Closet Comedienne

 

Song Interpretation

Here we are again...some songs were not and aren't meant to be sung by those, especially those with good intentions who only end up murdering the lyrics and words in the process. This song a lovely and beautiful expression of love to those in the throws of romance. This song speaks to the heart the way no modern artist can express it; Journey's Open Arms, expresses words that fail the mouths of most. This song can touch places in our hearts that no other feeling but that of lust, I mean love can. I especially, LOVE the Boyz II Men version, even they couldn't stop me from the inevitable.

I remember when I was dating Mr. Sixfootplus, when he lived in a distant country and far, far away land more than 1200 miles away...Canada, heartache pains me as I type and recall our once long distance from each other. I, an in love helpless romantic, lost in the suburbs of DC area longed to say lovely things to him that only this song could. I would get sick just thinking of combining words to paint the picture that my heart was feeling but before I could I had to make sure I had a booom box that had both a record and playback button and a blank cassette tape. 

Laughing right now you are? well you-tube and texting did not exist between 92-96 and if it did? I didn't know about it cause I was too busy listening to the DJ or calling the radio station asking the DJ to play Journey's Open Arms by Mariah Carey. I couldn't go hang out with friends, go play basketball or even go to church... for fear of missing when the song would come on. 

I'd practice pushing the record button at the right time, test the  recording with my voice to make sure the tape and recorder was working just to make sure that I wouldn't miss a note. Finally, the DJ would come on to say coming up next, Journey's Open Arms.  After waiting through what seemed like an eternity of advertising, he'd  announce the song and instead of just letting the song play, he'd talk for at least 10 seconds into the song as it played, URGGGG!!!! DJ choke yourself I wanted to say but I couldn't cause I'd be heard on the tape, so I had to record the DJ words and song, so much for making it seemed like I didn't record it off the radio.

As the song played I would sign the words from within my soul, after I was done recording, you guessed it, yes, with the DJ cutting in before the song was completely finished I would play back and sing at the top of my voice. 

"So now I come to you with velvet arms, no need to hide,, believe what I say, so here I am with velvet arms hoping you'll see what your love means to me velvet arms."

Oh how I longed for Mr. Sixfootplus to hold me with velvet arms. Some nights as I drove from class the song would come on I'd pull up into the parking space in-front our home and I'd be sobbing, from being so in love with love and so in love with Mr. Sixfootplus who was so very far away and not close enough to hold me with velvet arms. Oh the heart brokenness of being in love. The sorrow of going home to feeling the ache of a distant love and not having not even a velvet pillow to hold on to. Tear drop! tear drop.

As I came to better understand the song and as love matured, I wanted to know more about the artists and what velvet arms was all about. I found out the artists were tight pants wearing, long haired talents with big vocals. I also wanted to know what velvet arms was all about so I bought a single (tape) with words, couldn't afford the CD. One had to pay a little extra to get the lyrics back then. 

You will not believe the shock I was faced with when I found out that "velvet arms" was not even a part of the song. I was STUNNED!!! to learn that all the days and months I sang, "velvet arms" around friends, in public, by myself, in the car, these words were nowhere to be found in the lyrics. Did I just buy a boot leg tape? why aren't the words included in the song? There must be a misprint. of all the bad copies to pick up I picked up one. In the place where velvet Arms should be were the words "Open Arms", what non-sense is this I thought! Slowly and hesitantly, I put my tape in the tape deck player of my car and waited until the part came on and I sang Open Arms instead of velvet arms and it seemed to make better sense. 

I was suddenly faced with the daunting question of, "what will happen to the need I've already created in my mind to be held by Mr. Sixfootplus velvet arms?" How would I be able to re-program my thoughts? Being held with or by Open Arms seemed so normal and regular and lacked the romance that velvet arms held.

To satisfy that need in my head, every now and then when I play the song that is now on my ipod, I sing velvet arms softly instead of Open Arms. 
All I can say is again we have another example of a love idea ruined by artists refusing to enunciate the words to their songs. I will NEVER, EVER erase the image imprinted in my mind of being held by Mr. Sixfootplus velvety arms!

 Back To School Washout

For some of you, the title alone brings back violent memories of a parent coming at you 3D with the world's largest table spoon, with a command of OPEN!!!!!!! Listen, our memories would not exist had we spent our summers thinking about the dreaded "wash out" that would come at the end of summer we wouldn't eaten  anything...well, I wouldn't have eaten half the things I did. "Wash Out" a regime of cleansing medicines that included but not limited to, bitters, say-nah, castor oil, worm medicine, and cod liver oils for some. Please share if yours had some other types of meds. that i did not include..Some of you may get a little sick from all the nostalgia but hang in there. 

