Whoa! The lyrics alone have me snifflin'

Doubt I could listen to the song without a box of Kleenex.

What was that song? Country singer - mother to daughter I think -
argh! darnit. Might be - 'I Hope You Dance'

Yep. LeeAnn Womack.
http://www.lyrics007.com/Lee%20Ann%20Womack%20Lyrics/I%20Hope%20You%20Dance%20Lyrics.html

Does that count as something coming from an older woman's perspective?

[hippywife]

20. Oh, I still get the chills

from head to foot when I hear her sing it. Bawled like a baby the first time and many times since. One of the most moving songs I've ever heard, truly.

[WCGreen]

14. That one always gets to me.....There ain't a dry eye in the house

when she starts in on this one...

[hippywife]

21. You ol' softy you!

That's cool. ;)

[In_The_Wind]

16. Lovely ...

and so true ...

[hippywife]

22. Hi, Joani!

Hugs back to you!

[In_The_Wind]

23. hey hippywife

How was your Thanksgiving?

[hippywife]

24. Good, Joans!

How about yours? Duck was it?

[In_The_Wind]

25. It was a large duck. I'm very pleased with everything about yesterday.

Except for some odd reason, I'm exhausted.

[hippywife]

26. That was a courageous undertaking.

I've never roasted a duck before. And it is perfectly understandable that you would be tired. Even if the cooking isn't tiring, which it usually is, there's the anxiety of hoping everything comes out right that can be very wearing, too.

As a matter of fact, I'm thinkin' I'm gonna go lie down for a bit.

Glad it all turned out well for you! :)

[ashling]

52. I love that song

It was written by Kathy's husband about his grandparents.

My oldest daughter's 6th grade teacher was Kathy Mattea's cousin.

Unfortunately it doesn't meet the format for this radio station.

the implicit narrator of the song is an older woman
:shrug:


:hi:

[southlandshari]

11. "Gimme a Younger Man" by Kacey Jones

from her "Never Wear Panties to a Party" is a good one.

:hide:

I'm also partial to this Kacey Jones gem - "Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History"

:evilgrin:

[Horus45]

12. "The Middle Aged Blues Boogie" by Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women

Alligator Records

[mac56]

18. "I need a young young man....

to take away these middle aged blues!"

Love it

[tigereye]

54. those women are great!

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. Kick

I'll make a list at the end.

[rug]

27. Diamonds and Rust

[leftofthedial]

28. I don't know how old "older" is, but try some KT Oslin.

[DawgHouse]

48. Oslin's Younger Men is good

"Women peak at forty, and men at ninteen
I remember laughing my head off when I read that in a magazine
(I was twenty at the time)
Now I'm staring forty right in the face
And the only trouble with being a woman my age, is the men my age.

That's why younger men are starting to catch my eye
I'm starting to stop what I'm doing
just to turn around and watch them walk by
At the very next opportunity
I'm gonna give a younger man a try
Because younger men are starting to catch my eye

Men my age, poor old darlings, they're worried and their harry
Some of them drink too much, whole lot of them are married
And honey here I'm at on the threshold of all that fun
I'm gonna try my best to cross it with a younger one

Oh, I said that younger men are starting to catch my eye
I'm starting to stop what I'm doing
Just to turn around and watch them walk by
At the very next opportunity
I'm gonna give a younger man a try
Because younger men are starting to catch my eye

(Musical interlude)

Woah, look over here
We got a cute little ol' runner to the right
Blue shorts, no shirt
Whoo! You're looking good darling
That's right, stay in shape

Ohh... Ohh... Ohhhhhhh...

