This entry was posted on
Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 at
12:27 pm and is filed
under Karaoke.

Did you know that David Bowie wrote his own lyrics to this tune made famous in the English speaking world by Frank Sinatra (via lyrics by Paul Anka)? Great story. I won’t spoil it.

Bowie wrote about a fool who learns to love. My lyrics are about the blue crabs of Chesapeake Bay and their struggle with pollution or just getting ahead in life when they can only go sideways. I guess we each have different outlooks.

If you live near to Chesapeake Bay (or ANY watershed), here are 8 simple things you can do to restore the river and save the bay. If you like, you can also help the Chesapeake Bay Foundation maintain their mission toward a restored Bay, rivers, and streams for today and generations to come.

Lyrics below the fold.

LYRICS – ‘Sideways’ by Tim Ireland

(Sung to ‘My Way’, as performed by Frank Sinatra)

And now
The bay is near
To crisis point
One thing is certain

My friends
The waters clear
When folks take care
And throw less dirt in

To live a life that’s full
We need our bay
To be more OK

We cry
I’ll tell you why
I’ll tell you
sideways

Phosphorus
And nitrogen
And algae blooms
And microplastics
We need
Solutions now
Both incremental
And somewhat drastic

And why
I hear you cry
Why should I care
About a mere bay
And I
I will reply
I live there
Side
ways

For I’m a crab!
I’m sure you knew
And I’m delicious
In soup
or in stew
They eat me straight
Out of my shell
But if you do
not cook me well
You will be seized
With lung disease
And you’ll go sideways!

And now
That it’s low tide
If you sit still
You may just meet us
But please
I’ll ask you once
And oh so nicely
Maybe don’t eat us
For we’re
No mere entrees
We are the blue crabs
Of Ches-a-peake Bay
We do
Do things like you
But do them
Sideways

For I’m a crab
What have I got?
My life ahead
And that is a lot
But I can’t see
And cannot reach
What lies before
Us on the beach
It’s just not fair
Trash everywhere
And it’s all
Sideways

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