The day school let out or was over and all the hegas was out of the way, that's when summer feast for me was in full swing. Okay maybe summer type feast was always in season for me, that's when summer feasting for some began. Ok, let's get it out of the way now, I would never use the word greedy and definitely not HAG, to describe my childhood interest in food. I would say, I liked to experience the food family.  Summer afforded me the opportunity to experience it more than any other time of year with Christmas being the one and only exception. I would definitely, cross over into the over indulgence category, ONLY during Christmas. 

Summer? wow!one only had to think of what was in season and wishes would come true. For instance, if Kenip was in season, then BABES was the go to girl.   I remember, before I could even think of making it to BABES I had several stops to make, like raiding Khancoo or Cooksie plum trees. Khancoo plum was a different kind of plum, if his plum had a little purple line on it? well the whole plum was ripe. It wasn't ripe to you? Well it was ripe to me...I wondered why my teeth would turn a nice shade of brown, yours too? who cares, it was ripe. And who can forget picking some green SOUR gooseberry off of Mr. Dent's tree? huh?

Some of you may probably used to hit up the farine pit if it was open for some bamboola, or farine. I don't think I used to go to the farine pit often, only when I had to go to Mr. Toyleh to make a message and the farine pit just happened to be on my way, since I was coming from the church street direction. Yep, it was right in my path.  I just remembered, I sometimes would end up in bottom Wesley to visit family right around lunch time, with  the hungriest child in the village look on my face, it was summer people, oh I did that all year long come to think of it. anyways...

If the way home was toward the four-road, then ways parted at this point. It was here where most friends said their summer good byes and went their separate ways..well until it crossed a short time later. People our village was and is small, we probably saw each other a few hours later, this is about summer ok, role with me. To those heading towards Eden Road a solid marsh was exchanged. I guess that meant bye, and those heading up church road a proud, hal you skin was the exchange!...ok! OKAY!! so I exaggerated a tiny bit. All I know is that those heading up the road towards central square kindly said with a smile, see you later. ok! okay, geez...so may be we said Marsh, or Hal your skin, back.....I really don't remember......the second parting of ways came at the ontop road intersection....Whoa!!I am suddenly reminded of the dreaded stoning I would get by a Mr. Unnamed..at that very intersection almost yearly....wow!.

 OKay, listen, I don't know if many of you remember the days when MOPO was the place to be.  It was the only open field area in the village with two major mango trees, two, maybe three guava fields, the health center and Ma Ahl- icepops and frozen joys, joyce. It was a short jog away from Murphy's -tambrine balls, Ms. Emma breadfruit, Mr. Cyrus cherries and Ma Daytoush- pomceterre. Oh, Sundays, were they days to get some pomceterre. I don't know if Ma Daytoush had open Sundays or what? but her sons or some others would climb the tree and shake, shake shake the sugar apple? star apple? heck pomceterre and the masses would hit the ground fighting abolow, finding snakes and whatever else was in the way of them getting their beloved and juicy pomcetere.

Ma Datousch home was a fruit lovers paradise, they had Mami, guava in the back and plum behind the kitchen. A short walk to the left,  one could also feast on Miss Daisy's Madway mango and if you were so moved,  you could've taken the short cut toward ten shilling hill to get some of the Tin mango on Ten Shillinghill, or Santana's guava or sour sop; and since you are right on Battice road, one could just hang out in Mr. Onnis (Ernest) garden and enjoy a variety of mangoes...you mean it wasn't free?  Well, if that wasn't your thing then a short visit to Mr. Horatious for some passion fruit, grafted, long of another kind of mango was it.

photo by Revelyn St. John

Yes? Yes! Yes, i was talking about MOPO! Remember when the second police building in the back  was like a place of affluence one deared to thread, oh yeah it was fenced and you really couldn't go in freely. There was grassy open area in the back of the second building it was there many would gather to stone the liqa mango tree that was always loaded duing the summer months. I remember grown men would climb that tree and a short time later all you would hear is LAZAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!

