Digital Program
Original Music inspired by Jacqueline Woodson’s Red at the Bone
The Bushwick Book Club Seattle
presents
Original Music Inspired by
Jacqueline Woodson’s Red at the Bone
January 14, 2023
at Town Hall Seattle
Hosted by Wes Weddell
—
Featuring Musical Performances from
(Click name for primary link, * = first Bushwick appearance)
Rights to all song lyrics ©/℗ the individual artists, reprinted here with permission
Chiku Nance*
LYRICS
Emily Persha
Instagram YouTube LYRICS
Townsend’s Solitaire*
Instagram Spotify LYRICS
Amber Flame
Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Soundcloud
Aline & Wes*
Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Bandcamp SoundCloud
Spotify iTunes CDBaby Pandora Interview LYRICS
Plus the Bushwick Quiz, and more!
—
Connect with Bushwick
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2022-2023 “Full-Spectrum” Mainstage Season at Town Hall Seattle & Hugo House
Chiku Nance
“What Do You Do”
what do you do when you lose
the love
of your life
what do you do when you know
that you don’t
cross her mind
when you held on
just as hard as you could but she walked out the door and she couldn’t look you in the eye
what do you do
when she leaves
you behind
—
is this how it feels to exist
as yourself
as you are
is this how it feels to be loved
and to love
how bizarre
when you’re alone and you look at yourself in the mirror and know that you did what it took to survive
is this how it feels
to live
your life
—
[humming break]
—
is this how it feels to move on
to have peace
to breathe
is this how it feels
to be whole
to belong
to believe?
when you were lost in the dark by yourself scared of asking for help now you know how to get what you need
is this how it feels
to grow
to dream
—
what do you do when it hurts
and you can’t
help but cry
what do you when
you can’t
get him off of
your mind
when you walked out just as fast as you could and you didn’t look back because you thought that you’d always have time
what do you do
when he leaves you behind
— [end song]
“Kaleidoscope”
“Every person is a Kaleidoscope
A reflection of infinite colors
Patterns, behavior, symmetry
Always shifting, always changing forever changing
We’re all just fragments of who we once were
Getting rearranged
The same bits of broken glass
Reshuffled, but always there.”
Townsend’s Solitaire
“If Only We Knew”
I never said I didn’t know just that I didn’t know what to do
Even though I knew I loved you from my first look at you
I see your daddy in your loving eyes and my momma in your brain
But somehow I can’t quite find myself in any of those ways
So I packed my bags
And I went west
Somewhere far from where this family is
And I’m gonna find what I am missing
I got your pictures on my desk
In my mail and in my head
Your baby teeth are fallin out at last
My little girl’s growin up too fast
If only we knew
If only we knew
I never said I didn’t know just that I didn’t know what to do
Even though I knew I loved you from my first look at you
I see your daddy in your loving eyes and my momma in your brain
But somehow I can’t quite find myself in any of those ways
I got your daddy on the phone
He says he loves me
I say I know
There’s a desperate silence and I don’t know
If I really was right to go
But I’m findin new loving hands
Beautiful but made of sand
Today she found the lies packed in my suitcase
Shes sayin God what are you doin babe?
If only she knew
If only she knew
I never said I didn’t know just that I didn’t know what to do
Even though I knew I loved you from my first look at you
I see your daddy in your loving eyes and my momma in your brain
But somehow I can’t quite find myself in any of those ways
But the world has a way of throwing back in your face
She gives and by God she takes
I think she’s saying “girl you should’ve stayed”
But now it’s just me and you
The tides have turned everything else blue
You’ve grown into someone new
But I’m finally seeing me in you
Oh God this empty house
I swear I hear em laughing down the hall
But I know its just their ghosts after all
Guiding us under the floorboards now
If only we knew
If only we knew
If only we knew
If only we knew
My dearest daughter I am sorry I hope you know I was just a child
I was grid locked and awestruck and I couldn’t find my smile
So I ran away like I always do, I didn’t know what I had for you
I wish your daddy was still so I could tell sorry too
If only I knew
If only I knew
Aline & Wes
“Clinging to Love”
Verse1
Tattooed my heart
Wore love on my sleeve
Though if I dared
You wouldn’t leave
This pain of love
Feeds my needs
Strikes a vein
and bleeds melody
Chorus
Just out of reach
And out of control
Just out of reach
Clinging to love
Verse 2
In the garden
Calling Iris
Fight back the fear
Falling from sight
I’ve still got time
For another dance
Hanging on
And looking away…
Chorus
Just out of reach
Like a lost melody
Just out of reach
Clinging to love
Bridge
All that I have all that I know All that I love
Leave it all behind
Red at the bone x3
I’ve been for awhile
Just out of reach
Like a lost melody
Just out of reach
Clinging to love
