21 Oct 98 - 08:07 PM (#42733) Subject: Grey Haired Woman From: MAG I promised to sing Betsy Rose's (wonderful) song at a domestic violence vigil tonight, and am picking my jaw up realizing I have forgotten some of the words. By some miracle, could someone type them in and zip them off to me? I have already checked the database (of course). Please send to me, Mary Ann, directly at magilpat@walnet.walla-walla.wa.us |
08 Jul 01 - 12:04 PM (#501138) Subject: Lyr Add: COMING INTO MY YEARS (Rose) From: GUEST You can find the lyrics on this page COMING INTO MY YEARS by Betsy Rose Well, I'm a gray-haired woman and I'm comin' into my years I'm a weathered woman and I'm comin' into my years No more holding back, no more tryin' to please Got the will and the power to get off my knees. I'm an aging woman and I'm comin' into my years. I'm a street-wise woman and I'm comin' into my prime I'm a fight-back woman and I'm comin' into my prime No more shrinking with fear when they whistle and jeer I got a fist that's hard, a mind that's clear. I'm a night-walk woman and I'm comin' into my prime. And I'm a loud mouthed woman and I'm comin' into my voice I'm a talk-back woman and I'm comin' into my voice Cause there's an ocean of words got caught in my throat Gonna let loose the waters and learn how to float. I'm a sing-out woman comin' into my voice. And I'm a fighting woman and I'm comin' into my strength I'm a make-change woman and I'm comin' into my strength I won't save the world, I won't drain my song But I'll fight any battle that'll move us along. I'm a far-sighted woman comin' into my strength. I'm a loving woman and I'm comin' into my all. I'm a heart-beat woman and I'm comin' into my all. Well I'll go for passion, I'll go for strength I'll go for the moment and I'll go for the length I'm a give-take woman and I'm comin' into my all. Performance by Betsy Rose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGs51eyARRA&index=4 Choral performance by MUSE - Cincinnati Women's Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV3dykP1ST8
-Joe Offer- |
17 Jan 13 - 06:58 PM (#3467802) Subject: Gray-Haired Woman (Betsy Rose) From: Genie Ah! Found it. I didn't know the title and couldn't find anything for "Gray-Haired Woman" or "Grey-Haired Woman" or "Comin" in the DT. Here's the only online recording I could find so far: Comin' Into My Years |
17 Jan 13 - 07:11 PM (#3467817) Subject: Coming into My Years (Gray-Haired Woman) From: Genie DK why the others didn't come up on YT the first time, but here's a recording/arrangement I like a lot better: Judy Gorman-Jacobs sings Betsy Rose's "Comin' Into My Years" |
03 Jun 17 - 06:53 PM (#3858710) Subject: RE: Songs of Betsy Rose From: Joe Offer The name of Betsy Rose is mentioned with great respect here on the Left Coast. She is a pioneer is the women's activist song movement that has its center in Berkeley. Here's an excerpt from the bio on her Website, http://www.betsyrosemusic.org/
The songs of the Civil Rights movement, the hymns in her minister father's church, classical musical training, and the songwriters of the burgeoning folk movement of the 60's provided rich soil and deep roots for Betsy's emerging gifts as a songwriter and singer. Her songs are an artful blend of beautifully crafted lyrics and music, with messages that inspire listeners to greater faith in the human capacity to create "a world of peace, of promise and of grace" (from Real To Me) Betsy was a pioneering voice in the Women's Cultural Movement of the 70's and 80's, singing at national and international festivals, touring the United States and Canada. Artists such as Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Bobbi McFerron have sung and/or recorded her songs, as have numerous Women's and Peace Choruses throughout the country. Contemporary cultural visionaries such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Matthew Fox, and Joanna Macy have included her music in their work. Betsy has performed and taught widely throughout the United States and Canada, India, Australia and the Czech Republic. She has sung at festivals, and at conferences for spiritual organizations, activists, educators, and parents, including the California Early Childhood Educators, La Leche League, Association of Humanistic Psychology, Mindful Schools, Omega Institute, and AIDS and Hospice services. Betsy Rose lives in Berkeley California with her partner David Stark, and 19 year-old son Matthew. To receive more information about how you can bring Betsy to your community, contact: Paper Crane Music P.O. Box 9538 Berkeley, CA 94709 |
03 Jun 17 - 07:05 PM (#3858712) Subject: ADD: Same Boat Now (Betsy Rose) From: Joe Offer SAME BOAT NOW (Betsy Rose) Some of us came here for freedom from hunger and from hate Some us came here to make it rich and some of us came in chains We landed in your sweatshops and we died on your new frontier We pulled the cotton from the land that we watered with our tears CHORUS We may have come here on different ships, but we're in the same boat now We may have come here on different ships, but we're in the same boat now Hemos llegados en barcos diferentes, estamos en el mismo bote ahora Hemos llegados en barcos diferentes, estamos en el mismo bote ahora Some grew rich by toil and trade, some grew rich by vice Some grew rich in power and ALL of us paid the price And in the name of progress how we ground each other down But no one is the winner when you're building on bloody ground Women of all colors from every walk of life We bore the hidden burden as mothers, daughters, and wives Hired when we're needed, sent home when the jobs run down But we're not waiting on the shore, we're turning the boat around We're a people born of many shores, our journeys so entwined And we'll be on a sinking ship if we leave anybody behind Don't want to be no melting pot, we're a rainbow family And it's gonna take everything we've got to set each other free Source: http://www.magpiemusic.com/assets/in-this-world-lyrics.pdf Recording by Laura Dungan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcwKis325is Also appears in the Rise Up Singing Songbook and Issue 149 (March 1984) of Broadside Magazine. |
