Story of a Life

For me Story of a Life is another song of lost achievement, lost chances and disillusionment.

The song starts with the young boy full of hope, striding into the future and the sun. Through the song as the boy grows he becomes more and more disillusioned.

Slowly life unfolds and all those hopes and opportunities turn into just another "Story of a Life."

Harry comes in with another of those great verses of disillusionment:

"So every chance you take don't mean a thing. What variations can you bring To this shopworn melody. And every year goes by like a tollin' bell. It's battered merchandise you sell. Not well she can see.

Towards the end of the song, however, comes the realisation that once again you cannot chase dreams. What exists may be the real and most important thing and I can see it clear out to the end

"And I'll whisper to her now again, Because she shared my life. For more than all the ghosts of glory, She makes up the story, She's the only story of my life.

Before the song closes Harry comes up with another of those delicious insights into his life and thoughts with the lines "Sometimes words can serve me well, but sometimes words can go to hell for all that they do." A wonderfully evocative description of the trials and tribulations of being a poet or writer.

       I can see myself it's a golden sunrise
       Young boy open up your eyes
       It's supposed to be your day.
       Now off you go horizon bound
       And you won't stop until you've found
       Your own kind of way.
       And the wind will whip your tousled hair,
       The sun, the rain, the sweet despair,
       Great tales of love and strife.
       And somewhere on your path to glory
       You will write your story of a life.

       And all the towns that you walk through
       And all the people that you talk to
       Sing you their songs.
       And there are times you change your stride,
       There are times you can't decide
       Still you go on.
       And then the young girls dance their gypsy tunes
       And share the secrets of the moon
       So soon you find a wife.
       And though she sees your dreams go poorly
       Still she joins your story of a life.

       So you settle down and the children come
       And you find a place that you come from
       Your wandering is done.
       And all your dreams of open spaces
       You find in your children's faces
       One by one.
       And all the trips you know you missed
       And all the lips you never kissed
       Cut through you like a knife.
       And now you see stretched out before thee
       Just another story of a life.

       So what do you do now?
       When she looks at you now?
       You know those same old jokes all the jesters tell
       You tell them to her now.
       And all the same old songs all the minstrels sang
       You sing 'em to her now.
       But it don't matter anyhow
       'Cause she knows by now.

       So every chance you take don't mean a thing.
       What variations can you bring
       To this shopworn melody.
       And every year goes by like a tollin' bell.
       It's battered merchandise you sell.
       Not well, she can see.
       And though she's heard it all a thousand times
       Couched in your attempted rhymes
       She'll march to your drum and fife.
       But the question echoes up before me
       Where's my magic story of a life?

       Story of a life
       Story of a life		

       Now sometimes words can serve me well
       Sometimes words can go to hell
       For all that they do.
       And for every dream that took me high
       There's been a dream that's passed me by.
       I know it's so true
       And I can see it clear out to the end
       And I'll whisper to her now again
       Because she shared my life.
       For more than all the ghosts of glory
       She makes up the story,
       She's the only story
       Of my life.

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