More on Sad Laughter

I've been in a soulful bluesy-ballad kind of mood lately (sad music makes me so happy. What's up with that?) I've been listening to the Nina Simone station on Pandora lately and it's fabulous. Lots of greats come up in the mix in addition to Nina Simone: Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Dina Washington, Etta James, Ray Charles, Peggy Lee, and of course Ella Fitzgerald.

This song came up that Ella sings, somehow I've either overlooked it or never heard it before. It's called "You're Laughing at Me", and the original lyrics were by Irving Berlin. I thought it would be a great follow-up to the original poem that I posted yesterday. It's such a wistful number. Although I don't entirely agree that you can't have romance if you have humor ;-) .

"I love you which is easy to see

But I have to keep guessing how you feel about me

You listen to the words that I speak

But I feel that you listen with your tongue in your cheek

You're laughing at me I can't get sentimental

For you're laughing at me I know

I want to be romantic but I haven't a chance

You've got a sense of humor, and humor is death to romance

You're laughing at me

Why do you think it's funny

When I say that I love you so?

You've got me worried and I'm all at sea

For while I'm crying for you

You're laughing at me"

(I found the lyrics here.)