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| From | Farrar Hudkins <fhudkins@gmail.com> |
| Subject | Re: Sad Songs |
| Date | Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:05:49 -0600 |
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Oh dear, now we're into musical theatre... and not just Sondheim. Cole
Porter's ‘Miss Otis Regrets’ is a sad one. The Jerome Kern songbook has
a few terribly sad ones as well. One of my favourites is ‘This Funny
World’ by Rodgers and Hart:
‘A hope, a scheme a plan -- the stuff my dreams were made of
You strive like any man -- the world's a place you're not afraid of
But soon you are brought down to earth,
And you learn what your dream was worth...
This funny world makes fun of the things that you strive for
This funny world can laugh at the dreams you're alive for
If you are beaten, conceal it -- there's no pity for you
For the world cannot feel it -- just keep to yourself, weep to yourself
This funny world can turn right around and forget you
It's always sure to roll right along when you're through
If you are broke, you shouldn't mind
It's all a joke, for you will find
This funny world is making fun of you.’
I first heard this sung by Matt Dennis. (Now I feel old.)
The line about laughing at the dreams you're alive for always gets me.
Ouch. I wouldn't have liked to bump into Lorenz Hart in a bar if he'd
been having a bad night!
Farrar Hudkins
©1979-2006
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