LIFE IS SO PECULIAR
From the film "Mr. Music" (1950) 
(Music: Jimmy Van Heusen / Lyrics: Johnny Burke)
 
Bing Crosby & Peggy Lee (Film Soundtrack) - 1950
Bing Crosby, Grouch Marks & The Merry Macs (Filmk Soundtrack) - 1950
Lisa Kirk - 1950
Monica Lewis - 1950
Frank Sinatra - 1950
Peggy Lee - 1950
Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters - 1950
Louis Armstrong with Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - 1950
Mavis Rivers - 1961
Kenny Andrews, Clinton Derricks-Carroll, Paul J. Medford & Others
(feat. in the London Production of "Five Guys Named Moe") - 1990
Jerry Dixon, Doug Eskew & Milton Craig Nealy & Others
(feat. in the Broadway Production of "Five Guys Named Moe" - 1992
Becky Kilgore & Nicki Parrott - 2015

Also recorded by: Tony Pastor & His Orch.; Dog Cox; Jim Porcella.



Oh, life is so peculiar
You get so wet in the rain
You get so warm in the sunshine
But it doesn't pay to complain

When I get up each morning
There's nothing to breathe but air
When I look in the mirror
There's nothing to comb but hair

When I sit down to breakfast
There's nothing to eat but food
Life is so peculiar
But you can't stay home and brood

Yes, life is so peculiar
The deserts only got sand
The oceans only got water
You never know where you stand

When I go out to dinner
There's nothing to wear but clothes
And whenever I get sleepy
There's nothing to do but doze

And whenever I get thirsty
There's nothing to do but drink
Life is so peculiar
That it makes you stop and think

Oh, life is so peculiar
A bird can usually sing
A pearl is made by an oyster
Man, you can't be sure of a thing

When I get tired of resting
There's nothing to do but work
When I don't care to listen
There's nothing to do but talk

When I'm up in my aeroplane
There's nothing to do but fly
Life is so peculiar
And I often wonder why

Yes, life is so peculiar
A fork belongs with the knife
And you know what else
Corned beef is lost without cabbage

A husband should have a wife
And you know that life is so peculiar
But as everybody says that's life, that's life
Well, what do you know, that's life!


********************


Frank Sinatra, Helen Carroll & The Swantones w Percy Faith & his Orch   
rec Aug 2nd 1950 New York

Oh, life is so peculiar,
You get so wet in the rain,
You get so warm in the sunshine,
It doesn't pay to complain!

When I get up each mornin',
There's nothin' to breathe but aor!
When I look in the mirroe,
There's nothin' to comb but hair!
When I sit down to breakfast,
There's nothin' to eat but food!
Life is so peculiar
But you can't stay home and brood!

Yes, life is so peculiar,
A fork belongs with a knife;
Corned beef is lost without cabbage,
A husband should have a wife.
Life is peculiar,
But as everybody says,
"That's life!".  (that's life!)

Oh, life is so peculiar,
The desert's only got sand!
The oceans's only got water,
You never know where you stand!

When I get out to dinner,
There's nothin' to wear but clothes!
Whenever I get sleepy,
There's nothin' to do but doze!
Whenever I get thirsty,
There's nothin' to do but drink!
Life is so peculiar
That it makes you stop and think!

Yes, life is so peculiar,
It's so peculiar,
A fork belongs with a knife;  (a fork belongs with a knife)
Corned beef is lost without cabbage,
A husband should have a wife.
Kife is so peculiar,
But as everbody says,
"That's life!".
That's right!


(Contributed by Peter Akers - February 2009)


********************


As performed by PEGGY LEE & BING CROSBY
in the 1950 film, "Mr. Music":


PEGGY:
Life is so peculiar
You get so wet in the rain
You get so warm in the sunshine
It doesn't pay to complain

When I get up each morning
There's nothin' to breathe but air
When I look in the mirror
There's nothin' to comb but hair

When I sit down to breakfast
There's nothin' to eat but food
Life is so peculiar
But you can't stay home and brood

PL: Yes, life
BC: Life is a gamble and a guess
PL: Is so peculiar
The deserts only got sand
BC: Life is a puzzle, more or less
PL:The ocean's only got water
BC: Oh, life is a wonderful mess
PL: You never know where you stand
BC: You're so right

