Tuesday 26 May 2015

I'm in no hurry for that final disappointment



One of our "Patron Saints" Miss Peggy Lee was born 95 years ago today. All hail!

It is also my first day back in the office, so, inevitably there's only one song - one of my faves - from the great lady's extensive repertoire that needs to be played, Is That All There Is?


I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me up
In his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pyjamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself,
"Is that all there is to a fire?"

Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is my friends
Then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

And when I was 12 years old, my daddy took me to a circus.
"The Greatest Show On Earth."
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears.
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads.
And as I sat there watching, I had the feeling that something was missing.
I don't know what, but when it was over,
I said to myself,
"Is that all there is to a circus?"

Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is my friends
Then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

And then I fell in love, with the most wonderful boy in the world.
We would take long walks by the river
Or just sit for hours gazing into each other's eyes.
We were so very much in love.
Then one day, he went away and I thought I'd die.
But I didn't.
And when I didn't I said to myself,
"Is that all there is to love?"

Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep-

I know what you must be saying to yourselves.
"If that's the way she feels about it why doesn't she just end it all?"
Oh, no, not me.
I'm in no hurry for that final disappointment.
'Cause I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you,
That when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my last breath
I'll be saying to myself -

Is that all there is?
Is that all there is?
If that's all there is my friends
Then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is.


Think of me, sweeties. Feel the pain...

Peggy Lee official website

11 comments:

  1. Wonderful! And great timing - I'm currently reading the 2014 biography Is That All There Is? The Strange Life of Peggy Lee by James Gavin. It came out late last year and it's really juicy and highly-recommended. Gavin already wrote Deep In a Dream (biography about Chet Baker) and Strange Weather (about the life of Lena Horne) - so he knows a thing or two about tortured jazz artists!

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    1. I do actually have that biography on my wish-list... Jx

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  2. I'm reading her own book, Miss Peggy Lee, though it's probably not best to take stars' own word for it how everything happened.

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  3. Replies
    1. i mean it sounds as fresh & important as it originally did.

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    2. I think that was part of Ms Lee's magic. She sounded like no-one else, thus still fits with "modern" styles and tastes. Jx

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  4. She had a lot of great songs. Have you heard Bette Midler's Peggy Lee CD? It's really quite good...

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    1. As you may expect, it has pride of place in our collection here at Dolores Delargo Towers, alongside her Rosie Clooney Songbook, and, in fact everything in Bette's (and, more or less, Peggy's too) back catalogue :-)
      Jx

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  5. I suspected as much - we too have every album ever released by Miss Midler (including her rather fantastic latest release).

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    1. Ah yes - I have yet to purchase the "Girl Groups" one... Jx

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