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1. |
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Picture this, an American scene
Lost in the cover of a magazine
Bible belt baby wanna be a queen
Lord, Momma tried to keep her little boy clean
She found him with her high heels on
Two-foot train of green chiffon
That messy lip was overdrawn
It was shocking and obscene
Momma knows she been blessed
And she’s always done her best
To cheer her little angel on, no matter how he’s dressed
But now her baby boy is grown
On stage in wigs and silicone
After the show, she’s crying, “Child, what did you drag me into?”
Imagine this, it’s Christmas Eve
Time for the church nativity
Papa’s in the front row tryna see
Rubs his eyes ‘cause he can’t believe
Mary, mary, mother mild
Is played by a familiar child
His son is walking down the aisle
To “a virgin shall conceive”
Papa takes most things in stride
And he works hard to provide
He like tradition and when gender roles are clear and codified
So he’ll never understand
Why his son is not a man
All that he can say is, “Boy, what did you drag me into?”
I was baptized at the age of twelve
Under the water I came under a spell
I heard the holy ghost in the chlorine, she said
“Child, you’re gonna make one hell of a queen"
Momma, why you melting down?
Some babies show up with a crown
And nothing you can say or do is gonna turn that shimmer down
There ain’t no need to be ashamed
But if you need someone to blame
Cry out to heaven saying, “Lord, what did you drag me into?”
What did you drag me into?
What did you drag me into?
What did you drag me into?
What did you drag me into?
What did you drag me into?
What did you drag me into?
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2. |
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God is a storyteller
A lover composing a letter
And every word is hope and light and glory
This is the awesome endeavor
Justice that flows forever
But fear and shame will interrupt the story
Shame is a blight on our vision
Implicates us in vain competition
The imprint of fear on our hearts is how it all starts to break down
So we’re set on a course for collision
We succumb to the way of division
All of us bullies and victims on the playground
I’m not ashamed
I will not cave
My spirit rises,
I am brave
I shed the mark
Burned on my heart
My hope remains,
I am not ashamed
The liars implore you to listen
Subvert you with artful suspicion
Who wouldn’t chase after heaven when living feels like hell?
So they call you a name of derision
Instead of the one you were given
But, please, remember your life is not their story to tell
I’m not ashamed
I will not cave
My spirit rises,
I am brave
I shed the mark
Burned on my heart
My hope remains,
I am not ashamed
I got, nothing to even hide no more
I’m gonna come out from right behind closed doors
Take the mark that burned upon my heart, I let it go and left it right behind those doors
I’m so much more, than what they said
Remembering who I am instead
I left the shame and kept the grace
To keep my soul I left the race
Set my pace to eliminate the hustling of my worth is not a mistake I will make
Resistance leads to suffering so it’s no wondering it is the one thing that I will not take on
I will stay strong finding freedom when I play songs
Take wrongs and make them right then as I write my life will play on
Every note rise up until the shame gone
I’m not ashamed
I will not cave
My spirit rises,
I am brave
I shed the mark
Burned on my heart
My hope remains,
My hope remains
I’m not ashamed
I will not cave
My spirit rises,
I am brave
I shed the mark
Burned on my heart
My hope remains,
I am not ashamed
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3. |
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In the church where I was raised, all the women hid their hair
With what can only be called doilies made of lace
They sat beside their husbands and they never spoke a word
Cause public prayer was not a woman’s place
But literally any man was welcome to stand up
For an hour we would listen to them talk
And I guess the lesson there was God would only hear a prayer
If it came from a person with a cock
As a kid those Sunday mornings made me restless, bored, and numb
And my Bible was the one way to pass time
So I spent the hour in search of stories brimming with suspense
And I found Esther, Ruth, and Rahab were sublime
Castaways who outwitted and outplayed
An immigrant ancestor to the incarnate divine
Everyone has a star that lights their way
We see our paths by someone else’s shine
Esther, Ruth, and Rahab, they were mine
Every Sunday I would find a brand new story with a girl
Who made some patriarch meet his match
They were painted as conniving but it wasn’t hard to see
That secretly most men just fear the snatch
Deborah’s military mind brought peace for forty years
The Witch of Endor, she saw right through Saul’s charade
Of course Eve said “Fuck this system, I am chasing after wisdom”
And Rachel wouldn’t let herself be played
Jezebel sure gave ‘em hell, but she wasn’t scared to die
If you’re with Jael, think twice when you recline
The only reason we have Moses is ‘cause Miriam was there
To keep his petty ass in line
Castaways who outlasted and outplayed
An immigrant ancestor to the incarnate divine
Everyone has a star that lights their way
We see our paths by someone else’s shine
Esther, Ruth, and Rahab, they were mine
When they talk about the heroes of the faith
They always mean Elijah, Abraham, or Dave