It was at this same open place at the second building where I would sneak off to taste or attempt to taste one of Miss Morine cashews. Still don't know what hers taste like cause, I was never ever successful, that lady's radar was better than any monitoring system I've read about the U.S. She was good. I would shamefacedly walk up the little short cut from her house back to the  police station area where couple things would be going on like some of the best mega roundas matches took place.

As i've said before, I am not a bragadocious person but I used to be a GOOD roundas playa. I was neva on any team why? you ask...well it because some areas in the village already had their top players and I guess I was never in that category because I was too young, yeah, that's why. moving along.....

MOPO, was the place with the biggest guava fields in-front of and behind the health center. Psssh, stories of needles, scare me? who me? no way! Behind the health center had big breed guavas and needle or not, I HAD to be the one to pick it. There was one challenger who was better in conquering the guava fields than I. She had like a ripe guava sensor built into her sense of smell. When I wanted more than the regular amount, she was my ace.

photo by Isaiah Joseph

photo by Taban Telemaque

It was in MOPO before they put all the mocab in the TIN mango root the stoning campions would come out to test their strength and aim. The tree was tall and not very wide like the liqa tree. I remember grown men throwing stones with such strength and precision that one would hear the wwrrrrrrrr sound from the power  of their throw. Impressed, I am now as I recall the memory, but stupid and greedy I was then, because I never gave thought to letting the stone drop before I sprinted under the tree to make sure I grabbed my fair share of mangoes even if it meant me possibly getting a burse in the process. Oh yeah, that did happen once but I will NOT go into details at this time. 

photo by Murphy Matthew

I haven't even talked about the pawdo trips, stoning bomarie, Ms. Gladys Ice Cream, Ms. Mazie pudding, Douconah, Ms. Tourist Gooseberry, fine cake, hard cake, pineapple, sweet sop, sour sop, watermelon, eating breadnut, veeoh, oh boy, this reminds me of a time when we thought the river took one of our friends, will post another time, grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, sucking cacao, all make up the memories of summer foods that leads to the washing out  regime as we prepared to go back to school.

As you and I listen to the moaning and groaning of our kids not looking forward to returning to school, I am realize.. 1) their limited Caribbean childhood experience and.. 2) I don't understand the complaints as the transition from summer to back to school seems so easy, yet they still complain.  Oh well, don't think I'd much like having to run to the bathroom to help them anyways.

SONG INTERPRETATION

OK, let me start this post by saying I LOVE MUSIC, all sorts of music, but I MUST tell you, I've been known to not get the lyrics/words right. Does that stop me from singing, of course NOT. My kids love to sing they act like they know everything about every song and I'm so outdated, when they throw names, like, wakaflaka, not a real name in my opinion, JT, JB, Jay Jay, watever, who cares, like I'm so outdated, anyways. The other day, I wanted to show them a thing or two so I decided to sing Beyonce's Halo. Yes, HALO!!!


I got to the part where she sings, "everywhere I'm looking now, it's written all over your face, baby I  can see your halo, you know ummmmmm hmmmu hummm my saving grace." Then I belted, "I can see your HELLO, HELLO, HELLO, HELLO OH, OH, OH, just jamming like I everything is ALL RIGHT! until my daughter, with a crossed look on her face, said with a hint of annoyance, MOMMY!!! she's saying HALO, and I was like I know, I'm saying the same thing...... I can see your HELLO, HELLO!! she's like Mom, its HALO..... I ask do we have a communication problem here? being the over thinker that I am, I said to her, Beyonce's song, makes absolutely no sense, How in the world can she see my HELLO, my child walked away utterly frustrated and was probably questioning, why Lord, with her hands in the air, was she assigned the most uncool, unknowing, doesn't know she is embarrassing me mom? Hey, what can I say? other than, these singers need to sing A LOT more clearly, enunciate! OK? OK...... and that's my first song interpretation entry.

 

 

 

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Me?..... a Farmer's Wife?

