From the album Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying
Labi Siffre uses a plain melody to stake a claim on his inner life. The "song" is not a tune. It is a life-sized promise that someone finally made real and that he will protect by singing, no matter what.
This is my song And no one can take it away
He starts with possession. That claim makes the whole song a boundary against erasure, not a boast.
It's been so long But now you're here Here to stay
Those lines shift the claim into rescue. The arrival of another person turns private survival into shared safety.
I may not always sing in tune And sometimes you don't hear me
He admits limits without shrinking the promise. Imperfection is offered as proof of sincerity, not as an excuse.
And nothing can make it die It's been so long And it's stronger, I know why
Strength here is explained by experience, not by spectacle. Time and a faithful presence are the reason the song survives.
That as long as I live I will sing my song for you
The ending turns private ownership into a vow. Singing becomes duty, gift, and proof that the claim will outlast absence and failure.
The thing that stays with you is the sheer stubbornness of the line "This is my song." It is small and fierce. It will be sung, even if you walk away from the radio...