DESCRIPTION:
1979 (A powerful, emotional ballad from Shirley as performed on her TV Variety Show)

Shirley recorded and released this song as a 1976 Single (Side-B) / (Side-A) - Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You. This song was included on Shirley's 1976 LP titled, 'Shirley Bassey - Love, Life and Feelings'.

ABOUT this song:
Written by Sergio Bardotti / Dario Baldan Bembo. English lyrics penned by Norman Newell.

Released on the 1976 album Love, Life And Feelings and on a single with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" on the A-side. Available on CD on the collection Four Decades Of Song.

Originally this was an Italian song called "Aria" and performed by Dario Baldan Bembo. Years later, 1976 Mr. Acker Bilk recorded "Aria" instrumentally with his clarinet, which became a hit - in Britain it reached number five in the charts. Mr. Acker Bilk (born: Bernard Stanley Bilk) is a well known musician, remember for example his 1962 hit "Stranger on the Shore".

Norman Newell then penned English lyrics to the song for Shirley Bassey and the title became "Born To Lose". Shirley Bassey has performed this song on some live appearances and TV shows - a live recording is on Live In Japan '77. In 2000 Shirley Bassey sung it again on some concerts of her Millennium Tour, and also recently on the Stately Homes Tour 2001.

The Italian singer Ornella Vanoni has later also sung "Aria" in English, but with different English lyrics penned by Ben Raleigh

LYRICS:
Born to lose
Born to lose the game
Born to cry
When I hear you're near
Born to smile
Through a mist of tears
Born to live
Lost in lonely years
Born to lose
Every game I play
You must go
There's no other way
Touch my life
With your love once more
It must last
Till forever more
Take my love
Take my life, my soul
Take my dreams
Take my word, my own
Would I change Could I only choose
No not me
I was born to lose
Take my love
Take my life, my soul
Take my dreams
Take my word, my own
Would I change
Could I only choose
No not me
I was born to lose
Take my love
Take my life, my soul
Take my dreams
Take my word, my own
Would I change
Could I only choose
No not me I was born to lose
Take my love Take my life, my soul
Take my dreams Take my word, my own