But Esther, Ruth, and Rahab, for me were just as big
I wanted to be like them, so I bought myself this wig
My church insisted women all be small, submissive, and unseen
But their own holy book betrayed that lie
‘Cause in those pages you’ll find badass, rebel warriors and queens
Prophetesses, witches, whores and wives all causing scenes
Every woman in the Scriptures smashed the norms to smithereens
So it’s a good thing when a girl learns how to fly
And that’s the one truth from the Bible I’ll hold onto ‘til I die
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4. |
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It takes a little time sometimes to get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes to get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes, but baby, you're not goin' down
It takes more than you got right now - give it, give it time
What's this walkin' through my door? I know I've seen the look before
Sometimes in faces on the street, sometimes in the mirror looking back at
me
You can't fix this pain with money, you can't rush a weary soul
You can't sweep it under the rug, now honey, It don't take a lot to know
It takes a little time sometimes to get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes to get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes, but baby, you're not goin' down
It takes more than you got right now - give it, give it time
Well, it may not be over by morning, but Rome wasn't built in a day
You can name that thing a thousand times, and it won't make it go away
Let me put my arms around you, and hold you while you weep
We've been talkin' and you know what, I'm sick of this talk
And it's nothin' that won't keep
It takes a little time sometimes to get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes to get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes, but baby, you're not goin' down
It takes more than you got right now - give it, give it time
There's nothing wrong, take a little bit longer
Give yourself a little more time
Oh, it takes time my friend
Give yourself a little more time
Give yourself time, my friend
Give yourself a little more time
All it takes is a little time
Give yourself a little time
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5. |
Holy Ground
05:28
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The fire has gone wholly dark
It has burned its final spark
I love the music of the wood
I would live here if I could
The earth would be my bed
The moss beneath my head
I'd spend my days on holy ground
If I were not so wholly bound
The water has gone fully still
I walk its edge along a hill
The wind has blown its final breeze
The water rests in night’s reprieve
What silence must it take
To soothe so deep an ache
I’d let the water take me down
If I were not afraid to drown
When I wake up will you be gone?
Which side of the mountain will I find you on?
If I promise not to make a sound
Might I feel the resonance from holy ground?
The sky has wholly opened wide
The last lonely cloud has moved aside
Immense and fully filled with stars
Venus, Mercury, and Mars
The miles from there to here
What soul could pioneer?
But I would fly to worlds unknown
If I believed they held my home
When I wake up will you be gone?
Which side of the mountain will I find you on?
If I promise not to make a sound
Might I feel the resonance from holy ground?
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6. |
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Had enough but I was thinking of it
Had enough but it was all I wanted
Fill me up because I need another
Fill my cup cause I can see the bottom
I will write it in my book of secrets
We collided, there’s a million pieces
It’s as delicate as dynamite
It’s a hell of a firefight
If we crawl away before the fire catches
We might escape with only superficial scratches
Oh... Oh...
What occurred after the cannons loaded
Vision blurred after the bomb exploded
Doesn’t hurt unless I try to remember
What’s the word for giving up forever
Found a soft place that isn’t hard yet
Found a fresh wound that hasn’t scarred yet
Let it bleed until my body heals it
Let me see ‘cause I can barely feel it
And we'll lay low until the danger passes
We could walk away with only superficial scratches
Oh... Oh...
Had enough but I was thinking of it, Had enough but it was all I wanted
Maybe one day I can cope without it, Maybe even stop thinking about it
But I wonder if our scars are perfect matches
Or if you got away with only superficial... scratches
Oh... Oh... Oh...
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7. |
Desire of Your Heart
04:57
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How long have you waited for me?
How many seasons, how many stormy
Skies moved in a time lapse picture
As you let the rain mask your tears?
How many fools tried to write your story?
How many names did they give you before we
Finally drove out of the county
Drove away from the only town we knew?
There was nowhere the bastards wouldn’t try to drag you down
And it was so rare to find a place where you could dream out loud
But even though there were years we spent apart
I have always been the desire of your heart
How deep did they sink their teeth in?
How much venom did they leave inside?
I felt you suffocating,
Soaked in shame, barely scraping by
How long did the lies deceive us?
What was the truth that finally freed us
From the fear and brought catharsis?
When did you realize your heart was good?
