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1.
Willful Ignorance (3:40)
Ooh, willful ignorance
Is a mighty entitled dangerous dance
Its magic spins you round and round
Before you know it, your guard is down
CHORUS:
Boy, you never saw it coming, though it was always close at hand
Eyes shut tight to the death of rights
And now you just can’t understand
Every snowflake in the avalanche cries innocence
In the end, it’s all just willful ignorance
Ooh, willful ignorance
Eases you right into a trance
It works so that you’ll never see
Your freedom was lost so easily
CHORUS
Ooh, willful ignorance
Is a very cushy circumstance
But the consequences are coming due
And it’s bound to be a shock to you
CHORUS
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2.
We are Welcomed (3:43)
We are welcomed
We’re welcomed to this world
We’re welcomed to this world by the song
By the song that’s in our heart
It’s been with us from the start.
We’re welcomed to this world by the song in our heart.
For new verses, zip out the underlined words and replace them with
the word of your choice. On this recording we sing:
We’re welcomed to this world by the JOY…
We’re welcomed to this world by the HOPE…
We’re welcomed to this world by the LOVE…
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3.
Jamaica's Tree (3:15)
Jamaica’s tree, we planted and we watered
Jamaica’s tree, we watered and we waited
Jamaica’s tree, we waited and we watched
For the young tree to live (bloom) (grow) just like Jamaica should be
We planted in May, by June it was 90, the summer flowers gone by the 4th of July
The big trees brown by the middle of August, we hoped that little tree wouldn’t up and die
Now a scant year later on a rainy May day, the new leaves shine on the healing tree
A ring of red tulips seem to hold her close and Jamaica lives in memory
(Right next to Mary’s house), a lovely flowering crabapple tree
Last line: She grows for Jamaica and for Mary and for you and for me
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4.
Star Girls (4:38)
All of the girls whose names will never be known
All of the girls whose choices were not their own
All of the girls denied their share of the gold
All of the girls, like cattle, bought and sold
All of the girls who had to submit to a man
All of the girls the boys could not understand
All of the girls whose place at the table was barred
All of the girls who number more than stars
CHORUS
This is for you, I see you shine, sparkling like jewels in the night
Wherever I go, whatever I do, the stardust in me is from you
All of the girls who could not tear the veil
All of the girls who tried and tried but failed
All of the girls who did not have their say
When the holy writers took their words away
CHORUS
All of the girls who raised their children up well
All of the girls who rose each time they fell
All of the girls who worked for the coming new day
All of the girls who knew the price they’d pay
All of the girls who somehow still kept the faith
That all of their girls would find a much better way
You are the stars, you are the stars without words
But oh I believe that someday your voice will be heard
CHORUS
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5.
Hypatia of Alexandria (3:29)
There once was a gal named Hypatia
She’d beat you in spades if she raced ya
She philosophize you to mere smithereens
But not in a way that disgraced ya
Hypatia was smarter than you are
In math and in science a rock star
No women nor men who ever had been
Could exceed her in all knowledge thus far
Alexandria was in survival
Smuggling books from the flames of revival
They hid a whole library, hoping to glean
A culture none other could rival
Soon the Christians denounced her as pagan
Just an uppity woman to rag on
But so many citizens thought she was keen
The powers that be had to wag on
So they whispered that she was too damn proud
Then they poisoned her pals in the royal crowd
They cornered her cruelly and staged a mob scene
With pottery shards and a voice loud
They killed her for no earthly reason
Except some vile priests found it pleasin’
A sentiment that to this day’s often seen
On women it’s still open season
So here’s to all the gals like Hypatia
It’s high time that we truly embrace ya
No longer forgotten or killed for your genes
We must stop them before they debase ya
Oh beautiful brilliant Hypatia
Some guys came along and replaced ya
You’re too soon forgotten, your slate was wiped clean
The ‘his’ in the history replaced ya
So now we must sing of her splendor
To women and girls, though still tender
For with knowledge we triumph and thwart the obscene
And so in this way we befriend her
Don’t forget to remember Hypatia!
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6.
Prudance Crandall (4:05)
Here I sit in my eighty-third year.
I write this letter with ease.
The sacrifice of time you have made
Has brought me solace and peace
I never asked for charity
Only redress for the past
But my loss of home and livelihood
Could not dim my faith in God
I knew that Justice would reign
I knew that peace would prevail
I knew that all humankind must learn
To love one another as one
When Sarah Harris came to my door
So many years ago
I’d never dreamed a town could scheme
To hurt a person so.
Teaching Misses of Color
Would become a State Offense
I could not obey such an unjust law
It defied all common sense
I knew that Justice would reign
I knew that peace would prevail
I knew that all humankind must learn
To love one another as one
Well you remember the town’s people’s acts
Of slander and abuse
My well was poisoned, my house set on fire
No church nor shop could we use.
My students suffered sorely
But held their heads up high
Tho’ every step brought taunts and jeers
Whenever we passed by.
They knew that Justice would reign
They knew that peace would prevail
They knew that all humankind must learn
To love one another as one
I gladly passed a night in jail
Though bail was offered to me
The papers all across the land
Reported my trial by jury
When the Black Law passed the bells did toll
In a church where we could not go
This news of a just recompense
I meet with tears of joy.
I knew that Justice would reign
I knew that peace would prevail
I knew that all humankind must learn
To love one another as one
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7.
The Tunes Jacqueline Plays (3:06)
The tune takes the floor when Jacqueline plays
On the ivories, the black and the white.
