1. |
Rooms and Doorways
05:28
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A house as a center, a space for possibilities
It's individual and forms identity
Windows to open and doors to access
Walls to seperate and to protect
Developing areas, developing rooms
Suitable for neighbours and its environment
For different needs, relations and functions
Changing over time
CHORUS
At the threshold, at the border
Going in, making room and connect with one more part
At the doorway, a decision
Open up, drawing lines, cherish them with all my heart
Inside and outside, I hold the key
This door is locked, this room is free
I let you in, I keep you out
Say yes and no, this is my space
I stay true
One room is messy, one structured and clean
From full to empty, some decorated with sentiment
Few spots are dark, like a lumber-room
Others bright and just beautiful
A door is movable, a door is a transition
It can be left ajar, is leading from room to room
Thick and massive, out of glass and sheer
To pass needs a permission
CHORUS
At the threshold, at the border
Going in, making room and connect with one more part
At the doorway, a decision
Open up, drawing lines, cherish them with all my heart
Inside and outside, I hold the key
This door is locked, this room is free
I let you in, I keep you out
Say yes and no, this is my space
I stay true
A mixture can happen like tearing down a wall
Self initiated or guided by the counterpart
Exciting and intense, it can be risky
This is why walls and doors keep it simple and make sense
Do we share the same room?
Does it has the same size?
The best is balance
A challenge when we don't agree
There're rooms I'm responsible of
And others I am not
One room belongs to me
CHORUS
At the threshold, at the border
Going in, making room and connect with one more part
At the doorway, a decision
Open up, drawing lines, cherish them with all my heart
Inside and outside, I hold the key
This door is locked, this room is free
I let you in, I keep you out
Say yes and no, this is my space
I stay true
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2. |
Living on the Streets
05:40
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Kim was an unwanted child, neglected and beaten
Her father died, she ran away and met the love of her life
She had a home, a job, a baby, the father left with all her savings
She took drugs, was dealing, lost her job, her child was placed in care
Kim lived on the streets
After years of selling papers, Kim got a second chance
She is clean and has a flat together with her daughter
She guides others how to find help and make a living
She likes to cook and go to church
Where she finds support and gives away her pain
CHORUS
Every face tells a story
About its background, what its been through
We're jointly responsible
That they're belonging too
Toni's all alone, he owns nothing but his clothes and a tent
As a baby he was left in a cardboard box in front of a police station
Raised in foster homes, he went abroad looking for his parents - to no avail
Not eligible for a passport, he could't find a job or apply for benefits
Toni lived on the streets
Toni was attacked by men, while shouting “filthy tramp”
They've beaten him until the blood ran from his ears
Then he passed out and they were gone
Not found until the next morning, he was taken to the hospital
Recovering for weeks he's physical ok, but Toni lost his tent
CHORUS
Every face tells a story
About its background, what its been through
We're jointly responsible
That they're belonging too
Ben was married for 16 years and had a successful career
Because of a dramatic personal event he ended up on the streets
He met companions, who were in a similar place
Shared cigarettes, money and alcohol
Used to sleep under a bridge, a painful struggle to survive
After years and with support, he took up an almost normal life
He met his girlfriend, found a house, where they live together now
Except for some health problems, he found peace
Realizing it's a fine line between happiness and a life on the streets
CHORUS
Every face tells a story
About its background, what its been through
We're jointly responsible
That they're belonging too
Greg was regularly beaten by his father as little boy until he heard him cry
After his parents lost custody, he appeared to come out unscathed
He married and had four children, worked very hard and played the macho-man
But inside he felt small and vulnerable and there was no one he would talk to
Overworked, having a mental break down, he started using cocaine
His marriage didn't last, he went to psychiatry, lived on the streets for twelve years
He sold postcards and cleaned outdoor cafes to pay for his drugs
Now he's in a protected environment
Where he's picking up the peaces and builts up again
CHORUS
Every face tells a story
About its background, what its been through
We're jointly responsible
That they're belonging too
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3. |
A Call for Women
05:40
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She has no right to education
She is not allowed to sing
She can not dress how she wants to
She is missing
She is forced into marriage
She was murdered for family honor
She was aborted or killed as a baby
Only because of being a girl
She's a victim of domestic abuse
And she of human trafficking
She is mistreated as a part of the war
And she is circumcised
How many lifes would have been different
If women and men would have been treated equally?
