A Lot Of Livin' To Do
Music written by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams.

Released 1965 on the album Shirley Stops The Shows. Shirley Bassey had already performed the song live one year before on a Carnegie Hall concert which has been released 1994 digitally remastered on the collection Bassey - The EMI/UA Years. Another live recording is on Shirley Bassey At The Pigalle. The studio version is on the collections Sassy Bassey and This Is Shirley Bassey. Shirley Bassey has selected this song again at her recent concerts in 2001 and 2002.

This song is from the musical "Bye Bye Birdie". The Broadway premiere was on April 14, 1960, and it ran for 607 performances. 1963 a screen version was made and 1995 a TV remake. Here's a short synopsis:
The musical "Bye Bye Birdie" is about Conrad Birdie, a young Elvis Presley type rock and roll superstar, and his agent Albert Peterson. Albert has gone deep into debt promoting Birdie's career, but Birdie is about to be inducted into the army. As a last deal of publicity, Birdie shall give a last kiss as a civilian on national television to a fan. The 15 year old Kim MacAfee is picked at random from the fan club, but during the show her jealous friend Hugo Peabody knocks out Conrad. Now Kim decides to run away from home and Conrad wants to leave the town being tired of the whole publicity stunt and now he sings this song "A Lot of Livin' To Do", partially together with Kim, whom he met on the street with valise in hand. He seizes her, insisting there are places for them to go and things for them to do and they have a quiet rendezvous in an ice-house. Once Kim is alone with her idol, they both realize that they have nothing in common and they are both bored stiff. So Kim is happy when Hugo arrives. Conrad regards his call-up to the Army as a redemption and relieves Albert of his contractual obligations, who can now begin a new job as teacher after he marries his secretary Rose.

The musical was a success though the leading performers made their first Broadway appearances, the producer, composer, lyricist were unknown, writing their first full-length musical. The composer Charles Strouse won a Tony award for this musical and was later also successful with other compositions. Staging and choreography was by the already famous Gower Champion, but he also had never before served as a stage director. In a review Mr Chapman stated: "It is the funniest, most captivating and most expert musical comedy one could hope to see in several seasons of show going."

Review about "By Bye Birdie":
"It was riotously funny; it had considerable bounce and zest; it had some wonderfully imaginative dance routines; it had some good songs; and, most of all, it had the freshness, sparkle and impudence of youth."


Lyrics

There are guys
Just ripe for some kissing And I mean
To kiss me a few All those guys
Don't know what they're missing I've got a lot of livin' to do

There is wine
Just right for some tasting And there's cars
All shiny and new Got a go
'Cause time is a wasting There's such a lot of livin' to do

There's music to play
Places to go
People to see Everything
For you and me

Life's a ball
If only you know it And it's all
Just waiting for you You're alive
So come on and show it There's such a lot of livin' to do

There's music to play
Places to go
People to see Everything
For you and me

Life's a ball
If only you know it And it's all
Just waiting for you You're alive
So come on and show it There's such a lot of livin'
Such a lot of livin'
Such a lot of livin'
To do

(Transcribed by Roman)