An Act Of Rebellion

We begin with a quote (or a misquote in this case) that:

The only way deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.

I’m doing that, I’m doing that right now...

Five Years (Moving On)

You know you got caught out, what this is all about
See your eyes, they never lie.
One night, there were more
Two nights, keeping score
Something else to probably deny.

Crossed words on the stairs, said you didn’t care,
Wished we didn’t have to always fight.
Such an atmosphere, I gotta disappear
I’ll turn the key, dance into the night.

It’s been one year since I closed the door,
Two years of civil war,
Three years of trying to get along.
Four years of crying at night,
Five years, every night.
I’m moving on...

(You obnoxious tart!
How dare you!
Because I dare...)

I’ll wear my makeup how I want
I’ll wear whatever the hell I want!
Don’t need your approval or your shame
I need to take a break, cos I got plans to make.
There’s no-one but you to take the blame.

Can’t tell you all my feelings because you know that they were true
I can’t talk about your secrets - I know what it’ll do (what will it do?)
Such an atmosphere, I gotta disappear
Turn the key, drive into the night.

It’s been one year since I closed the door,
Two years of civil war,
Three years of trying to get along.
Four years of crying at night,
Five years, every night.
I’m moving on...

Five years, watched you fall
Four years, lost it all
Three years of trying to get along
Two years of plans we made
One year, memories fade.
I’m moving on...

Can’t go on like nothing’s wrong.
Can’t carry on like nothing’s wrong.

And we all suffer for the love you lost (cover your tracks)
The bad decisions, the heavy cost (never look back)
In another life you did the crime (see the red light)
But in this life we do the time (bid you goodnight)

And I’m not giving you the satisfaction
Of having your hold on me.
And all you’ll ever be is a footnote in my history.

Colours With Pride

I grew up in the shadow of 28, not much hope but a lot of hate.
Desperate to emancipate what we felt inside.
The songs we heard kept us alive: Glad To Be Gay and I Will Survive
A dancefloor in a seedy dive, drag queens on the mic.
Take my hand, march along - together we are strong.

Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, we’ll keep our rainbows flying here
Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, your bigotry’s not welcome dear
Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, I’m gonna wear my colours with pride.

The red-top rags and figureheads condemned the sick and outed our dead.
As the epidemic quickly spread we were terrified.
In playgrounds we dodged abuse from teenage bullies on the loose.
Freedom for the right to choose lept us unified.
Take my hand, march along - together, we are strong.

Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, we’ll keep our rainbows flying here
Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, your bigotry’s not welcome dear
Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, I’m gonna wear my colours with pride.

And decades on we face the same ss politicians take their aim
Cowards hide behind fake names encouraged by the right.
Celebrities who sermonise, hypocrites who moralise,
Once again we’ll see your lies, standing side-by-side.
Take my hand, march along - together, we are strong.

Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, we’ll keep our rainbows flying here
Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, your bigotry’s not welcome dear
Oh-ay-oh oh-ay-oh, I’m gonna wear my colours with pride.

I’m going to wear those colours, wear my colours with pride
I’m wearing those colours.
Come on now and wear your colours with pride
Everyone in the whole wide world, wear your colours with pride.

One Girl Girl

Sitting in a bar near Soho Square
Boy meets girl - confident air.
Buys a drink and that’s where it ends,
Gotta get goin’, no time for boyfriends
I know where I’d rather be: lying together, you and me

Cos there’s plenty of guys around the world
But you know me, I'm a one girl girl
Plenty of guys around the world
But you know me, I'm a one girl girl

Strollin’ down the street, everyone I meet
Boy meets girl and that’s kinda sweet
Me I ain’t got time for no guys
Relations like that don’t give me butterflies.
I know where I’d rather be: lying together, you and me

Plenty of guys around the world
But you know me, I'm a one girl girl
Yeah there’s plenty of guys around the world
Who’s your one girl girl?

Acceptance

Your permission is not required, acknowledgement would be nice,
Recognition is essential for me to live my life.
Your agreement is not needed, understanding would be good,
Comprehension’s not a given to recognise my womanhood.

My biology’s not your business but still you scrutinize,
Decide whether I'm pink and blue based on what’s between my thighs.
Your reasoning is flawed cos it's not so black and white,
My gender, my identity - they’re my basic human rights.

But the sermons of hate come thick and fast,
A second-wave debate pulled from the past,
Gender critical political class,
I find your misogynist arguments crass!

So next time that you lie down in front of the parade
Or post offensive stickers, or shout offensive names,
When I next need the bathroom (and let’s face it, we all do)
I’d like to not get attacked again ‘cos I need to go to the loo.

The Prodigal Daughter

Hey now I’m terrified with every problem magnified,
Say I’m brave, think I’m strong, it’s a constant struggle keeping on.
When did history get so tough? Perceptions, off the cuff.
Me I’m fine, yeah, I’m OK - don’t let the mask slip away.

Hey remember the prodigal son?
He’d be screwed when judgement comes.
Love from me, prodigal daughter,
Who didn’t turn out like she oughta.

There’s not enough hours in a day when you feel your lifelines ebb away
And there’s too much month at the end of the cash, gone so fast, got whiplash.
Running on vapours, running out of steam
It’s killing off your self-esteem
But that’s alright cos I’m OK - I’m just living for today!

You remember the prodigal son?
He’d be screwed when judgement comes.
Love from me, prodigal daughter,
Who didn’t turn out like she oughta.

Slow down! You move too fast! Future soon becomes the past.
Kids grow up, people die, how long you gonna keep scraping by?
Where’s what matters, where’s the prize, what’ll your life symbolise?
But me I’m fine, yeah, I’m OK - don’t let the mask slip away.

