I regret that I didn’t know the 2002Patti Griffin beautiful song,BE CAREFUL before I recently heard the cover with a new verse written by Joy Oladokun, Madi Diaz, and S.G. Goodman. I’ve played both versions over and over since last night. (New lyrics are highlighted below.)
BE CAREFUL is about women’s circumstances everywhere—in the beauty shops, catching raindrops, working overtime, standin’ all alone, in restaurants, on TV shows, with broken arms and deadly charms.
No one ever really knows what’s happening inside someone else’s personal, professional, or family life, nervous system, head, or heart. How can one answer possibly be the right solution for everyone in every single situation?
All the girls workin’ overtime Tellin’ you everything is fine
I painted this last week while thinking about the erosion of women’s rights, especially the Iowa law outlawing abortion after 6 only weeks. The issue of reproductive freedom is so raw, emotional, personal, tribal, and complex. Our DNA is 99.9% the same, only .01% is what makes us unique, yet America is the most divided I’ve witnessed in my lifetime. Is it even possible to have a rational debate and listen to each other in this political climate?
Sadly, FEAR is far more easily activated and exploited than EMPATHY or CURIOSITY.
All the girls standin’ on their heads All the girls with the broken arms
All the girls that you’ll never see Forever a mystery
BE CAREFUL by Patti Griffin
All the girls in the Paris night All the girls in the pale moonlight All the girls with a shoppin’ bags All the girls with the washin’ rags All the girls on the telephone All the girls standin’ all alone All the girls sittin’ on the wire Who one by one fly into the fire
Be careful how you bend me Be careful where you send me Careful how you end me Be careful with me
All the girls standin’ by your beds All the girls standin’ on their heads All the girls with the broken arms All the girls with the deadly charms All the girls in the restaurants Pretending to be nonchalant Funny girls on the T.V. shows Close your eyes and they’ve turned to snow
Be careful how you bend me Be careful where you send me Careful how you end me Be careful with me
All the girls workin’ overtime Tellin’ you everything is fine All the girls in the beauty shops Girls tongues catchin’ the raindrops All the girls that you’ll never see Forever a mystery All the girls with their secret ways All the girls who have gone astray
Be careful how you bend me Be careful where you send me Careful how you end me Be careful with me
For all the parents who are losing sleep For all the babies that’ll come to be For all the reasons that are ours to know It’s my choice and I’m not alone For every man who’s standing next to me For queer and trans and non-binary For everybody with their own body I will meet you all out in the street, so
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Thank you Patty, S. G., Joy, and Madi for both versions of BE CAREFUL.
