this blog is dedicated to quite possibly, the best lyrics and sentiment put to work in any form or genre... in maybe the last 10 years.

to Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.

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"Our Prayer"

I WANNA KNOW HOW THE WORLD GOES.
HOW FAR IS THE MOON?
HOW THE SKY CHANGES COLOR?
HOPE I FIND OUT SOON.

What you want?

I WANNA SIT AND DO NOTHING.
MAKE YOU A NEW DRESS.
HOPE MY BABIES ARE HAPPY,
SOMEPLACE GOD WILL BLESS.

Celie! Get to work!

AIN'T NO NEED TO DISCUSS.

IT AIN'T WORTH A BIG FUSS.

WHATEVER COME TO US
IS IN GOD'S HANDS.
WHEN I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP,
I WILL SAY MY PRAYER
THAT GOD LOVE ME SO DEEP,
HE WILL PROMISE OUR SOULS TO KEEP
TOGETHER.
I'LL SAY A PRAYER.

Who that man talkin' to Pa?

He lookin' for a new wife take care of his mean chirren.

I WANT TO MARRY NETTIE.
SHE A SWEET YOUNG GIRL.

She too young.

SHE'S THE CUTEST THING
IN THIS WHOLE WORLD.

She gonna be a teacher.

PICTURE ME IN A SCHOOLHOUSE
WITH MY COLLEGE DEGREE.
I COULD TEACH ALL MY CHILDREN
TO SPELL TENNESSEE.

You can have Celie, though. She too old to be livin' at home.

MAYBE I'LL HAVE A GARDEN
WHERE BIRDS COME TO SING.
KNOW A FINCH FROM A SPARROW,
FIX A BROKEN WING.

I don't want Celie. She ugly.

I WANNA HEAR YOUR BIRDS SING.

WANNA HEAR YOUR SCHOOL BELL RING.

NO MATTER WHAT LIFE BRING,
US IN GOD'S HANDS.

Whyn't you quit comin' 'round here and just go marry your Shug Avery?

SHUG AVERY

Who Shug Avery?

SHUG AVERY!

She Mister ol' girlfriend.

Shug Avery not a child-raisin' woman, you know that. She the Queen Honeybee.

She a low-down ho, is what everybody say.
You lookin' for a new Shug Avery, you better go to Memphis. All we got here is one
pretty gal you can't never have, and one ugly gal

. . . that work like a man. I-I-I-I
I-I-I-I REALLY WANT THAT GIRL.

I told you no!

WHEN I I WANNA
LAY ME DOWN TO MARRY
SLEEP, NETTIE.
I WILL SHE A
SAY MY PRAYER SWEET YOUNG GIRL.
THAT GOD LOVE
ME SHE THE
SO DEEP, SWEETEST THING
HE WILL IN THIS
PROMISE WHOLE
OUR SOULS WIDE WORLD.
TO KEEP TOGETHER. I-I-I-I
I'LL SAY A PRAYER I REALLY WANT THAT GIRL.

You want any kids?

Someday, I guess.
WE'LL LIVE IN BIG HOUSES.

PUT SWINGS IN THE TREES.

BRAID UP YOUR GRAY HAIR

IN THE COOL OF THE BREEZE.
AND ONE DAY
OUR CHILDREN WILL SING -
WHEN I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP,
I WILL SAY MY PRAYER
THAT GOD LOVE ME SO DEEP,
HE WILL PROMISE OUR SOULS TO KEEP
TOGETHER.
I'LL SAY A PRAYER.
I'LL SAY OUR PRAYER.


"Too Beautiful for Words"

You not ugly. You the grace of God if us ever see it.
You don't believe me.
Miss Celie . . . Miss Celie, look here. Look at yourself.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE KIND OF GAL
THAT HAD A LOT TO SAY.
I SAYS THE THINGS THAT'S ON MY MIND,
TOO DUMB TO SHY AWAY.
BUT YOU HUSH MY MOUTH AND STILL ME
WITH A SONG I'VE NEVER HEARD.
I GUESS THAT MEANS THAT YOU ARE JUST
TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR WORDS.
I'VE SEEN THIS LIFE FROM HIGH AND LOW
AND ALL THAT'S IN BETWEEN.
I DANCED WITH DUKES, CROONED WITH COUNTS,
BEEN COURTED LIKE A QUEEN.
BUT WHEN I SEE WHAT'S IN YOUR HEART,
ALL THE REST IS BLURRED.
THE GRACE YOU BRING INTO THIS WORLD'S
TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR WORDS.
YOU HIDE YOUR HEAD UNDER YOUR WING
JUST LIKE A LITTLE BIRD.
OH, DON'T YOU KNOW YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL,
TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR WORDS?
CELIE, YOU'RE TOO BEAUTIFUL FOR WORDS.


"What About Love"

Harpo make a lot of money if you stay here and sing.

Yeah, but now you got me feelin' so much better, I got to get back on the road, make
some money, you know.

When you have to go?

In the morning. But I'll be back, too, in a month or so.
You'll see. Nobody ever love me like you.

Damn, girl.