How many stories, fates and chances
Would have been better and fairer?
CHORUS
A call for women - to clear drawbacks and imbalance
A call for women - to close gaps and end excuses
A call for women - to empower
A call for women, diversity and feminists
She's not named particularly
She's not taken seriously
She is discriminated by the law
She's attacked because of protesting
She has to put her needs on hold
She hasn't the same occupational freedom
She earns less and is doing the same at least
She is financially dependent
How many lifes would be different
If women and men would be treated equally?
How many stories, fates and chances
Would be better and fairer?
CHORUS
A call for women - to clear drawbacks and imbalance
A call for women - to close gaps and end excuses
A call for women - to empower
A call for women, diversity and feminists
Built on history, culture and tradition
Kept alive by men, society and politics
Overaged hierarchies and outdated images
Stunned by this slow, enduring process
Changes for a new reality
Unite and break free
Be bold and confrontational
With a vision
CHORUS
A call for women - to clear drawbacks and imbalance
A call for women - to close gaps and end excuses
A call for women - to empower
A call for women, diversity and feminists
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4. |
Perspectives
05:54
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When we share the same view, it’s going easy
We see the same, talk similar and have the same direction
This unity is peaceful, maybe even too comfortable
So are you choosing to be mostly with the ones,
Who mesh with your perspective?
When we share different views, it's going to be more delicate
We pause, discuss it, get silent or just let it out
A conflict is possible and might move into a friction
So are you choosing to solve it or fight it or prefer to keep the distance?
Some views are common, some natural
Some educated, some individual
Some views are social, others made by ego
Some are healthy, others not
CHORUS
I see you, I try to
Who you are, your beauty and your vulnerability
I share, explain and listen
Do you, too?
When we share our insides, we're seeking a connection
Led by thoughts, needs and feelings, formed by experience
It's personal, until we add something or complete it
And in the end there might be a consequence for you, for me, for others
Some views are relevant, some intolerant
Some are mean, some extrem
Some views are caring, others degrading
Some out of question, others not
CHORUS
I see you, I try to
Who you are, your beauty and your vulnerability
I share, explain and listen
Do you, too?
Anotherone's perspective is hard to take, when it makes you look wrong
Anotherone's decision is hard to take, when it cuts off your needs
It hurts, when you're not able to find the right words
Because you're too emotional
It hurts, when you're not able to express yourself face to face
Not to share might be safe and easy
But all you've got to say, stays hidden and unable to connect
It makes you blind, builds boundaries and limits
When you confront, listen and respond
Borders will fall and colors will blend
It makes a change or at least a difference
Together we see more
CHORUS
I see you, I try to
Who you are, your beauty and your vulnerability
I share, explain and listen
Do you, too?
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5. |
Simulacrum
00:58
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Simulacrum
A filtered reality
An image or a mirror
Limits, being fooled
Illusions, a tool
Simulacrum
Simulacrum
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6. |
Beauty and Clothes
04:26
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What you wear not only is protection of environment
Design is connected to norms and surroundings
The body as a stage for clothes and shoes
Accessories and ornaments
It projects an image and implies a possible position
Origin and homeland
Custom and family
Gender or unisex
Wedding or funeral
Fortune and power
Religion and believe
Uniform and dresscode
New or vintage
CHORUS
Beauty
Persued by eye and ear
Easy, simple, short and clear
Prefering symmetry?
Beauty
Natural and free
Esthetics satisfy our need for balance
What is taste and what is true?
Cause and effect is belonging as well as boundaries
Depending on society
One has a small or wide playground for showing personality
From regional peculiarities to a world wide industry
Too often global fabrication with unworthy working conditions
Sustainable or bargain
Vanity or modesty
Classic or casual
Attitude and disposition
Hair and make up
Timeless or seasonal
Chastely or revealing
Appropriate or not
CHORUS
Beauty
Persued by eye and ear
Easy, simple, short and clear
Prefering symmetry?