Because younger men are starting to catch my eye
Yes, I said younger men are starting to catch my eye"

[Reciprocity]

29. Well mine is country. I swing both ways.

He Thinks He'll Keep Her

Mary Chapin Carpenter


She makes his coffee, she makes his bed
She does the laundry, she keeps him fed
When she was twenty-one she wore her mother's lace
She said "forever" with a smile upon her face

She does the car-pool, she PTAs
Doctors and dentists, she drives all day
When she was twenty-nine she delivered number three
And every Christmas card showed a perfect family

Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her

She packs his suitcase, she sits and waits
With no expression upon her face
When she was thirty-six she met him at their door
She said I'm sorry, I don't love you anymore

Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
God forbid you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her

For fifteen years she had a job and not one raise in pay
Now she's in the typing pool at minimum wage
Everything runs right on time, years of practice and design
Spit and polish till it shines. He thinks he'll keep her
Everything is so benign, safest place you'll ever find
At least until you change your mind. He thinks he'll keep her

[Left Is Write]

38. That song always makes me a little sad.

[alcibiades_mystery]

42. Are all older women songs sad?

Here are the lyrics to "Our Town," the song I cited in the original post:

And you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

Up the street beside that red neon light,
That's where I met my baby on one hot summer night.
He was the tender and I ordered a beer,
It's been forty years and I'm still sitting here.

But you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

It's here I had my babies and I had my first kiss.
I've walked down Main Street in the cold morning mist.
Over there is where I bought my first car.
It turned over once but then it never went far.

And I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

I buried my Mama and I buried my Pa.
They sleep up the street beside that pretty brick wall.
I bring them flowers about every day,
but I just gotta cry when I think what they'd say.

If they could see how the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

Now I sit on the porch and watch the lightning-bugs fly.
But I can't see too good, I got tears in my eyes.
I'm leaving tomorrow but I don't wanna go.
I love you, my town, you'll always live in my soul.

But I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on, I gotta kiss you goodbye,
But I'll hold to my lover,
'Cause my heart's 'bout to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to my town, to my town.
I can see the sun has gone down on my town, on my town,
Goodnight.
Goodnight.

[Reciprocity]

44. OMG I remember that song from Northern Exposure!

They played it on their last show. Where's the keenex?

[alcibiades_mystery]

45. The Iris DeMenty version is sad enough

You should hear Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin do it.

Make a grown man cry, for sure.

[gollygee]

30. The Man Who Got Away

?

[Olney Blue]

31. Both Sides Now

Artist: Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Song: Both Sides Now Lyrics

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, i've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions i recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real; i've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions i recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions i recall.
I really don't know life at all.

[Reciprocity]

50. Now I remember this from Love Actually

[Reciprocity]

32. This is the first time I ever heard this from a women's perspective.

The name of the album is great.
Did I shave my legs for this?
Strawberry Wine.
Deana Carter

He was working through college on my grandpa's farm
I was thirsting for knowledge and he had a car
I was caught somewhere between a woman and a child
When one restless summer we found love growing wild
On the banks of the river on a well beaten path
Funny how those memories they last

Like strawberry wine and seventeen
The hot July moon saw everything
My first taste of love oh bittersweet
Green on the vine
Like strawberry wine

I still remember when thirty was old
My biggest fear was September when he had to go
A few cards and letters and one long distance call
We drifted away like the leaves in the fall
But year after year I come back to this place
Just to remember the taste

Of strawberry wine and seventeen
The hot July moon saw everything
My first taste of love oh bittersweet
Green on the vine
Like strawberry wine

The fields have grown over now
Years since they've seen a plow
There's nothing time hasn't touched
Is it really him or the loss of my innocence
I've been missing so much

Like strawberry wine and seventeen
The hot July moon saw everything
My first taste of love oh bittersweet
Green on the vine
Like strawberry wine

[Hardrada]

33. In the Garden

religious number beloved of older women

[babylonsister]

34. Both Sides Now:

Artist: Joni Mitchell Lyrics
Song: Both Sides Now Lyrics
Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, i've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things i would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions i recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Moons and junes and ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
As every fairy tale comes real; i've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. you leave 'em laughing when you go
And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

I've looked at love from both sides now,
From give and take, and still somehow
It's love's illusions i recall.
I really don't know love at all.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.

I've looked at life from both sides now,
From win and lose, and still somehow
It's life's illusions i recall.
I really don't know life at all.

