Sisterly

Sisterly is the title track of Rohe's 2017 album.

Home alone, the first warm night
The beginning of the season for neighborhood street fights
I coulda stopped him, called the police
I coulda courageously brought my trash down to the street

Now I don't know what it was all about
I heard something about sex, somethin about "lemme hear you shout"
And from the window in a streetlamp round
I see him pull her hair, he chokes her, and drags her down

Oh, for shame, for shame, for shame, for shame on me
In the game, the game of fuck and fight and flee
In the name, the name, the name of "it wasn't me"
Well, tonight, I'll take the blame

I'm not known for being sisterly
Let the strong girls win and cut the weak ones free
The boys lie, they say the boys are mean
Said I better get myself a spot on the boys' team

Because the boys know how to win the day
Bathed in blood they built our world that way
I got the phone, I'm standin in the hall
Every man for herself; I never made that call

Now a song is a leaky paper cup, it can't hold it all
Thought I should call the police but then I thought again
Quick on the draw, kings of the law, ain't nobody gonna ask them to keep the peace for us
One violence or another; if I'm not sisterly then they sure ain't no brother to each other

Watch em frisking the boys on Nostrand Avenue, friskin all the kids on Nostrand Avenue
So before you judge me, tell me exactly what number you think I shoulda been dialin When they got a cage for every kid up at Rikers Island
And they got a key for every cage for every kid up at Rikers Island
And maybe there's a bullet in the head for this girl down on the street fighting back fiercely in front of me, you know a song is a leaky paper cup...it can't hold it all.
And it leaks into my dreams, you know, if I had it all to do again I'd come down into the street and stand between every fist, between every face and every hand that ever met, even if it broke alla my bones Instead I come to you with this soggy vessel and the memory of a girl who fought it out all alone.

- lyrics & music by Jean Rohe. (c) 2017 author. All rights reserved.