PEGGY:
When I go out to dinner
There's nothin' to wear but clothes
BING:
Yeah, whenever I get sleepy
There's nothin' to do but doze

PEGGY:
Whenever I get thirsty
There's nothin' to do but drink
BOTH:
Life is so peculiar
That it makes you stop and think

PL: Yes, life
BC: Here are the facts of life
BOTH: Is so peculiar
PL: A fork belongs with a knife
BC: It's just a rumour that they're havin' a riff
PL: Corned beef is lost without cabbage
BC: They're in love
PL: A husband should have a wife
BC: If he's married
BOTH: Life is so peculiar
But as everybody says
That's life, is so peculiar
But as everybody says
That's life
BING: Is so peculiar
But as everybody says
That's life!

(Instrumental Break / Dance Routine)

BC: Oh, life
PL: Here are the facts of life
BC: Is so peculiar, a fork belongs with a knife
PL: It's just a rumour that they're havin' a riff
BC: Corned beef is lost without cabbage
PL: They're in love
BC: A husband should have a wife
BOTH: If he's married
Life is so peculiar
But as everybody says
That's life
L-I-F-E, ladies and gentlemen
That's life!
BC: C'est la vie
PL: Es la vida
BOTH: That's life!


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - April 2018)


********************


As performed by BING CROSBY, GROUCHO MARKS
and THE MERRY MACS in the 1950 film, "Mr. Music":


MERRY MACS:
Oh, life is so peculiar
You get so wet in the rain
You get so warm in the sunshine
It doesn't pay to complain

Oh, life is so peculiar
The desert's only got sand
The ocean's only got water
You never know where you stand

When we get up each morning
There's nothin' to breathe but air
And when we look in the mirror
There's nothin' to comb but hair

And when we sit down to breakfast
There's nothin' to eat but food
Life is so peculiar
But you can't stay home and brood

Yes, life is so peculiar
A bird can usually sing
A pearl is made by an oyster
You can't be sure of a thing

When I go out to dinner
There's nothin' to wear but clothes
And whenever I get sleepy
There's nothin' to do but doze

Whenever I get thirsty
There's nothin' to do but drink
Life is so peculiar!

Life is so peculiar
A fork belongs with a knife
What's corned beef without cabbage
A husband should have a wife

Life is what you make it
???? ??? you gotta take it
Whether you're list'nin' or talkin' or restin' or walkin'
You gotta work it out, that's life!

BC: Life
GM: L-I-F-E
BC: Is so peculiar
It gets so cold, you turn blue
But then the next day could be sunny
GM: So you get sunstroke or flu

BC: 
When you're a helpless baby
There's nothin' to do but cry
GM:
And when you're finished living
There's nothing to do but die
BC:
And in the years between time
There's nothing to ask but why
BOTH:
Life is so peculiar
Don't know why we even try
Life......

(SPOKEN:
GM: 
Son, come over here and sit down on my knee
I want to explain to you about life
BC: Yes, Pappy
GM:
My boy, someday you'll be going by a drugstore
There'll be a beautiful girl standing on the corner
She'll whistle at ya
She may take you for a ride in her convertible
She'll invite you up to her apartment to look at her etchings
She'll offer you a drink
She may invite you to sit down on her chaise and lounge
She'll throw her arms around you
She'll hug you and she'll kiss you
Son, you're gonna be frightened, you're gonna be scared
And, my boy, if you ever meet a woman like that
BC: Yes, Pappy
GM: Give me her phone number!)

GM:
You meet a gentle maiden
She's never been kissed, you know
BC:
So you take her to Niagara
Where honeymoon couples go
GM:
She's friendly with the room clerk
They've met seven times before
BOTH:
Life is so peculiar
Let's not bother anymore
GM: Not with her, at least!

GM: Life
BC: Give me the lowdon brother G
GM: Is so peculiar, it's caviar or it's strife
BC: Yes, it's as pickled as can be
GM: While life may give you a medal
BC: I've had my chest dripping with 'em
GM: Then slyly slip you the knife
BC: Oh, my aching back
BOTH:
Life is so peculiar, but as everybody says
That's life, is so peculiar, but as everybody says
That's life, is so peculiar, but as everybody says
That's life!


(Transcribed by Mel Priddle - April 2018)