Hi everyone.  I went to Seattle last weekend for a workshop.  I fully intended to do some good, old fashioned street singing, but the weather didn’t play along.  I did record one of my original songs in the hotel room.

When I used to is a song I wrote when teaching middle school choir.  I realized that some of my students were just getting to the point where they felt they couldn’t talk about things that were bothering them.  If they needed help or just needed someone to listen, they put on a brave face and suffered in silence.  This song is from the perspective of a “grown-up” who is a envious of very young children who haven’t learned to stop crying out what they want and need.

WHEN I USED TO CRY

When I used to cry, “I’m feeling lonely” then

Someone would come to me

And they’d give me company

When I used to cry

Someone would hear me, but

Now I’m older, and

I don’t cry anymore

*

When I used to cry, “I’m cold and hungry” then

Someone would come to me

And they’d warm and feed me

When I used to cry

Someone would hear me, but

Now I’m older, I

Can’t seem to cry anymore

*

When I used to cry, “I’m feeling frightened” then

You’d come to my room, and

And you’d turn the light on

When I used to cry

Someone would hear me, but

Now I’m older, and

I don’t cry anymore

*

Frankie Valinda Ghee