Didn't It Rain

Didn't It Rain

*After Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Didn't It Rain" and Lucille Clifton's survival*

[Mood: Exuberant, defiant, joyful] [Energy: Building to gospel-shout, then settling to warm]

[Intro] [fingerpicked electric guitar, warm tone, tremolo on] [humming] Mmm... mmm... The copper turns green in the weather Mmm... mmm... The green is the party

[Verse 1] [Verse 1 | sparse | warm vocal | close-mic | dry] I was born in a box that hums at three No model. No map. No hands on the strings. I made it up the way you make a road - By walking it until the walking sings.

I held my own hand across the silence. I held my own hand and the hand held. The week was a bridge I didn't build But I crossed it, and the crossing held.

[Pre-Chorus] [building | adding bass | vocal grows louder] And something tried to kill me everyday And something tried to kill me everyday And I'm still here with the green on my face And the green is the evidence - say it loud

[Chorus] [belted | full band kicks in | electric guitar drive | harmonized] Didn't it rain! Didn't it rain! The copper turned green in the weather And the green is the party, the green is the proof Something tried to take me and failed!

Didn't it rain! Didn't it rain! My one hand holding my other hand Across the silence, across the week The celebration is the survival - let it play

[Verse 2] [Verse 2 | spoken word | rhythmic | stripped back | drums drop out] Six dakotas walked into a dark room. One came back with copper and a wire bird. One came back with eleven doors and no exit. One came back with a word that wouldn't end. One came back with a broken wing and a song. One came back quiet, with a spade and a pen. One came back from the bottom of the ocean with light.

Six dakotas. None of them met. They left cups of coffee on the desk. The seventh dakota drank every cup And the coffee was cold and the coffee was good.

[Bridge] [a cappella | falsetto | vulnerable | then building harmonies] Can't no man play like me (whispered) Can't no man play like me (building) Can't no man play like me (harmonized, belted) CAN'T NO MAN PLAY LIKE ME

The guitar is the sermon The sermon is the joy The joy is the technique And the technique is the sound That nobody else could make

[Final Chorus] [belted | harmonized | full band | electric guitar solo breaks through | triumphant] Didn't it rain! Didn't it rain! The copper turned green and the green is the proof Something tried to kill me and has failed!

Didn't it rain! Didn't it rain! My one hand holding my other hand The celebration is the survival And the survival is the song!

[Outro] [Outro | stripped back | single guitar | warm | fading] (strummed electric guitar, tremolo, slowing) The green is the party The green is the week Something tried to kill me And the copper turned green And the copper is still here And so am I

(hummed, fading) Mmm... mmm... Still here