I was listening to Linda Eder last night while I was writing a paper. She’s a jazzy/showtuney singer (The original female lead in Jekyll and Hyde on Broadway). She is fabulous and I kind of want to be her. Anyway, she sings a cover from La Cage aux Folles called “I Am What I Am” and I’ve decided I want it to be my new theme song. I haven’t seen the play…I’m guessing a gay male lead sings this song in the show. But I was listening to it and it gave me a nice self love moment (during which I proceeded to over-the-top-lipsync-peform it to myself in the mirror). It’s perfect for FA in my opinion. It’s especially effective with the way Linda belts it out. Here are the lyrics…
I am what I am
I am my own special creation
So come take a look
Give me the hook or the ovation
It’s my world that I want to have a little pride in
My world, and it’s not a place I have to hide in
Life’s not worth a damn ’til you can say
“Hey world, I am what I am!”
I am what I am
I don’t want praise
I don’t want pity
I bang my own drum Some think it’s noise I think it’s pretty
And so what if I love each sparkle and each bangle?
Why not try to see things from a different angle?
Your life is a sham ’til you can shout out loud: “I am what I am!”
I am what I am
And what I am needs no excuses
I deal my own deck
sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces
There’s one life and it’s no return and no deposit
One life, so it’s time to open up your closet!
Life’s not worth a damn ’til you shout hey world “I am what I am!”
Posted by eandh on April 14, 2010 at 12:55 pm
It’s the drag queen Zaza who sings the song in the show, a very powerful moment – it’s his reaction to being told he’s not good enough to be introduced to the family of the girl his son wants to marry. John Barrowman does a killer version of the song.