Life Made Me Beautiful At Forty - Eartha Kitt, Jerry Bergonzi, Rolf Kühn

I’ve been through clouds and stormy skies

On different worlds, all filled with lives

I’ve traveled through the steams of lovers

And wiped my tears upon their covers

I’ve lived a life of rogue and queen

And died my hair to fit the scene

I’ve had my ups, I’ve had my downs

And sipped champagne with worldly crowns

I’ve been as honest as I could

And ashamed, the shame that knows I should

I’ve been loved and I’ve been lied to

And found a few shoulders I could cry to

And all those years I thought life naughty, ah-hah

Should make me beautiful at forty

For life’s not been so bad to take

For now I’ve cut life’s golden cake

Into a million tiny squares

And with each piece recall the years

The taste of life has not been so bad

Between the tears and joys I’ve had

But with some good and a little singing

She always allowed me to get a grin

And all those years I’ve spent on my youth

Thinking knowledge brought the truth

I know life has her games to play

And puzzles it, crackling play

So, graves are dug and wars are lost

But life goes on at any cost

I do think life has made me wiser

So there is no reason to disguise her

Even tried to rearrange her

She has been fair, I would not change her, hah-hum

She presents me life so simply

In a cup that’s almost empty

With a little wine to tease me

But not enough to really please me

And if I drink, and let her take me

She is wise enough to wake me

But only after dreams and visions

Allowing me to see these decisions, ah-hah

All those years I thought life naughty

She made me beautiful at forty