As I sit here recalling some fond school memories, I couldn't help but reflect on some of the games I played growing up. The first one that comes mind, was the Farmer in the Dell/Den/Ring. To those of you who sang Den then read Den, if you sang Dell, then read dell and so on. Yes? ok
 School at the Methodist Church began after hurricane David destroyed the Wesley Government School aka big school. Friday's were the best days, it was clean up day culminating in a big fire in the root of the mango tree and of course games.
The farmer in the dell/den/ring was a fun game, especially if you really... wanted to play... and by really wanting to play, I mean, if the farmer was your cheek. If your cheek wasn't the farmer you still had to play cause it was a class activity. The fun began once the circle was made, farmer was chosen and the song began. This game wasn't just a game, it was a time for statements to be made. For example, if your cheek was the farmer of course you would be chosen first and it was a time to signal to the haters to step off. Well not in those words but something like that. 
The statements were made based on how the farmer chose his family. hahahahaha In order for the family to begin the farmer had to choose his wife and this is where happy, sad, and vexed feelings surfaced. The farmer tells everyone at least for this game who he wanted as his wife or who his wife/girlfriend at the moment by walking over to choose her. Usually, his wife's natural response was to pull her hand, cut/roll her eyes as if to say, "boy lemme go, wha you choosing me for your wife nor." all the while enjoying to moment of being chosen first. 
If per chance one wasn't chosen as the farmer wife, thankfully there were other mentionable positions in the farmer's dell/den/ring/life to vy for. There's the nurse, maid, the child, the cow and the dog. This brings us to the last and absolute worse position that one can be chosen as..the cheese..... I can still here in my head and the cheese stands alone......what a sad place to be. 
Did any of you ever wanted to be chosen as the farmer's wife? I specifically recall a particular farmer who insisted on choosing me as his wife and I insisted on hiding behind the person next to me. Turns out. me and Mr. Farmer are very good friends and used to be during school, I just didn't want to be his wife. I had my eyes on another farmer who, sadly, NEVER chose me as his wife. Oh well, the lessons that these childhood games teach us. Looking back one can't help but wonder, how in the world were we allowed to play these games with such adult undertones. I guess it was a different time, when children were really innocent and carefree.

 

 

Press The "X"

My sixfooterplus and I have four amazing little people who sometimes CANNOT comprehend some of the things we say especially when it's something from our youthful years in Dominica (DA). So they sometimes need it broken down, and it's during the breaking down part the fun begins. Our subject today was about a belle marché-pretty walk, that Mr. Sixfootplus participated in when he was just a five footer. Who knows, I don't know how old he was but his memory of the event would allow you to think it was only a few years ago, maybe two. hahahahhaha. 

We have one precious girl and three amazing boys that I will NOT talk about right now because I will go on for days. He had his little girl hooked on his every word as he remembered all the things they did on the belle marché until to started talking about a têtê chien. I know, some of you are like WHAT? a têtê chein is a Snake, a very big snake. Heck lets just call it an ANACONDA, got the picture? he lost her right here. 


Apparently, during the marché-walk, someone stepped on a big spongy muscular rubbery thing.  He was so animated going over what was probably chaos, she freaked out. He started explaining in Dominica when you see a snake its followed by a huge announcement of SNAKE.  What did you do? she asked, Run, he said, whenever you hear snake, that is what you do, you run. That only allowed him to dig deeper into his memory bank and we began to share snake stories. 

I chimed in with my experience riding to Portsmouth on Mr. Geoff passenger bus, when we saw a huge boa constrictor just after we passed the Woodfordhill river bridge. Mr. Sixfoot now insisted that I say boa constrictor cause he had the child freaked at this point. So I went on to say, I saw an ANACONDA just like the one in the movies. The both attacked me for saying Anaconda, and accused me of exaggerating. I like to think of it, not as exaggerating but as painting word pictures, anyways.

The bus driver steered the bus to run over the snake and the thing did not die. He then put the bus in reverse to see if anything was there, nothing was. I started thinking it must've climbed into the tire hole or it was stuck on the underneath somewhere. Please, people I was around nine so yes, I had an active imagination. I'm not nine anymore and I'm still accused of having an active imagination. hmmmmmm, Wats up with dat?

Before I knew it, Mr. Sixfoot was back in the heart of the story sharing one snake story after another, he went on to share  a snake story about the big corner near my grandparents home on Londonderry road and how he dislike walking that corner. That only prompted me to ask, walk? when did you walk that corner? oh! let me finish, was the response..I'll come back to that later...... then he said, he would speed up when he came to that corner. Naturally, I interrupted with, oh, so it's speed up now. Our daughter asked, why did you speed up? he said he'd press the gas to go around the corner fast. I said are you sure you pressed the gas and not the X?  he fell out laughing. What do you know about pressing the "X"? That only allowed me to open my extra large brown eyes in great astonishment in his direction and without using words; I asked with my eyes, What do you mean, what do I know about pressing the X? Don't forget to imagine me with lips pressed tightly together and pulled back with my head cocked to the side. Got it? hahahhahahhah