When they see you now, they sigh and shake their heads in shame
It’s like they need to flag you down and say how much you’ve changed
But we both know I was there right from the start
This has always been the desire of your heart
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8. |
Take a Chance on Me
04:00
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Let me tell you honestly that I do tell lies
There's nobody I hate and just a few I despise
I'm a really good listener until you realize
That everything you're saying makes me roll my eyes
I've got the demeanor of a goddamn saint
I'm happy to help out until I suddenly ain't
I never act ugly unless I get hungry
And let's face I am hungry every second of the day
You'll never find a man who's more self-aware
Unless you look anywhere else
No one will ever know a love as big
As the love that I have for myself
I never make it easy but
I just might be what
You didn't know you need
So if you feel lucky, take a chance on me
I do not make promises I cannot keep
So everything’s a maybe, have to wait and see
If you throw a party, I might come but I’m sorry
I will never share the status of my R.S.V.P.
I’m a patient lover unless I finish first
And I expect you finish me if the roles are reversed
I maintain the mystery of my sexual history
Because both of my exes will tell you I am the worst
I could be everything you’re dreaming of
If all of your dreams are nightmares
Ask anyone, they’ll say I’m the perfect catch
If you like making lots of repairs
You’re feeling just a little bored
What are you waiting for
I might be the missing key
So if you feel lucky, take a chance on me
I know there might be one or two things I could improve
That funny-looking mole that I should probably remove
But if you haven’t heard it, well nobody’s perfect
So besides your self-respect, what have you got to lose?
Life is not a teenage TV show where all
Your wildest dreams are in reach
If you’re having trouble finding your A.C. Slater
Would you maybe settle for Screech?
The thing is you never know
Where a road might go
Could be better than where you’ve been
So If you feel reckless, take me for a spin
You might feel disinclined
But just keep in mind
That there are no guarantees
So if you feel lucky, take a chance on me
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9. |
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To the ones like us
To the ones like us
To the ones
To the ones like us
To the ones like us
Who have long been anchored
To our limited knowing by fear
Who have desired to drift home
To experience
To seek
To desire, to drift, to experience
To desire, to drift, and to seek
But the storms of grief and pain
Have troubled the waters of our wandering
The anchor serving its purpose:
Limitation
Hinderance
But you are well
And good
And will break free
And as you do, may you know peace
May you trust the compass of your heart
To lead you to the still waters of liberation
May you know well courage
And gentleness
May you look beyond the storm to the silver lining
That makes the journey worth it
Leading you to hope
Leading you back home to yourself
Back home to love
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10. |
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It’s been awhile since I sat with you without a knot in my chest, oh
It’s been awhile since I wanted to, I always felt a little oppressed, oh
It’s been awhile
It’s been awhile since I went ahead and let down my guard
‘Cause I carry the weight of the words you said,
and that makes it just a little bit hard
To reject the lies you perpetuate,
but you’re not the keeper of the pearly gate
It’s been awhile, but I’m coming back to fight for my place
A good day to come back home,
you sent me away, but I was never alone
You were afraid that there was not enough,
but you can’t run out of love
So I’m here to stay and I’m sitting in the front row
‘Cause it’s a good day to come out of the shadow
God made me good in every way,
so I’ll raise my voice to celebrate a good day
It’s been awhile since I could admit that there was something missing
But I’ve seen enough to know what love is, yeah, and what love isn’t
I’m not content to fade into the crowd and let you decide who’s in or out
So I’m coming back, ‘cause I’m living proof that it all belongs, without a doubt
A good day to come back home,
you sent me away, but I was never alone
You were afraid that there was not enough,
but you can’t run out of love
So I’m here to stay and I’m standing in the front row
‘Cause it’s a good day to come out of the shadow
God made me good in every way,
so I’ll raise my voice to celebrate a good day
It’s a good day, nothing’s gonna keep me
Out of the light, I’m not gonna hide
I’ve got a heart in the right place
Covered in the good graces of
An endless love
A good day to come back home,
you sent me away, but I was never alone
You were afraid that there was not enough,
but you can’t run out of love
So I’m here to stay and I’m dancing in the front row
‘Cause it’s a good day to come out of the shadow
God made me good in every way,
so I’ll raise my voice to celebrate a good day
It’s a good day, nothing’s gonna keep me
Out of the light, I’m not gonna hide
I’ve got a heart in the right place
Covered in the good graces of
An endless love
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Flamy Grant Asheville, North Carolina
A shame-slaying, hip-swaying drag artist with Appalachian roots. Flamy Grant bring a roots-rock sound influenced by gospel
and Americana. Her music shines a spotlight on the queer spiritual journey, telling stories of resilience and recovery from religious trauma.
With a bold lip and a big lash, Flamy is here to rewrite the rules when it comes to religious music.
... more
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