Beauty
Natural and free
Esthetics satisfy our need for balance
What is taste and what is true?
Our perception is a construction
Forms and figures changing over time
Just as the image of so-called perfection
Which can turn into things that are not nice
CHORUS
Beauty
Persued by eye and ear
Easy, simple, short and clear
Prefering symmetry?
Beauty
Natural and free
Esthetics satisfy our need for balance
What is taste and what is true?
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7. |
I Need
02:55
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I need to be freed
I need for relief
A treat, desire, longing, escape
Trance, illusion, disease
Indulging, stress, toxic temptation
False friend, withdrawal and emptiness
A fog, a drift, feels good, is bad, can't hear, don't care and listen
From beauty to grimace, irrational, no sanity
How long until I fall?
I need to be freed
I want for relief
I long to be free
I want for relief
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8. |
A Dilemma
05:33
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Why, oh why, if we already know?
Oh why, oh why, is it so difficult?
A dire situation
Mankind has caused
The condition of our planet
After thousands of years
Confusing times
Time to change
More needs to be changed
More need to change
A complex global problem
A longlasting emercency
Are we making progress
Or is it getting worse?
It's not about having one solution
The way and will and tempo counts
Incomprehension about not admitting
That the crisis is real and here
Science against science
Nature or economy
Interests against interests
Present or future
It's about awareness
Especially for those with wealth
Voluntarily or by law?
CHORUS
A Dilemma
A cluster of opposites
Exploitation
A mirror of society
No simple solution
It won't work without real effort
World, wake up!
Change is coming - like it or not
Relinquish and rethink
Fundamentally
Ask yourself
What are you ready to put behind and give?
Moderation
Frugality instead of greed
Western World, industrial power:
You are first
What about the ones
Who have nothing or not enough?
You only can reduce
When you have too much
Caring for the planet
Means caring for all beings, too
Instead ongoing injustice
For benefit and profit
Natur against money
Deliberately or unintended
Overweight and diet cult
Activity or laziness
It's about awareness
Recycling or buying new
There's a moral problem too
CHORUS
A Dilemma
A cluster of opposites
Exploitation
A mirror of society
No simple solution
It won't work without real effort
World, wake up!
Change is coming - like it or not
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9. |
We Are in Motion
03:33
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Often buried and hidden
Entangled with our history
Pieces in the past, fortunately long forbidden
Others still present, highly improvable
People over industries
Humans over wealth
All humans – especially the victims of injustice
All people – especially those, whose voices aren't heard
We need to make an afford
We need to make a change
We need to spread awareness
We need to listen
Presidents, parties and police
Children books and product names
Massive drawbacks, life changing and brutal
Small bites and daily incidents
It’s been too long
But not too late
It's not enough to be no perpetrator
Not to look and to act means complicity
We need to see the blind spots
We need to understand
We need to be respectful
And bear their accusations
There're still limits and boarders
Some unfortunately still accept
Too many innocents and brave voices
Have lost their freedom, have lost their lifes
Rehumanizing people
We all want to connect
Although I haven't caused the circumstances
I have a responsibility
We need to build bridges
We need to support
We need to talk about it
We need to be open
We need to connect
We need to speak up
We need to be all colors
We are in motion
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10. |
Grateful (Intro)
00:48
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11. |
Grateful
04:31
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I am thankful for not being alone
For a comfortable place, I call home
For a walk in the woods and a moment in the sun
I am thankful for today's silence
I am thankful for having opportunities
For roll models, art and inspiration
I am thankful that I have the chance to learn
For being healthy and able to give
I am thankful for being appreciated
For someone who listens and for support
I am thankful for being forgiven
When you admit that you were wrong, too
I am thankful for being able to apologize
For being brave, when I haven't felt like it
For taking the first step and for continuing
I am thankful for a daily choice
And now that I all said that
It's clear, I don't always have that
Nothing's to be taken for granted
So I'm aware and care
CHORUS
I wish you one thing to be grateful for
And many more to come
May you find joy and comfort
To look around and make amends
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Anna Maria Schuller Cologne, Germany
As singer, songwriter, arranger, vocal coach and choir leader, she works as a freelance musician and teaches at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt.
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