"Life's A Funny Proposition" Boardwalk Empire Episode 12

Song from the end of episode 12 of Boardwalk Empire.
Lyrics:
Did you ever sit and ponder,
Sit and wonder, sit and think,
Why we're here and what this life is all about?
It's a problem that has driven
Many brainy men to drink,
It's the weirdest thing they've tried to figure out.
About a thousand different theories
All the scientists can show,
But never yet have proved a reason why
With all we've thought
And all we're taught,
Why all we seem to know
Is we're born and live a while and then we die.
Life's a very funny proposition after all,
Imagination, jealousy, hypocrisy and all.
Three meals a day, a whole lot to say;
When you haven't got the coin you're always in the way.
Everybody's fighting as we wend our way along,
Every fellow claims the other fellow's in the wrong;
Hurried and worried until we're buried and there's no curtain call.
Life's a very funny proposition after all.
When all things are coming easy, and when luck is with a man,
Why then life to him is sunshine everywhere;
Then the fates blow rather breezy and they quite upset a plan,
Then he'll cry that life's a burden hard to bear.
Though today may be a day of smiles, tomorrow's still in doubt,
And what brings me joy, may bring you care and woe;
We're born to die, but don't know why, or what it's all about,
And the more we try to learn the less we know.
Life's a very funny proposition, you can bet,
And no one's ever solved the problem properly as yet.
Young for a day, then old and gray;
Like the rose that buds and blooms and fades and falls away,
Losing health to gain our wealth as through this dream we tour.
Everything's a guess and nothing's absolutely sure;
Battles exciting and fates we're fighting until the curtain falls.
Life's a very funny proposition after all.
All rights go to the Producers and Publishers of the show and HBO
This is the ending song to the Season 1 Finale, "A Return to Normalcy"
Please enjoy the video and post comments for any recomendations

[@1baud]

Maybe one of the greatest songs ever written. Too deep for me to swim in.

[@MaximusNYC]

The song is by George M. Cohan, written in 1911. Stephen de Rosa as Eddie Cantor delivers it with the perfect blend of wit and melancholy.

[@ForbinColossus]

Uncanny how the lyrics are appropriate more than a century later

[@brucedawes1473]

Yeah it's pretty cool and classy I got to admit it's a good song

[@jimdrake-writer]

Fortunately for posterity, George M. Cohan’s 1911 recording of his song is on YT: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3Ksi6uAiq1lhJosi=P42NVl5ccn9g_KeI

[@guotyr2502]

Not uncanny ,it's about life

[@andreidmny]

I just began watching this series and I absolutely loved this finale! Simply amazing.

[@philjones9509]

DeRosa does such a bang-up job playing eddie cantor! my favorite character in the whole show! He conveys the distinct vaudeville accent with perfection-- and he's actually a better singer than the real cantor was.

[@ianboard544]

The casting in general was superb. I'm less familiar with the real Eddie Cantor, but I really liked the character in the series.

[@franzkafka77]

Scorsese at his best, equal of Coppola. One of the best finales ever filmed.

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Except he didn’t direct the finale. Only the pilot.

[@Chomsky44]

@@JustSomeCanadianGuy Yeah but he was referring Scorsese is the Executive Producer, after all!!! 😉😉

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

One of my favorite season finale endings in all of TV.

[@kyewilson7837]

I'm just some Canadian guy and I say didn't nooky die in this ?

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

No this is season 1.

[@phillipcotton833]

Now that's SOUND music!!!

[@TopperSherratt]

Stephen DeRosa as Eddie Cantor. If people are fond of the music of 20s & 30s (cleverly worked into a television masterpiece) then the work of Dennis Potter - Pennies From Heaven is hard to beat.

[@Tom-dx1tv]

I fucking loved this show, so many good songs too! Carrickfergus is my favorite.

[@no5W155]

one of the most powerful scenes I've seen on my television set

[@dragoslaura]

After so many weak series that have aired, this has come as a blessing for me. I love movies and series...i love art,and yes,this is art, this is what movies and series should be like.

