16. Lucille Ball, Hey Look Me Over

There’s a time for being gentle with oneself, for “self care” and lying fallow—and there’s a time for cheerfully summoning one’s grit, as in this song. For all her clowning and her plasticine face, ever-ready to be the butt of the joke on TV, you get the sense that Lucille Ball was a tough cookie. If she were living today, I suspect Lucy would come at us bigger than life, joyously resolute, heedless of what people think. We have a choice: sink into paralyzed lethargy, or laugh in the face of the speed bumps and obstacles. What’ll it be?

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Lucille Ball with Paula Stewart,"Hey Look Me Over." Written by Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman, 1960.

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This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day through May 31, 2025. Inspired by my MFAH 100 project.

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Have a song you’d like me to consider? Send a message or leave a comment. I will give it a serious listen.

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