[alcibiades_mystery]

36. I don't see anything in the song

That would indicate that it's necessarily told from the perspective of an older woman?

I know my Mom loves the song, but that ain't the same. ;-)

[babylonsister]

39. For instance,

"Tears and fears and feeling proud to say "i love you" right out loud,
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, i've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads, they say
I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day."

The lyrics suggest age to me because of the past tenses used, and the mention of "old" friends...:shrug:

[alcibiades_mystery]

40. OK...that's a good case for it

And I'll admit I'm swayed by the vision of Emma Thompson listening to this song immediately after discovering her husband's planned affair in Love Actually. I'll add it to the list. Thanks!

PS: I wasn't busting your chops about it, just curious as to your explanation.

[mykpart]

35. There's an old Peggy Lee song from the late 60s

called, "Is That All There Is?" I don't know all the lyrics, but the refrain goes,

Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is, my friend,
Then let's keep dancin'
Let's break out the booze
And have a ball, if that's all
There is.

The verses are about the first time she saw the circus, first party, the first time she fell in love, etc.

[alcibiades_mystery]

37. All of which could have been thought by a 25 year-old woman, no?

:shrug:

[mykpart]

41. I guess, but it didn't seem that way to me when

I was 25. Maybe it's Peggy Lee - her voice is so world-weary in that song - I've always thought of it as the feelings of an older woman who's "seen it all." BTW, have you ever heard the song?

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. Yes, I've heard it, and I agree with you

But there's nothing explicit about it being told from the vantage of an older woman. I know I'm fetishizing the lyrics here rather than the performance, and this is a bit too "textual," since the performance of the song is what counts, but still. That song could just as easily be describing the feelings of a 30 year-old as a 65 year-old?

[mykpart]

46. How about this one?

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day.
We'd live the life we'd choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.

I can't remember the singer's name, (Mary something) but she sang with a high, lilting voice. However, the lyrics alone could be a man or woman, I guess. Not like Frank Sinatra's "It was a very good year."

[Reciprocity]

47. Also Suzy Bogguss and Trisha Yearwood

I always think of Princess Diana when I here this song.

Hey Cinderella
Suzy Bogguss

We believed in fairy tales that day
I watched your father give you away
Your aim was true when the pink bouquet
Fell right into my hands

We danced for hours and we drank champagne
You screamed and laughed when I got up and sang
And then you rode away in a white mustang
To your castle in the sand

Through the years and the kids and the jobs
And the dreams that lost their way
Do you ever stop and wonder
Do you ever just wanna say

Hey hey, cinderella, what’s the story all about
I got a funny feeling we missed a page or two somehow
Ohh-ohhhh, cinderella, maybe you could help us out
Does the shoe fit you now

We’re older but no more the wise
We’ve learned the art of compromise
Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry
And sometimes we just break down

We’re good now ’cause we have to be
Come to terms with our vanity
Sometimes we still curse gravity
When no one is around

Yeah, our dolls gather dust in the corner of the attic
And bicycles rust in the rain
Still we walk in that fabled shadow
Sometimes we call her name

Hey hey, cinderella, what’s the story all about
I got a funny feeling we missed a page or two somehow
Ohh-ohhhh, cinderella, maybe you could help us out
Does the shoe fit you now

Hey! cinderella, maybe you could help us out
Does the shoe fit you now
Fit you now, ohh-ohhhh, cinderella (cinderella) does it fit you now?
Cinderella (cinderella) ohh-ohhh-ohhhh cinderella (cinderella)


American Girl
Trisha Yearwood

Phone rings, baby cries
TV, diet, guru, lies
Good morning hunnie

Go to work, make up
try to keep the balance up
Between love and money

She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's tryin to make it in her daddy's world
An American girl
An American girl

Slow dance, second chance
mama needs romance
And an live-in maid

Fix the sink, mow the yard,
Really isn't all that hard
If you get paid

She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's tryin to make it in her daddy's world
An American girl
An American girl