[@JoseMorales-lw5nt]

Yes, more seasons were to come, but come on! Hands down, greatest end scene to a TV series EVER! Perfectly sets up the narrative for the new season, utilized a New Years Eve party to encapsulate the opening season's storylines and send off the first season on a celebratory note! Wish more shows were this classy! 🌎🇵🇷😎

[@elofkjellson3906]

The deepest and most insightful song I have ever heard, to be sure, in addition to being quite catchy. "About a thousand different theories all the scientists can show, but never yet have proved a reason why. With all we thought, and all we're taught, why, all we seem to know, is we're born, we live a while, and then we die." "Everybody's fighting as we wend our way along, every fella claims the other fella's in the wrong. Hurried and worried, until we're buried, and there's no curtain call. Life's a very funny proposition, after all." "Though today may be a day of smiles, tomorrow's still in doubt, and what brings me joy may bring you care and woe. We're born to die, but don't know why, or what it's all about, and the more we try to learn, the less we know." "Young for a day, then old and gray, like the rose that buds and blooms, and fades and falls away. Losing health to gain our wealth, as through this dream we tour. Everything's a guess, and nothing's absolutely sure. Battles exciting, and fates we're fighting, until the Curtain Fall: Life's a very funny proposition, after all." You just cannot find writing and true meaning like that in modern songs. All anyone talks about nowadays are materialistic and superficial things like money, love, and sex. No one talks about the real questions. The real things that we should all be considering.

[@brianstratton8767]

Indeed..& it's over a century old. Thanks for typing out lyrics from this former metalhead who's aged into Classical. Helps me relax in these chaotic times.

[@jimdrake-writer]

Composer George M. Cohan’s own 1911 recording is on KZbin: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3Ksi6uAiq1lhJosi=P42NVl5ccn9g_KeI

[@findingawayhome]

i love old music like this! the show is amazing

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

Stephen DeRosa who plays Eddie Cantor is maybe the best actor and of course the best singer in the series. The way he plays him is ingenious. Unfortunately he appears too sporadically to be nominated for a supporting role, and recurs to often to be considered a guest.

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Ohhhh if only the last season was as good as this.

[@chomski1985]

I agree :(

[@trjordan]

I really liked the flashbacks in the final season though.

[@bixlives]

the singer who is playing Eddie Cantor is Stephen DeRosa . The fellow playing the violin with the horn on it is bandleader Vince Giordano. His music is heard with his band: the Nighthawks in this series. The strange violin is a Stroh violin ; also known as a phono fiddle. Try searing Google with those two terms..you'll get a good description of this early attempt at making a violin louder.

[@findingawayhome]

i love old music like this! i wish that there were more shows like this one on tv

[@maddymud]

this is the kind of song you find on repeat at the suicide crime scene ...

[@Imaginaryspread]

This guy is so entertaining i wish they had showed more of him he is funny and i cant help but smile when he is on screen

[@caligula476]

Wonderful ending scene. The music, accompagnied by the changings in every characters' life: life's a very funny proposition indeed.

[@andreagustke]

I am singing this song in the musical 45 minutes from Broadway.

[@MrsNatari]

I really have to give it to the actor that plays the role of Eddie Cantor. His performance is amazing and his voice solid...excellent casting, HBO!

[@michiganjack]

This is high art.

[@KevinOrrell]

this show is fantastic.... it is the little things like this they did which brought the 1920's feeling to it.... top notch

[@cveece6220]

Life described in 4 minutes.

[@GentTX]

We miss you jimmy, hope to see you in a flashback someday. But knowing Scorsese we'll probably see you in a dream.

[@boostmode84g83]

Loved this show sad it came to an end and the downfall of Nucky.

[@Cielosta]

What a nice song to listen to in a middle of a quite time in the night...and just reflect Nothing is certain,eh. I'll be anticipating alot the 2nd season. Boardwalk Empire rules!!!

[@MeColinYouWho]

Wonderful series.

[@BlahGamour]

Great song, so very true...every word!

