this bitter earth

well, what fruit it bears

what good is love

that no-one shares

and if my life is like the dust

that hides the glow of a rose

what good am i

heaven only knows

this bitter earth

yes can be so cold

today you are young

too soon you are old

but while a voice within me cries

i'm sure someone may answer my call

and this bitter earth

may not be so bitter after all

A 1960 song made famous by rhythm and blues singer Dinah Washington. Produced by Clyde Otis, it topped the U.S. R&B charts for the week of 25 July 1960 (when I was in the Navy, age 18).

Thanks to Wikipedia and The Art of Memory