(UNRELEASED)

grand canyon
words and music by ani difranco © 2003 righteous babe music / BMI

i love my country 
by which i mean i am indebted joyfully 
to all the people throughout it’s history 
who have fought the government to make right 

where so many cunning sons and daughters 
our foremothers and forefathers 
came signing through slaughter 
through hell and high water 
so that we could stand here 
and behold breathlessly the sight 
how a raging river of tears 
cut the grand canyon of light 

yes i’ve been so many places 
flown through vast empty spaces 
with stewardesses whose hands 
looked much older than their faces 
and i’ve tossed so many napkins into that big hole in the sky 
i’ve been at the bottom of the atlantic seething inside a two-ply 
looking up through all that water and the fishes swimming by 

and i don’t always feel lucky 
but i’m smart enough to try 
because humility has buoyancy 
and above us only sky 

so i lean in and breathe deeper that brutal burning smell 
that surrounds the smoldering wreckage that i’ve come to love so well 
yes, color me stunned and dazzled by all the red, white and blue flashing lights 
in the american intersection where black crashed head-on with white 
comes a melody, comes a rhythm, a particular resonance 
that is us, and only us, comes a screaming ambulance 

a hand that you can trust, laid steady on your chest 
working for the better good, which is good at it’s best 
and too, bearing witness 
like a woman bears a child with all her might 
born of the greatest pain into a grand canyon of light 

i say no song has gone unsung here 
and this joint is strung crazy tight 
and people been raising up their voices since it just ain’t been right 
with all the righteous rage and all the bitter spite 
that will accompany us out of this long night 
that will grab us by the hand when we are ready to take flight 
seat back and tray table in the upright and locked position 
i am shocked to tears by each new vision 
of all that my ancestors have done 
like, say the women who gave their lives so that i could have one 
like the people who were standing at ground zero of the feminist revolution 

behold if you please 
a patriarchy on it’s knees 
yes it was an inside job 
??? and sly 
one we’re supposed to forget, and downplay and deny 
but i think the time is nothin’ if not nigh 
to let the truth out 
the coolest “f” word ever deserves a fuckin’ shout 

i mean look around 
we have this 

yes, i love my country 
by which i mean i am indebted joyfully 
to all the people throughout it’s history 
who have fought the government to make right 

where so many cunning sons and daughters 
our foremothers and forefathers 
came signing through slaughter 
through hell and high water 
so that we could stand here 
and behold breathlessly the sight 
how a raging river of tears 
is cutting the grand canyon of light