Lyr Add: Who Were the Witches? (Bonnie Lockhart)

Subject: Lyr Add: WHO WERE THE WITCHES? (Bonnie Lockhart)
From: open mike
Date: 03 Oct 11 - 06:28 PM

This can be heard on YouTube:

WHO WERE THE WITCHES?
As recorded by Bonnie Lockhart on "Dreams, Drums & Green Thumbs" (2002)

CHORUS: Who were the witches? Where did they come from?
Maybe your great-great-grandmother was one.
Witches were wise, wise women, they say,
And there's a little witch in ev'ry woman today.

Witches knew all about flowers and weeds,
How to use all their roots and their leaves and their seeds.
When people grew weary from hard-workin' days,
They made 'em feel better in so many ways.

When women had babies, the witches were there
To hold them and help them and give them some care.
Witches knew stories of how life began.
Don't you wish you could be one? Well, maybe you can.

Some people thought that the witches were bad.
Some people were scared of the power they had.
But power to help and to heal and to care
Isn't something to fear; it's a pleasure to share.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Who are the Witches? song by Anne Hills
From: open mike
Date: 03 Oct 11 - 06:30 PM

Correction...Another web site says this is by by Bonnie Lockhart.
http://www.bonnielockhart.com

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WITCH SONG
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jun 17 - 05:25 AM

Thread #3113   Message #2735917
Posted By: sing4peace
01-Oct-09 - 12:29 PM
Thread Name: halloween songs
Subject: Lyr Add: THE WITCH SONG

Re: Previous request for the lyrics to "Who Were The Witches"

The song is "The Witch Song". Here's a bit of info from the songbook "Here's to the Women" by Hilda Wenner and Elizabeth Freilicher (Syracuse Univ. Press)

" The Witch Song has been recorded by Kristin Lems and Nancy Schimmel [Malvina Reynolds' daughter]. Bonnie Lockhart is a Berkeley-area feminist and songwriter ...."

THE WITCH SONG

Chorus: Who were the witches? Where did they come from?
Maybe your great, great, great grandma was one.
Witches were wise, wise, women they say
And there's a little witch in every woman today.

Witches knew all about flowers and weeds
How to use all their roots
And their leaves and their seeds
When people grew weary from hard workin' days
They made 'em feel better in so many ways.

When women had babies the witches were there
To hold them and help them and give them care
Witches knew stories of how life began
Don't you wish you could be one?
Well, maybe you can.

Some people thought that the witches were bad
Some people were scared of the power they had.
But power to help and to heal and to care
Isn't something to fear
It's a pleasure to share.

----
Gee, sounds like this should be testimony at some of the health care reform hearings in the U.S.


Made me think of a time I was walking down my street, when a family was walking by. A little girl stopped, looked at me, pointed and declared "You're a witch!" Her mother was absolutely horrified and made the little girl apologize. I assured the mother that I had taken no offense and with all seriousness told the little girl, "It takes one to know one."

;-)
Joyce

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Who Were the Witches? (Bonnie Lockhart)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 09 Jun 19 - 02:05 PM

Bonnie Lockhart on "Dreams, Drums & Green Thumbs" (2002)
The lyrics are on the Bonnie Lockhart website, undated
https://www.bonnielockhart.com/Lyrics.htm#wwtw 

Also a YouTube with Anne Hill singing
https://youtu.be/ggONd30ofRI 

The track is on an Anne Hill album dated 2000
https://www.discogs.com/Anne-Hill-Circle-Round-And-Sing/release/12227622 
It goes with a book "Circle Round: Raising Children in Goddess Traditions" Paperback – February 1, 2000
by Starhawk  (Author), Diane Baker (Author), Anne Hill  (Author), Sara Ceres Boore(Illustrator)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Circle-Round-Raising-Children-Tradition/dp/0553378058/ 
Anne Hill's contact page(2019)
https://annehill.org/contact though it doesn't mention her songwriting.
[I did check, the photo of her on the Amazon link above matches the videos as far as I can tell]

---

Note from Joe Offer: there's a link above to a recording by Anne Hill. I listened, and I did not recognize the voice - so I don't think this is the well-known singer Anne HillS.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Who Were the Witches? (Bonnie Lockhart)
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 09 Jun 19 - 02:09 PM

Roy Bailey singing
https://youtu.be/jTGSURXrge8?t=1m37s

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Who Were the Witches? (Bonnie Lockhart)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Sep 19 - 05:27 PM

WHO WERE THE WITCHES?
by Bonnie Lockhart
©2002 Bonnie Lockhart

CHORUS
Who were the witches?
Where did they come from?
Maybe your great, great grandmother was one.
Witches were wise, wise women they say.
And there’s a little witch in every woman today!

Witches knew all about flowers and weeds.
How to use all their roots and their leaves and their seeds.
When people grew weary from hard-workin’ days,
They made ’em feel better in so many ways.
(chorus)

When women had babies the witches were there
To hold them and help them and give them care.
Witches knew stories of how life began.
Don’t you wish you could be one? Well, maybe you can!
(chorus)

Some people thought that the witches were bad.
Some people were scared of the power they had.
But power to help and to heal and to care
Isn’t something to fear, it’s a pleasure to share.
(chorus)

Source: http://www.bonnielockhart.com/Lyrics.htm

Note: in the second line of the second verse, singers add a word to even out the meter: "give them sweet care," "give them some care."

Lockhart's performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYfQ-8w4b8