The tune is much more than the notes that she plays
As they waltz in the dark of the night.
CHORUS:
Where in the notes on the page do you find
The tug and the pull that brings tears?
Where between fingers and keys are the rhymes
That make us remember the years, oh, the years...
When our feet touch the floor and then seem to fly
As with partners,we balance and swing
We’re left wanting more as the last couple sighs
To the tunes Jacqui gives to the breeze.
She plays joy and sorrow with love and with style
And passes on all that she knows.
Made up or borrowed tunes travel for miles,
To dance in our heads and our toes.
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8.
Not How You Fall (3:08)
You’re crying in the corner, you’ve been there for a while
I wonder just how long it’s been since you’ve offered up a smile
It seems this situation’s not exactly what you planned, but
It’s not how you fall, it’s how you land
We’ve all fallen countless times, nearly broken clean apart
Walking ‘round with tender scars like tattooes on the heart
So when I say these words to you, I mean no reprimand
It’s not how you fall, it’s how you land
You tumble over, you sink down, you think the bottom’s gone
You see the blackness all around, you think you can’t go on
But if you reach a hand out, you might be surprised to find
A friend or two might break that fall, and calm your fearful mind
So raise your head and look around, you’re not alone, my dear
You sure don’t have to be ashamed for whatever brought you here
You’ll be fine and strong again once you finally understand
It’s not you fall, it’s how you land
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9.
Love Call Me Home (3:50)
When the waters are deep,
Friends carry me over
When I cry in my sleep
Love call me home.
CHORUS:
Time, ferry me down the river,
Friends carry me safely over
Life, tend me on my journey
Love call me home.
When the waters are cold
Friends carry me over
When I’m losing my hold
Love call me home. (chorus)
When I’m weary and cannot swim
Friends carry me over
Open your arms and take me in
Love call me home. (chorus)
Take the gift I bring
Friends carry me over
Deep within me life is singing
Love call me home. (chorus)
Life offers a chance
For friends to carry us over
Time can stop or dance forever
Love call me home. (chorus)
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10.
The Cool of the Day (3:28)
My Lord, he said unto me
Do you like my garden so fair
You may live in this garden if you’ll keep the grasses green
And I’ll return in the cool of the day
Now is the cool of the day
Now is the cool of the day
This earth is a garden, the garden of my Lord
And he walks in his garden
In the cool of the day
Then my Lord, he said unto me
Do you like my pastures so green
You may live in this garden if you will feed my sheep
And I’ll return in the cool of the day
Now is the cool of the day
Now is the cool of the day
This earth is a garden, the garden of my Lord
And he walks in his garden
In the cool of the day
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11.
Still on the Bridge (3:22)
It started out peaceful, just like they planned
600 people walking hand in hand
Two by two they made their way into that bloody fray
CHORUS:
We’re still on the bridge, 50 years gone by
Still on the bridge, looking hate in the eye
We can’t cross the bridge until we turn them around
Silent marchers, Montgomery bound
The right to vote their common ground
Selma behind, what lay ahead would leave three people dead
Onto the Edmund Pettus Bridge
And the angry blue sea at the bottom of the ridge
Old Edmund was a Klansman and here’s the shame: the bridge still bears his name
Selma to Montgomery
Can’t be measured in miles, you see
But in the courage to stand our ground and turn this hate around
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12.
Timeless Love (2:42)
Today I’ll take your hand in mine
And make a promise to entwine my life with yours forever and a day
It’s always done that way
As long as lovers seek to be together till they cease to be
So let me say so gratefully that here with you is home to me
My dear, I thank the heavens above for sending me this timeless love
Our hands are joined to make a vow
It seems so basic, yet somehow so small against a life of ebb and flow,
Of places yet to know
Our joy and tears will light the way, our trust will turn our night to day
So let me say most gratefully that here with you is home to me
My dear, I thanks the heavens above for sending me your timeless love
I will say most gratefully that here with you is home to me
My dear, I thank the stars above still shining on our timeless love
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13.
Who Knows Where the Time Goes (4:58)
Across the evening sky, all the birds are leaving
Ah, how can they know it’s time for them to go
Before the winter fire I’ll still be dreaming
I do not count the time
Who knows where the time goes? Who knows where the time goes?
Sad deserted shore, your fickle friends are leaving
Ah, but then you know it’s time for them to go
But I will still be here, I have no thought of leaving
I do not count the time
Who knows where the time goes? Who knows where the time goes?
And I am not alone while my love is near me
And I know it will be so till it’s time to go
So come ye storms of winter and then the birds in spring again
I do not fear the time
Who knows how how my love grows? Who knows where the time goes?
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14.
Quiet Hills (3:32)
There is darkness in these hills, I am not afraid\
There is darkness in these hills, I am not afraid
There is darkness in these hills, though some may tremble, I am still
Hope lives in these quiet hills
There is darkness in the land, I seek the taste of hope
There is darkness in the land, I seek the taste of hope
There is darkness in the land with sorrows more than we can stand
Hope lives in these quiet hills
There is darkness in my heart, the taste of hope is sweet
There is darkness in my heart, the taste of hope is sweet
There is darkness in my heart, yet I can feel the healing start
Hope lives in these quiet hills
There is darkness in these hills, I am not afraid
There is darkness in these hills, I am not afraid
There is darkness in these hills, though some may tremble, I am still
Hope lives in these quiet hills
Hope lives in these quiet hills
Hope lives in these quiet hills