03 Jun 17 - 07:37 PM (#3858715) Subject: ADD Version: Same Boat Now (Betsy Rose) From: Joe Offer SAME BOAT NOW (Betsy Rose) CHORUS: We may have come here on different ships But we're in the same boat now We may have come here on different ships But we're in the same boat now Some of us came here for freedom from hunger and from hate Some of us came here to make it rich and some of us came in chains We gathered in the cities, claimed the new frontier We pulled the cotton from the land we watered with our tears Some grew rich by toil and trade, some grew rich by vice And some grew rich in power and all of us paid the price And in the name of progress how we ground each other down But no one is the winner when you're building on bloody ground Women of all colors from every walk of life We bore the hidden burden as workers daughters and wives Hired when we are needed, sent home when jobs ran down They think we're waiting on the shore, but we're turning the boat around We're a people born of many shores, our journeys so entwined And we'll be on a sinking ship if we leave anybody behind Don't want to be a melting pot, we're a rainbow family And it's gonna take everything we've got to set each other free ©1983 Betsy Rose Notes: Betsy Rose has been a leading figure in feminist music for several years, with her former partner Cathy Winter, and now as a soloist. She is a solid musician and songwriter. "Same Boat Now" was written last year (1983) for a women's demonstration in Washington DC, and we heard her sing it at the People's Music Weekend in January. It was recently on the cover of the March 1984 issue of Broadside, which contained more songs from that weekend. from Sing Out! Magazine, Vol 30, No. 2 (Apr/May/June 1984), pp 90-91 |
04 Jun 17 - 01:17 AM (#3858753) Subject: ADD: Don't Shut My Sister Out (Betsy Rose) From: Joe Offer DON'T SHUT MY SISTER OUT (Betsy Rose) CHORUS: Don't shut my sister out Trust her choices Her woman's wisdom And her will to grow Don't shut my sister out Trust her vision Her intuition of her own way to go. Verses: Well, a woman's rhythm is an ebb and a flow It's a coming together and a-letting go Like the tides of the moon and the seasons of earth We sing our cycle of death and rebirth. Sometimes I find myself taking a stand It's like finding rocks among the shifting sand. And sisters gather round holding hand in hand Saying this is our story, this is our land. Sometimes I find I have to walk away There are inner voices that I have to obey And they leave me lonely and they leave my cold And they lead me away from the sisterfold. One thing I've learned is never to assume That every woman I meet is gonna sing my tune i want respect, I wanna give you the same This is a struggle for survival, not a party game. I see pointing finger, I hear calling names I see our strength being shattered by fear and pain Can't you see the writing on the wall If we don't join together, well, we're all gonna fall. You are a special woman, shouldn't have to hide I wanna know you, grow with you right by my side Won't you come as you are, won't you do what you must Won't you help build a sisterhood we all can trust. ©1979 Betsy Rose Source: https://feminismandreligion.com/2015/01/13/islamic-feminism-body-autonomy-and-spiritual-liberation-by-vanessa-rivera-de-la-fuente/ Can't find a YouTube recording of this one. |
04 Jun 17 - 02:01 AM (#3858757) Subject: ADD: Glad to Be a Woman (Betsy Rose) From: Joe Offer GLAD TO BE A WOMAN (Betsy Rose) So many years I been bitter Wanting to be someone else Nature had formed me, and the world had conformed me Into thinking I must be less Than the bravest and the best Better find me a nest to take care of And let somebody stronger take care of me, but now I'm CHORUS: Glad to be a woman Glad to be alive Glad for the children to take my place Glad for the will to survive Books that I read made me angry And the life that I led made me blue The face in the mirror looked hollow with fear With the eyes painted blind But a spirit behind Saying let your light shine, let it shine But I was still a young girl and it took some time to be (Chorus) Well I never saw myself to be that strong I was loving and tender 'cause that got me along Til the storm swept around Lord it shook my world down And I stood in the ruins with no one to turn to I turned to myself And that's when I found I was (Chorus) Last Chorus: * Glad to be a woman Glad to be alive Glad for the children to take our place someday Glad for the will to survive And I'm glad for the will to survive I had me the will, and we still got the will And I'm glad for the will to survive. © 1976 Betsy Rose Notes: Betsy Rose is a singer-songwriter and activist who, together with Cathy Winter, has, performed feminist music at folk clubs, festivals, and women's events throughout North America. The celebratory song Glad to be a Woman" appears on their new album Sweet Sorcery (CR1 230 Origami Records, PC Box 8012, Albany, NY 12203). 'I play this song on the piano, using lots of full chords and gospel rhythms," Betsy says. "The notations F/A or Eb/G mean an F chord with an A in the bass, or an Eh chord with a G in the bass. This is easy enough on the piano, but I've never had much luck playing it on guitar—if anyone does, I'd love to hear it!" Source: Sing Out! Magazine, Volume 28, Number 4 (July-Aug 1980), pages 12-13 |