It's not often I offer you long-suffering readers a musical introduction to one of my blog bores blog posts but today I give you one of the truly great popular songs performed by one of the very greatest popular singers. Before you read further, just click on this YouTube link, turn up the sound, sit back - and enjoy. It is the musical equivalent of a seriously dry Dry Martini:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAf7HcK10d0
Not that you need it, given the clarity of her diction, but below is the actual lyric:
"Is That All There Is?"
(originally by Dan Daniels)
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 pajamas 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 T hen 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. So what, you ask - er, you do ask, don't you? - brought all that on? The answer is simple - Europe! Tomorrow the Greeks vote and according to all the 'commentariat' the Syriza party, one way or another, will come out on top. At that point there will be one of those dramatic pauses, much like the musical ones beautifully timed by Peggy Lee in the song above, and then - 'they'll keep on dancing'. It is generally reckoned that the Syriza party are a bunch of juvenile prats and plonkers who managed to escape from a kindergarten school. That may be true but when one considers the likes of 'Rumpey van Pumpey', 'Roll Out the Barroso' and 'Juncker the Drunker', our erstwhile and current 'Masters of the (European) Universe', one is entitled to ask which if any of them has managed to be promoted from the introductory class? I wouldn't trust a Greek politician further than I could throw 'Roll Out the Barroso' - and I doubt I could even lift him - so I remain sceptical as to whether or not Syriza and their loud-mouthed leader will actually back up his threats with deeds. On the other hand, there have been hints that the 'Kaiserin' has given up on the Greeks and that she believes a 'GREXIT' would be the best solution. At which point, all eyes turn to the remaining 'Meds' including France. Both Spain and probably Italy are due for imminent elections and in both countries nationalist, anti-EU parties are surging in the polls. Even in Germany, the one country that has been surfeited with prosperity as it has leeched off the vagaries of the 'Meds' which ensured that the euro would stay dirt cheap and thus grease German production lines, even there, an anti-EU party is swelling in numbers. Oh well, how does it go? - 'Let's keep on dancing . . .'