Our poor daughter lost in the confusion ask, what is the X? I proudly expressed that it meant, pressing the gas, to go faster and Mr. sixfooter said it's the accelerator. I explained the roads didn't always give a smooth ride due to all the holes. I told her there was one piece of road, a straightaway along the backwall, close to the airport that was smooth, people would ask the driver to press the X to enjoy the ride.  I must've taken too long with my explanation because my hubby wanted to finished his belle marché story. He went on to explain spots known to have big snakes, black snakes and snakes that chased you. I never experience the chasing snakes but I did have an abolow chase me after I hit it with a tent iron. 

As I listen to Mr. Sixfootplus recall the stories of his childhood,  I felt a tad bit of sadness that our children did not experience the same freedoms and innocence of our upbringing. We do our best to have them share in the experience but it's not the same. Oh the sweet, sweet years of growing up in the hole and off of Londonderry Road.


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Originally Posted 10/2009

 Road to Roseau

I’m still reminiscing on some of the memories you shared from last week’s post. To those who missed it you still can share your memory in the comment block.  Today, we are sharing our memory of a major event, our first trip to Roseau. Who has butterflies just thinking about it? Going to Roseau for the first time, heck, second, third even the fifth time was a big deal. The purpose of this post is to provoke and awaken memories stored far, far away in the hidden regions of your mind. Ok maybe not so far away because we are NOT that old. Just give me a second while I must dust off the corner of my brain where those memories are stored. Here we go
Yes? Roseau, so it’s the morning of the first big trip and I haven’t slept not one minute. Maybe because I was too afraid I’d miss the bus or maybe I felt that it was my duty to make sure my mother didn't miss or make me miss the bus. The bus, ahhh yes, this may take a minute. Going out to the road to wait for the bus, first of all we had to walk up to Ma Joff shop to catch the bus, as if the it  wasn’t going to pass right in-front of the house. Why did we do that? who knows, habit, tradition or just maybe, the turn around point was at majoff's shop. You know Central Square.
The turn around point at Teacher arnet's house wasn't established yet. Plus I don't think people considered anything pass teacher arnet house as part of wesley.
Some of you may not remember going out to the road to wait for the first bus, you probably remember having to catch the truck.  The truck you ask? Yes, there were trucks. Remember when it rained they had to pull the tampolin down,  wait, wait! I’m getting ahead of myself.
Catching the bus meant standing alongside the road waiting for your driver of choice to cruise by. If the approaching bus or truck wasn’t your ride of choice you just step aside. grunting under your breath, da man dere does charge too much as you wait for your preferred driver/bus to show up, which is when you stepped forward and yelled, holaight, hole eight, holayt, all meaning the same thing HOLD IT! Who can forget Mr. Tyoleh’s ride being the most popular? Remember that? Well I remember him to be the most popular ride.

Once you found your seat, you either went back to sleep or enjoyed some good ole country gospel music. Great artists like, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, humming to tunes such as, How long has it been since you walked with the Lord, and music by the Joseph Niles Singers. If your remember other songs please share. Man what a memory huh? I was reminded by my better half another pleasureable memory of hailing your bus was the bus driva saying squeeze up in de back, full up de back? Some folks would get to upset and shout put me dong, I doh going Roseau again. PUT ME DONG!  

No matter what you memory of catching a ride to Roseau one cannot forget the breath taking scene as you round the hill in Canefield. The big calm blue sea the image is still very fresh in my memory. Very picturesque. Boy those were the days. What are you memories of your first out of town trip?

