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?

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

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

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