Bella Paola (foaled 1955) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse who won several major races in France and Britain including the classic 1,000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks in 1957.
Bella Paola was a big, powerful brown filly, standing 16.3 hands high, bred by her owner François Dupré. Although she was foaled in France her ancestry was predominantly German: she was sired by Ticino, who won the Deutsches Derby and three renewals of the Grosser Preis von Berlin. She was sent into training with François Mathet at Chantilly
In 1957, Bella Paola finished third in the Prix Yacowlef on he debut and then won the Prix Georges de Kerhallet at Clairefontaine, the Critérium de Maisons-Laffitte and the Grand Critérium. She was rated the second best two-year-old in France – only her stablemate Texana was rated superior to her. Dupré and Mathet were always keen to attack the top prizes in England and Bella Paola won both the 1,000 Guineas and the Epsom Oaks. In the former she was ridden by Serge Boullenger, but because of military service he was not allowed to ride at Epsom and Max Garcia replaced him. Also runner-up in the Prix du Jockey Club, Bella Paola ran disappointingly in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, but ended her career with victory in the Champion Stakes.
It's a little bit fUnny Lord, this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but, boy, if I did
I'd buy a big mansion where we both could live
If, if, if I was a sculpture Lord, honey, but then again, no
(then again no, no)
Or a man who makes potions in a travelin' show
I know it's not much, I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do
You gave me a gift Lord, and I'm gonNA sing it for you
And you can tell everybody that this is your song
(this is your song)
It may be a quite, quite simple, but that's how it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
What I wrote down in words, words
How wonderful life is when you're in the world, world, world
If, if, (if), if I was on a rooftop
I'd kick off my shoes (kick off my shoes , kick my shoes off)
I'll write a few verses and then I get the blues
But the sun's been quite, quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you and people like me
I wanna, I wanna keep turnin' on
So excuse me, so excuse me
So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do Lord
(these things I do Lord)
You see, you see I've forgotten if they're green or blue
Anyway the thing is, anyway the thing is, what I really mean
You've got the sweetest eyes, you've got the sweetest eyes
The clearest eyes I've ever seen, I hope you got back
I hope you, I hope you got back and tell everybody
That this is your song (this is your song)
It may be quite, quite simple, but now that's how it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
But I wrote down in words Lord, words
I'm doin' it for how wonderful it is when you're in the world, world, world
If, if, (if), if I sat upon a rooftop I'd kick off my shoes, oh yeah
(kick off my shoes, kick my shoes off)
I'll write a few verses and then I get the blues
But the sun's been quite, quite kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you, people like me
I wanna, wanna keep turnin' on, so escuse me, so escuse me
So escuse me forgetting, but these things I do
(these things I do Lord)
You see, you see I've forgotten if they're green or blue, baby
And anyway the thing is, anyway the thing is, what I really mean
You are the sweetest eyes, the sweetest eyes
The sweetest eyes I've ever seen
I want you to go back, go back and and tell everybody
That Billy Paul's got a song (Billy Paul's got a song)
I'm, I'm gonna sit upon a, a rooftop and kick off my shoes
I'm gonna write it (write it), write it (write it), write it (write it)
I might come out with the Gospel (Gospel), the blues (blues),
The jazz (jazz), the rock and roll
I'm gonna, got to, got to write me a simple song for everybody
Because this is my song (this is my song)
It may be quite, quite simple but that's the way it's done
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
What I wrote down in words, words
You come back, you try to try again, try again
Tell everybody that Billy Paul's got a song
(Billy Paul's got a song)
It may be quite, quite simple but that's how it's done, baby
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
what I wrote down in words
Hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it ooooh