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Mockingbird

by Helene Augustine

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about

The recording that is used in the video I submitted for the NPR TIny Desk Concert Contest, 2019, on Youtube

lyrics

Mockingbird

Tell me-
How does the Mockingbird
Go deaf and still sing?
Tell me -
How does the Robin fly
With just one wing?
Tell me -
How does the day break open
If it cannot find the light
Tell me-
How does the moon rise
If it doesn't have the night?

Tell me, tell me
I am listening

I am listening
Cuz I can still hear
But the Mockingbird
So queer and dear
She went deaf
She cannot hear a single thing
But she still wants to sing
She still wants to sing
Will she have to rely on her memory
To sing?

Tell me-
How does the canyon
Hold all the death?
Tell me-
How does the child rest
If he doesn't have a home?
Tell me, I'm listening
Tell me -
Who's gonna count all the bones?

Tell me, tell me
I'm listening
Cuz I still want to sing
I still want to sing
I still want to sing
Through all of this
Chaos and Stress
Chaos and Beauty

Don't you see?
We are in the Braid
We are in the Braid
We are in the Braid

And what happens in the Braid
Is that we are all together as one thing.....
We are, we are
Cycling, spiraling, spinning every which way

Tell me -
I am listening
Tell me-
What happens when I put my foot into
The Allegheny, Pittsburgh, PA
The Allegheny
And my foot the skin, it just starts to burn
And peel, and feel revealed
Chemicals, chemicals in my skin
Let them in,
Let them in,
They are growing the poison here
They are growing it everywhere
It's in my hair
It's in my hair!
I went white when I saw the devil in the white man
My hair went white
When I saw the fright of the devil in the white man

Tell me-
How does the Mockingbird sing
After she goes deaf,
She cannot hear a single thing
But she still, she still, she still
Wants to sing!

And tell me -
What about the Robin
Without his wing?
Of course he still wants to fly
How will he fly?

I am watching you
From the eyes on the back of my head
I am watching you
Yeah, from the eyes on the back of my head
They see everything
They see everything
They see where you dropped your ring
They see everything
They see how you let Sorrow Ring
They see everything
They see you plant the Seeds of Hatred
While we are busy
Planting our Seeds of Sacred!

Sacred Braid
Sacred Day
Sacred Life
Sacred Flower
Sacred even when you desecrate it
Sacred even when you desecrate it
Sacred even when you desecrate it

credits

released April 11, 2019

license

all rights reserved

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about

Helene Augustine image

Helene Augustine Virginia

A way to channel the never-ending rush of rhyme and melody. A musical project for the visual artist Jennifer Nagle Myers. Explorations following the continuous line from ancient to future, our own inherent collective and personal queerness, liberation, voice, piano, communication, communing. Good spirit. Look for all ways to express love and sending out the signal that art is all this and more. ... more

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