all songs written by Alela Diane Menig
Grip your paddle strong for late night fording
While some folks row way up to heaven
I’m gonna sing the Pirate’s Gospel
I’m gonna sew these feet for dancin’
I’m gonna keep my eyes wide open
Oh! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Ho!
Sing the Pirate’s Gospel
Add another flame to our forest
Where big bellied whales keep us chanting
We’re slapping fiery thighs for tiny dancers!
We be children creepin’ till the morning
When the sun does seep into our fair flesh
And filthy finger nails will take us home
Oh! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Ho!
Sing the Pirate’s Gospel
While some folks pray their path to Jesus
We’re gonna sing the Pirate’s Gospel
We’re gonna sew these feet for dancin’
We’re gonna keep our eyes wide open
We’re gonna sing the Pirate’s Gospel
Chant the Pirate’s Gospel
You’ll find us clap the Pirate’s Gospel
Oh! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Yo Ho! Ho!
My tired feet, my tired, tired feet
My tired feet, my tired, tired feet
My tired feet brought me to that red boat so still in foreign waters
And although I’ve never been here, although I’ve never been here
I know that here I’ve swam before, here I’ve swam before
Soon I came, so soon I came
Soon I came, so soon I came
Soon I came to the silent place of choir voices
In Excelsis Deo
Where Jesus he keeps the street out
Jesus he keeps the heat out
Jesus he keeps the noise out
And here, oh, here I’ve sung before
Here, oh, here I’ve sung before
I know that here I’ve sung before
Here I’ve sat, I’ve run, I’ve walked, I’ve cried
Oh! I’ve died, I’ve slept in till noon, and I’ve laughed, I’ve sighed
Here I’ve sung before….
I’ve been knockin’ on that door in my sleep
Fighting the fireplace glow
Knockin’ on that door in my sleep
Fighting the fireplace glow
To keep me away
To keep me away from home
Papa, get the rifle from its place above the French doors!
They’re comin’ from the woods!
Oh! They’re comin’ from the woods!
And mama you’re running too
Oh! My mama, you’re running too
Brother, I’m so sorry that you watched the paintings burn
I’ve been holding onto the gold
When letting go would free my hand
And I’ve been tying your tongue in a knot
Oh! I’ve been tying your tongue in a knot
To wrap this death
To wrap this death in a sheet
Papa, get the rifle from its place above the French doors!
They’re comin’ from the woods!
Oh! They’re comin’ from the woods!
And mama you’re running too
Oh! My mama, you’re running too
Brother, I’m so sorry that you watched the paintings burn
I can’t hide the dirty paths down that carpet anymore
There were too many heavy boots
There were too many heavy boots
There were too many big black boots
And there were too many little brown shoes
Marching through
So I’m counting it to the sky
Oh! I’m counting it to the sky
And moving back to face the lack of home
That sidewalk is a river that I’ve fished dry
That sidewalk is a river that I fished dry
And now it’s my heavy hand filling the brim
But it pulled me out of that realm
My coat of arms burns stronger still
(Whistling)
Foreign tongue ties me here
Foreign tongue ties me here
So I hang my slips out with the words between the lines
Hang my slips out with the words between the lines
And bow my head to that year
Bow my head to those years
I’ll never tip toe across my home ever again
Can you blame the sky when a mama leaves her babies behind?
Can you blame the sky when a mama leaves here babies behind?
Or can you blame the sea?
Oh! can you blame the sea?
‘Cause she’s a flowing in that water deep
Or is it the dirt?
That you envy so?
‘Cause in it, her strong roots still grow
No! No! No! No! No!