Well she's got her God
and she's got good wine
Aretha Franklin and Patsy Cline

She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
She's gonna make it in her daddy's world
An American girl
An American girl
She's an American girl

She used to tie her hair up in ribbons and bows
Sign her letters with X's and O's
Got a picture of her mama in heels and pearls
Shes gonna make it in her daddy's world
Shes an american girl yeah

Well she tied her hair up in ribbons and bows
Sign her letters with X's and O's
X's and O's, X's and O's

[Reciprocity]

63. Make that hear. Why can't I catch my typos before I post.

[adriennui]

49. landslide

sung by stevie nicks. i can't listen to it without weeping.

also, send in the clowns which could be from a male or female perspective. it was my father's favorite song ....he died 2 years ago, now i just can't listen to it.

[Reciprocity]

51. How could I have forgotten this classic.

Carly Simon

That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be

My father sits at night with no lights on
His cigarette glows in the dark.
The living room is still;
I walk by, no remark.
I tiptoe past the master bedroom where
My mother reads her magazines.
I hear her call sweet dreams,
But I forgot how to dream.

But you say it's time we moved in together
And raised a family of our own, you and me -
Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be:
You want to marry me, we'll marry.

My friends from college they're all married now;
They have their houses and their lawns.
They have their silent noons,
Tearful nights, angry dawns.
Their children hate them for the things they're not;
They hate themselves for what they are-
And yet they drink, they laugh,
Close the wound, hide the scar.

But you say it's time we moved in together
And raised a family of our own, you and me -
Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be:
You want to marry me, we'll marry.

You say we can keep our love alive
Babe - all I know is what I see -
The couples cling and claw
And drown in love's debris.
You say we'll soar like two birds through the clouds,
But soon you'll cage me on your shelf -
I'll never learn to be just me first
By myself.

Well O.K., it's time we moved in together
And raised a family of our own, you and me -
Well, that's the way I've always heard it should be,
You want to marry me, we'll marry,
We'll marry.

[alcibiades_mystery]

53. Sounds like a mid-30's rap

Kinda strange to start a family at 50+, no?

[Reciprocity]

55. Elizabeth Edwards had two of her four children when she was 48 and 50

[Horus45]

56. She is an amazing woman and would make a great First Lady!

[alcibiades_mystery]

57. Kinda an exception that proves the rule, though, yeah?

Just saying.

[Reciprocity]

58. Well the thing is...

now with science that has not been available to women in the past, more women can start over with biological children of their own much later in life. So it was more of a lack of options than desire.

[skygazer]

59. To a point

But the older you get, the more difficult it is to conceive, science or not. One of the unfortunate things about all this is that so many people beleive it's simple to have children after 40 now and then discover they've waited too long while they establish their career, etc. It still makes good bioligical sense to have children in your 20's or 30's. Science is not infallable.

[AngryAmish]

60. Walk This Way by Run-DMC

[alcibiades_mystery]

61. Oh, go on

:-)

[fishnfla]

62. Patty Griffin has a bunch

like "long ride home" for one

[Reciprocity]

64. Now for a twist on the older women's perspective

you should watch Absolutely Fabulous. BBC has it on most of today. God if I looked like Pasty I could own the world.

[In_The_Wind]

65. Do Your Duty by Billie Holiday says it all ...

Wesley 'Sox' Wilson

If I call three times a day
Come and drive my blues away
When you come, be ready to play
Do your duty

If you want to have some love
Give your baby your last buck
Don't come quackin' like a duck
Do your duty

I heard you say you didn't love me
Numb as Mrs. Brown
I don't believe a word they say
She's the lyinest woman in town

When I need attention at home
I'll call you on the phone
Come yourself, don't send your friend Jones
Do your duty

If my radiator get too hot
Cool it off in lots of spots
Give me all the service you've got
Do your duty

If you don't know what it's all about
Don't sit around my house and pout
If you do you'll catch your mama tippin' now
Do your duty

If you make your own bed hard
That's the way o' life
I'm tired of sleepin' by myself
But you too dumb to realize

I'm not tryin' to make you feel blue
I'm not satisfied with the way you do
I've got to help you find somebody too
Do your duty

[tishaLA]

66. Ladies Who Lunch

by Sondheim

Here's to the ladies who lunch--
Everybody laugh.
Lounging in their caftans
And planning a brunch
On their own behalf.
Off to the gym,
Then to a fitting,
Claiming they're fat.
And looking grim,
'Cause they've been sitting
Choosing a hat.
Does anyone still wear a hat?
I'll drink to that.