IS THAT ME WHO'S FLOATING AWAY?
LIFTED UP TO THE CLOUDS BY A KISS,
NEVER FELT NOTHIN' LIKE THIS.

IS THAT ME I DON'T RECOGNIZE?
LOVE'S THE ONE THING I KNEW ALL ABOUT,
I HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT.

BUT WHAT ABOUT TRUST?

WHAT ABOUT TRUST?

WHAT ABOUT TENDERNESS?

TENDERNESS?

WHAT ABOUT TEARS WHEN I'M HAPPY?
WHAT ABOUT WINGS WHEN I FALL?
I WANT YOU TO BE
A STORY FOR ME
THAT I CAN BELIEVE IN FOREVER.

AND WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

LOVE?

WILL YOU BE MY LIGHT IN THE STORM?
WILL I SEE A NEW WORLD IN YOUR EYES?
WITH YOU MY WHOLE SPIRIT RISE.

AND WHAT ABOUT HOPE?

WHAT ABOUT HOPE?

WHAT ABOUT JOY?

WHAT ABOUT JOY?

WHAT ABOUT TEARS WHEN I'M HAPPY?
WHAT ABOUT WINGS WHEN I FALL?
I WANT YOU TO BE
A STORY FOR ME
THAT I CAN BELIEVE IN FOREVER.

AND WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

LOVE?

WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT

WHAT ABOUT LOVE? . . .
SHUG CELIE
YOU AND ME YOU AND ME
YOU AND ME YOU AND ME, OH,
SENT TO ME
WHAT ABOUT
WHAT ABOUT
WHAT ABOUT
LOVE?
LOVE . . . ?


"The Color Purple"


God forgot about me!

God takin' his time getting around to you, I admit, but look at all he give us.
Laughin', and singin', and sex. Sky over our heads, birds singin' to us. I think it piss
God off if anybody even walk past the color purple in a field and not notice it. He
say, "look what I made for you."

God just another man, far as I'm concerned, he triflin' and lowdown . . .

No, Celie. God not some gloomy old man like the pictures you've seen of him.
God not a man at all.
GOD IS INSIDE YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE
THAT WAS OR EVER WILL BE.
WE COME INTO THIS WORLD WITH GOD.
BUT ONLY THEM WHO LOOK INSIDE FIND IT.
GOD IS THE FLOWERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE
THAT WAS OR EVER WILL BE.
AND WHEN YOU FEEL THE TRUTH SO REAL,
AND WHEN YOU LOVE THE WAY YOU FEEL, YOU'VE FOUND IT
JUST AS SURE AS MOONLIGHT BLESS THE NIGHT.
LIKE A BLADE OF CORN,
LIKE A HONEYBEE,
LIKE A WATERFALL,
ALL A PART OF ME.
LIKE THE COLOR PURPLE,
WHERE DO IT COME FROM?
OPEN UP YOUR EYES,
LOOK WHAT GOD HAS DONE.

You better be gettin' back. Your husband probably wonderin' where you are.

Where do you want to be, Celie?

With you.

All right then.

God gon' take me to live with you?

Come on.


"I'm Here"

I DON'T NEED YOU TO LOVE ME,
I DON'T NEED YOU TO LOVE.
I GOT . . .
I GOT . . .
I GOT MY SISTER.
I CAN FEEL HER NOW,
SHE MAY NOT BE HERE, BUT SHE STILL MINE.
I KNOW SHE STILL LOVE ME.
GOT MY CHILDREN.
I CAN'T HOLD THEM NOW,
THEY MAY NOT BE HERE, BUT THEY STILL MINE.
I HOPE THEY KNOW I STILL LOVE THEM.
GOT MY HOUSE.
IT STILL KEEP THE COLD OUT.
GOT MY CHAIR
WHEN MY BODY CAN'T HOLD OUT.
GOT MY HANDS
DOIN' GOOD LIKE THEY S'POSE TO,
SHOWIN' MY HEART
TO THE FOLKS THAT I'M CLOSE TO.
GOT MY EYES.
THOUGH THEY DON'T SEE AS FAR NOW,
THEY SEE MORE 'BOUT HOW THINGS
REALLY ARE NOW . . .
I'M GONNA TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
GONNA HOLD MY HEAD UP.
GONNA PUT MY SHOULDERS BACK,
AND LOOK YOU STRAIGHT IN THE EYE.
I'M GONNA FLIRT WITH SOMEBODY
WHEN THEY WALK BY.
I'M GONNA SING OUT . . .
SING OUT.
I BELIEVE I HAVE INSIDE OF ME
EVERYTHING THAT I NEED TO LIVE A BOUNTIFUL LIFE.
WITH ALL THE LOVE ALIVE IN ME
I'LL STAND AS TALL AS THE TALLEST TREE.
AND I'M
THANKFUL FOR EVERYDAY THAT I'M GIVEN,
BOTH THE EASY AND HARD ONES I'M LIVIN'.
BUT MOST OF ALL
I'M THANKFUL FOR
LOVING WHO I REALLY AM.
I'M BEAUTIFUL.
YES, I'M BEAUTIFUL,
AND I'M HERE.