I’ll blame those birds, flocking so
I’ll blame those birds! Flocking so
Because with them she’s a flying
All those mamas are a flying
And they’re watching us from above
Oh! They’re watching us from above
Dropping their feathers
With a mother’s love
This crazy, crazy is caught in the forest
While yours paws hooves in the sand
There’s a cuckoo wind blowing
Those sparrows are crowing
And flocking birds sewing the sky
‘Cause something’s gone awry
Oh! something’s gone awry
The night is much colder
My chest is still older
And love won’t pirate my heart
Clenched teeth be biting
The children are fighting
The leaves will soon fall to the ground
‘Cause something’s gone awry
Oh! something’s gone awry
I’ll have you know
Oh! I’ll have you know
That if I had one, I’d play this on piano
And if I had one of those, I’d sit it on my knee
And count to 1, 2, 3
If I had one of those other things, I’d put it in my mouth
If I had some of those other things, I’d put them into jars on the shelf
But, I’ll have you know
Oh! I’ll have you know
That if I had, say, 10 or 20
I’d have a choir of little children sing along
I’d have a choir of little children sing along
But, I’ll have you know
Oh! I’ll have you know
That if she had one, she’d put it in a paper bag
If she had one, she’d put it in a paper bag
Labeled: “Pieces of String too small to use”
“Pieces of String too small to use”
Her autumn leaves are now the dirt
And summer winds did blow her hair
But now she’s “Pieces of String too small to use”
“Pieces of String too small to use”
How do you?
How do you do?
How do you?
How do you do it?
Music maker,
Stop pressing those strings firmly to my down
The ground water is drying up to fill my jars again
And that Click Clack
Clickity Click Click Click Click
Clickity Clack
Clickity Clack
I’m through having your harsh march stare down my size
And punish what young is left in these eyes
Click Clack
Clickity Click Click Click Click
Clickity Clack
Clickity Clack
How do I?
Oh! How do I?
How do I? How did I? How can I?
How will I pick up and go?
Because I lack the wind in trees
And the sunlight in the afternoon
My button collections need to find a home
And that Click Clack
Clickity Click Click Click Click
Clickity Clack
Clickity Clack
I’m through having your harsh march stare down my size
And punish what young is left in these eyes
Click Clack
Clickity Click Click Click Click
Clickity Clack
Clickity Clack
But when I turn my back
When I turn my back I’ll twirl my little skirt
And it’ll be my shoes instead of yours
My shoes instead of yours
My shoes screaming that
Click Clack
Clickity Click Click Click Click
Clickity Clack
Clickity Clack
That pull isn’t growing in my black, solid sky, solid sky
And pirate ships pulled these shoulders back
In morning slumber I gripped the slender palm of my hand
I felt the soft of my flesh
And I stared into my sister self
We were running, running, running
We were climbing, we were fighting
We were breathing fast, praying please
We were singing
We were dancing
We were clapping
Singin’, Dancin’, Clappin’!
We were returning to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells
Returning to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells
But I’ve got to hold my own hand
I’ve got to hold my own hand
And this is my skin that I feel
These are the teeth that I clench
And the hazel of my sight
‘Cause the color she wears is mine
Oh! That color she’s wearing is mine
We were running, running, running
We were climbing, we were fighting
We were breathing fast, praying please
We were singing
We were dancing
We were clapping
Singin’, Dancin’, Clappin’!
We were returning to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells
Returning to the hills
Bringing buckets drawn from the wells
Oh! my mama, she gave me these feathered breaths
Oh! my mama, she told me, “Use your voice, my little bird!”
She said “sing! sing! sing! sing! sing! sing! melodies”
And she sang! sang! sang! sang! sang! those melodies
Oh! my mama, she did give me fancy feet I’ll be dancin’ on
And I’ll tap, tap, tap my toes into those creaking floor boards
Oh! My mama she took my little hand and held on tight
All the mamas give the waters of their wells!
All the mamas give the babies this very dirt we’re walking on
Oh! My mama, she gave me these feathered breaths
And your mama, she gave you these feathered breaths too
And when the sky drops all those feathers
When the birds sing in the morning
I’ll be a mama
I’ll have a daughter
And I’ll give her melodies
I’ll give her melodies
She’ll be my little bird
And then she’ll fly