Hey remember the prodigal son
He’d be screwed when judgement comes.
Love from me, prodigal daughter
Who didn’t turn out like she oughta.

Superglue

Looking back on you and me, every day’s a memory to some degree
Like when you had me round for tea - we didn’t have enough cutlery.
We ate Chinese from broken plates, drank cheapo wine ’til it was late.
You destroyed my best jeans in the wash, told me off cos they were posh.

And I’ll always love you
We stick together like superglue
And even when we’re miles apart
I still love you more than custard tart.

Do you remember the guy who shouted from his car
When we held hands at that seaside bar.
Then we went off to the fair, had ice-cream, won a teddy bear
Pulled faces for a photograph, went on rides, had a laugh.
Hid from seagulls in the bay - they stole your chips anyway.

And I’ll always love you
We stick together like superglue
And at night when I lie awake
I still love you more than chocolate cake.

You like coffee, I like tea, let’s grow old disgracefully!
We can have a house, keep lots of hens, be scathing of the latest trends.
Swear at children, drink some gin, be each other’s next of kin
Cos me and you was meant to be - no-one likes you more than me.

And I’ll always love you
We stick together like superglue
And even when all’s done and said
I still love you more than gingerbread.

Down With The Kids

She says she’s a dirty blonde though her roots are turning grey.
Salt ’n’ pepper suits her best, at least that’s what they say.
There’s a time and a place for everything, don’t care what the neighbours think,
She’s growing old disgracefully and pours herself a drink.

But this girl won’t let you put her right back on the shelf.
So she’s down with the kids
For reasons of her health.

With a serious case of concerned face, she always gives her best,
Keeps it on the down-low so she seems less self-obsessed.
Maybe she’ll grow old one day (but more than likely not)
Cos everyone needs help, she’ll say, especially the have-nots.

And this girl won’t let you put her right back on the shelf.
So she’s down with the kids
For reasons...

Her mother would tell her, “you always go so fast!”
She tried to be sedentary, got bored and didn’t last.
Learned that lesson long ago, it wasn’t to her taste,
‘Cos when you’re sitting on your arse all day, life’s too short to waste.

So this girl won’t let you put her right back on the shelf.
So she’s down with the kids
For reasons of her health.

Can't Dance, Don't Care

Sequin dress and stilettoes, Pan's People had the moves
I got scars of years gone by, but I’m still singing the same tunes
He fancies this, she fancies that, don’t give a second thought.
Come and have a dance sometime, let’s see what you got.

Did my confidence disturb you as I sashayed ‘cross the floor
I’ve been through battles and wars and more, but I ain’t keeping score.
I’ll stand up and be counted! Balls to ‘em all.
Cos no-one needs to have your back when your back’s against the wall.

You say that I can’t dance, well I don’t care.
You tell me I can’t dance, well I don’t care.

Ain’t holding out for a hero, cos sweetheart I’m my own.
Say I shouldn't carry on? Well babe your cover’s blown.
Oh yeah you're an ally cos you’re curious who I'm kissing
I’m here to remind you just what you could be missing.

Seduced by glittering rainbows, the queers know where it's at.
But I’m not your Tinder fantasy and you won’t bell this cat.
You say “it’s complicated” ‘cos I’m a paradox
But hella baby, I might be broken but I’m a total fox.

You say that I can’t dance, well I don’t care.
You tell me I can’t dance, well I don’t care.

I’m having fun, I ain't sorry, whatever you might think.
When you're turning up at Pride and you’re pretending that you’re pink.
Your privilege is showing through your thin veneer
But I see people of your vintage around here every year.

Standing on the sidelines, caught up in the cheers.
Or did I hear that wrong and it was actually a sneer?
I might not fit your ideals and what your cliches say
But screw your expectations, I’m proud this way.

You say that I can’t dance, well I don’t care.
You tell me I can’t dance, well I don’t care.

KID, DON’T BURN YOUR BRIDGES

Just the other night, I was talking to a girl
Who’d switched herself off from the rest of the world
A teenage tangle of teenage anxiety
To deal with life she’d got this strategy:

Hide in your room, cos then they can’t get you
Hide in the dark, cos then they won’t hurt you.
But not everyone’s an enemy, there’ll surely be some friends
Not everyone’s out to get you, in the end.

So kid don’t burn your bridges
Cos they’ll one day lead the way
The consequences of your path
Could be permanent and never go away.
Don’t burn your bridges
Cos you may need to cross them, someday.

There’s lots of labels your friends will apply.
They’ll say you’re a mermaid, or maybe a butterfly.
What-ifs run thru your mind in a fight against your soul
Nostalgia doesn’t have to be a goal.

Remember your friends love you when you’re standing at the sea
And you want to jump in because of what you think that you might be.
Work hard, but don’t work too much
And sometimes Mum just phones you 'cos she just wants to keep in touch.

So go off and have adventures, cos they won’t wait for you
Days you think will never end, well you’ll pull through.
And the journeys that you make, will leave you so brand new.

People make mistakes, it’s what they do
They’d rather the attention was aimed at you.
But you’ll meet your soulmate, just not for some time.
So just keep on keepin’ on, cos you’re doing fine.

But don’t burn those bridges
Cos they’ll one day lead the way
The consequences of your path
Could be permanent and never go away.
Don’t burn your bridges
Cos you may need to cross them, someday.
Someday, someday...

An Invincible Summer

...and then, in the depths of winter, I finally found there was within me an invincible summer. And that makes me happy, because it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me there’s something stronger, something better, pushing right back.