LOVE NOTES

With Valentine's Day just around the corner,  I wanted to highlight some of our village's hopeless romantics.  Who can forget getting a love note from that special someone.  Oh the chills that would come over the body leaving chicken skin all over. Yes, the nervous stomachs, the light headed feelings, the hard work of pretending not to like the mister. The books/journal you kept with all the words to love songs you would sing to that cheek of yours. Songs like, Nothings gonna change my love for you...... On the Wings of Love....Hold me in your arms, ...Every breath you take...My endless Love and who can forget Bonnie Tyler's, Total Eclipse of the Heart. That last song would come on every afternoon during the 12noon hour. I don't think I'm a hopeless romantic but I have to admit some of the poems and notes were very well written.  Some were lines borrowed from love songs, lines from a movie and others were memorized rhymes that were repeated year after year. So in honor of those who wrote and received those,  "make your heart melt" notes here's to you.
Ladies listen, I don't think I've ever had this one written to me, but I longed to get one. Remember when your cheek or the person who thought they were your cheek would do everything get your attention and you would pretend not to notice them until one of your friends handed you a letter from them? You'd pretend like you didn't want the letter and you would go home to dash it way, really? you didn't even properly close the door on your friend before you'd rip it open to find a rhyme something like this one,  "I fall from a mountain, I fall from a tree but the hardest fall I ever get is when i fall in love with you. Oh the sickness one would instantly feel from the overwhelming spell of love. ooohhhhhhh, where was I?
And who can forget walking on the road and that very mister who was trying to get your attention, you know the one you pretend to not notice finally called out, "hello, is me you're looking for? None of that rings a bell? How about when the mister bought the little sweetheart candies with the love notes and handed you the one with the most perfect expression?  Awwww how cute!
I had this friend who loved this deep dimpled face girl who pretended not to notice him and his interest in her. One day they were standing close to each other so he gently reached for her hand and as he brushed his hand against hers, she pulled her hand so hard, and asked, bor wa he touching me for nor? Stupes, he said that was just you wanting to give me a kiss. So she cut her eyes, he said, that is the best sweet eyes I ever get.   Listen, I have to tell you this one, this guy would sing this line to one of his cheeks every time she passed by, "every time you go away, you take a piece of meat with you. She would answer, boy is nor meat, is "me".
I was told that guys were on the receiving end as well. I heard that guys just loved when they'd get a perfumed well folded napkin with the mark of blood red pursed lips on the inside? and what about the feeling you'd get ladies, once you and your cheek knew that you were cheeks and other guys wanted to be your cheek, how your guy would be all mufasa like and say, BOY! dat is my woman dere you know! oh the melting sensation that would take place.
To those who never had a love affair occur in the village, feel no way, that's ok. Many roads are taken on the journey to find the one that captures your heart. What are some of your memories of love?

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A LITTLE SONG

During church this Sunday the Pastor sang this little note we used to sing in Baptist church all the time. "Let's talk  about Jesus, the kings of King is he..." As I joined in the tune, I couldn't help but to think back on Baptist Church days. You have to agree with me when I say this, Baptist Church members could sing we boy? We used to sing loud and clear. I remember we would sing so the whole village would hear. Lord bless his heart, but I remember when brother Boyee would lead song service, he used to encourage us to sing so the people in Battice would hear.  Broda Cuffy, would encourage us to sing so the people ontop road would hear and Broda Davis would lead us to sing these wonderful hymnals so people at Eden Road would hear. oh the wonderful memories. I would sing so loud and hard I would feel the veins in my neck, once that happened I knew we were reaching the whole village.
by graphicsfairy.com
So the other day, I was humming a tune that reminded me of those Baptist Church days and I said to my hubby whose memory, I don't think is quite as sharp as mine.  I said very convincingly, " boy Baptist members could sing! We had some nice song yeah? He look at me with his head tilted to the side and a questionable and an astonished look on his face before he busted out laughing. I was confused, yes, very confused, I mean I know funny when I hear it and well his response confused me. So of course I asked what's so funny? he said very matter of factly, "Baptist church had some of the worse set of singers in the village". Stunned was I!!!!yes Stunned. Words failed me. As I write this, I'm still writing in disbelief. He continued, " allyou use to make a bungle noise and call dat singing." Whoa, Whoa, I think I was fighting back tears, ok not really but I could've if I lingered a little longer. <-Dat right there is part of the title of one of our songs, "I am resigned no longer to linger" haahhahahaha seee. Anyways,  For a minute I felt like I was standing in front of "Simon" on AI and I didn't even get to go on to the second verse let alone the second stanza, another song phrase. ahahahhaha,  Still stunned, the words just seem to be choking me and I was speechless, unable to respond, something that happens VERY rarely. Then he walked away, mumbling and laughing, repeating himself,  sing? all you use to call dat singing. I finally found my voice and I lashed him with, well did you hear us? Yes! was his answer, then we did what we were supposed to do. He looked at me as if I needed a hug, so he gave me one and then I eek out, oh yessss, I remember now, Baptist church had the prettiest girls;  Mister husband push my shouldars so hard. What is wrong with his memory? somebody please tell him. Help him out! What do you remember about the Baptist Church song ministry?