[@spreadthelove77]

Looks like I’ve just found my funeral song😀❤️

[@abienniela9350]

because the victim cannot comprehend the proposition

[@1baud]

Maybe the best song ever written!

[@somethingsmooth]

The comedian is the best actor of the series, after Arnold Rothstein of course.

[@futurestoryteller]

I was pretty dissapointed by this when I first saw it. It stuck in my head, though. Now I realize this is awesome.

[@nickpreusser3298]

Eddie Cantor's Song 1921.

[@1baud]

I agree, it is that great. You can't handle the truth.

[@syrupticious]

Margaret has a big head! :o

[@GentTX]

I'm not one for vaudeville, but this is pretty good. To bad I can't find this on iTunes.

[@hughjass720]

The human condition, summed up perfectly.

[@yerk3]

Or does it? The bottoms of the world's oceans are littered with the bones of men who thought they had the game beat.

[@Broemmelkamp69]

Just finished Season 1. It´s brilliant. So far Noche seems to be...well..."nice".

[@brandii3251]

Amazing

[@bettym21ca]

He gives him the money Danny to make him think he had got his way and that the deal was good the moment that the man realized it was not alright was when there was a gun in his face. I think the guy was a snook more or less one of the many over-thrown by a larger power (One in that time would have been Al Capone the beginning of that series shows exactly where the rise of his power began...)..

[@nickpreusser3298]

Eddie Cantor's my favorite.

[@mikehertel6546]

Google George M. Cohan

[@Surax]

@Danny2113182 Rothstein is hardly broke. He had life insurance policies on all his men, so his deal with Nucky pays for itself. I think what you see is simply how gangsters do business.

[@moobypobLdingo]

@Surax Is it confirmed that he even get's the money from the life insurance? It just seems like the company would be suspicious is life insurance was taken out on a bunch of guys by a notorious gangster and they all end up getting murdered. I doubt they would check for fraud when it comes to that much money.

[@Danny2113182]

@ptholland52darcy makes a lot of sense, thank you

[@aarongranda7825]

Geez, enough product placements already!

[@Damar158]

Six shots to the face seems a bit overkill.

[@Haunter_Who88]

@ptholland52darcy BROKE?!? My man he is FAR from broke!! I'll explain- Before Rothstein made the deal giving up the DeLassio brothers locations, He had them all sign some sort of Life Insurance for half a million dollars... So when they died, He only got more rich

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Seriously though.... what the hell attracted Nucky to Margaret? :)

[@TheseH0esLoveChiefS0sa]

Pity Turned love? No clue...

[@georgehuang5102]

Fabisch Factor sleep other man`s wife...

[@blubuddha]

Her Irish roots.

[@killerman76]

Superiority he could have over a beaten, vulnerable and needy woman and the illusion to be a good man in helping her and her kids

[@boostmode84g83]

Nucky was always torn from being good and being bad. Deep down he wanted to be good. Also Margaret reminded him of his wife.

[@gunterdak]

why does this montage seem to show every character except Richard Harrow?

[@cerv08]

I would like to know more about the music. Like big trumpetes and 20s musical bands. Let me know

[@PullTheTricker]

Why!? In an attempt to answer this qeustion mankind uses the left and right paradigm of science and religion. Imo neither will provide a satisfactory answer for it. Eitherway I'm glad to see Boardwalk Empire having good music just like Mad Men.

[@mikedocherty6160]

Was this ever released as a single?

[@Danny2113182]

can anyone tell who it is that luciano and lansky kill at 1:20 - 1:30? its not a d'alessio, and i dont get why lansky gives him the money :S

[@DoesMamaKnow]

Would you prefer the alternative?

[@1sgr1999]

It’s unknown

[@projectmolcos]

Who's the singer?

[@gehevi]

Odio a ese personaje de Boarwalk E.

[@ForbinColossus]

The real Nucky Johnson looked alot like James Gandolfini/Tony Soprano: i.redd.it/t7s6jafi4fs71.jpg