The Identity Songs of My Life

Thinking about a song that would most reflect my life, I thought about, 'The Happy Wanderer', since I moved and traveled so much and it was one of my favorite songs with my kids.

Next one to come to mind is, 'My Way',   I guess now that I'm almost 80 I'm thinking about Sinatra's words, "And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain"  but I realize I didn't always do it my way and hopefully the final curtain is still many years off.

Another that came to mind, "Fly Me to the Moon', so many times I wanted to get away, even if just for a day.

One that I sang often over the years was, "The Glory of Love."  I remember on my honeymoon in a cocktail lounge, the piano player asked my favorite song and I told him, 'The Glory of Love'.  He didn't know it, I sang a few bars and he had me come up to sing in front of the lounge crowd.  In case, you don't know it,

You got to give a little, take a little, and let your poor heart break a little, that's the story of, that's the glory of love.
You got to laugh a little, cry a little and let those clouds go by a little, that's the story of, that's the glory of love, etc.

Give a little, take a little, that's really a story of life. Sometimes it's hard to let those clouds roll by.

So many songs come to mind as I go back in time. But which one defines me?

"You are my Sunshine".  I was four years old, standing on a balcony of our apartment, belting it out.  In the garden next door, three people were looking up and clapping.  I knew I loved singing, not necessarily loved music, just loved singing.

I've been singing songs all my life.  Sometimes to the point of driving others to want to get away.  I don't just sing in the shower, I sing in the kitchen, I sing in the car.  One day I caught myself singing in the grocery store.  I sing when I'm happy and oh how many times have I sung when I'm sad!

I don't like to think of myself as ever being sad. I'm Pollyanna, or as my children's father used to say, 'the girl in the rose-colored glasses'.  But was I, am I?

Do I sing so I don't cry?  
Do I sing to put me in a happier place?  
Is the song that most identifies me
'The Great Pretender'?

Oh-oh yes, I'm the great pretender, 
Pretending that I'm doing well, 
My need is such I pretend too much, 
I'm lonely but no one can tell.

I think my identity song is
That's All I Want from You but I'd change it to All I Want From Life.

That's All I Want From You