And here's to the girls who play smart--
Aren't they a gas?
Rushing to their classes
In optical art,
Wishing it would pass.
Another long exhausting day,
Another thousand dollars,
A matinee, a Pinter play,
Perhaps a piece of Mahler's.
I'll drink to that.
And one for Mahler!

And here's to the girls who play wife--
Aren't they too much?
Keeping house but clutching
A copy of LIFE,
Just to keep in touch.
The ones who follow the rules,
And meet themselves at the schools,
Too busy to know that they're fools.
Aren't they a gem?
I'll drink to them!
Let's all drink to them!

And here's to the girls who just watch--
Aren't they the best?
When they get depressed,
It's a bottle of Scotch,
Plus a little jest.
Another chance to disapprove,
Another brilliant zinger,
Another reason not to move,
Another vodka stinger.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!
I'll drink to that.

So here's to the girls on the go--
Everybody tries.
Look into their eyes,
And you'll see what they know:
Everybody dies.
A toast to that invincible bunch,
The dinosaurs surviving the crunch.
Let's hear it for the ladies who lunch--
Everybody rise!
Rise!
Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise!
Rise!

[tishaLA]

67. I'm Still Here

by Sondheim

Good times and bum times,
I've seen them all and, my dear,
I'm still here.
Plush velvet sometimes,
Sometimes just pretzels and beer,
But I'm here.
I've stuffed the dailies in my shoes.
Strummed ukuleles, sung the blues,
Seen all my dreams disappear,
But I'm here.

I've slept in shanties,
Guest of the W.P.A.,
But I'm here.
Danced in my scanties,
Three bucks a night was the pay,
But I'm here.
I've stood on bread lines with the best,
Watched while the headlines did the rest.
In the Depression was I depressed?
Nowhere near.

I met a big financier
And I'm here.
I've been through Gandhi,
Windsor and Wally's affair,
And I'm here.
Amos 'n' Andy,
Mah-jongg and platinum hair,
And I'm here.
I got through Abie's Irish Rose,
Five Dionne babies Major Bowes,
Had heebie-jeebies for Beebe's
Bathysphere.
I lived through Brenda Frazier
And I'm here.

I've gotten through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover,
Gee, that was fun and a half.
When you've been through Herbert and J. Edgar Hoover,
Anything else is a laugh.
I've been through Reno.
I've been through Beverly Hills,
And I'm here.
Reefers and vino,
Rest cures, religion and pills,
And I'm here
Been called a pinko commie tool,
Got through it stinko by my pool.
I should have gone to an acting school.
That seems clear,
Still, someone said, "She's sincere,"
So I'm here.
Black sable one day.
Next day it goes into hock,
But I'm here.
Top billing Monday,
Tuesday you're touring in stock,
But I'm here.
First you're another sloe-eyed vamp,
Then someone's mother,
Then you're camp.
Then you career from career
To career.
I'm almost through my memoirs.
And I'm here.

I've gotten through "Hey, lady, aren't you whoozis?
Wow! What a looker you were."
Or, better yet, "Sorry, I thought you were whoozis.
Whatever happened to her?"
Good times and bum times,
I've seen 'em all and, my dear,
I'm still here.
Flush velvet sometimes,
Sometimes just pretzels and beer,
But I'm here.
I've run the gamut.
A to Z.
Three cheers and dammit,
C'est la vie.
I got through all of last year
And I'm here.
Lord knows, at least I was there,
And I'm here!
Look who's here!
I'm still here!

[Kolesar]

68. The whole "Roches" catalog

http://www.roches.com/