Laura Jorgensen - Tenement Song

I saw you for the first time on the sidewalk, you were passing me by
And though I know we're not allowed to stop and talk, I just had to try
Something in your face I had seen just once before
A flash in my father's eyes when they held him to the floor
And he said: Darling, don't forget me

Even with this courage, oh the words just wouldn't come
All we're taught to say is: Hide, quiet, and run
Something in your face I felt in my own
It itched at my lips and tickled my tongue
And you said: Darling, come with me

So in your fifth floor tenement, we'll lie down
And speak with our skin
Cause not all of our thoughts can be said through our teeth
So if the sounds don't come
It won't matter to us
We'll still know what we mean

Months passed by and our meetings grew more common all the time
And you taught me the things you'd learned in secret about syllables and rhyme
Something in your face whenever I learned a new word
Made me almost forget what it's like not to be heard
So I said: Darling, hold on to me
Cause even though I've learned to speak
There will always be some inexpressible things

So in your fifth floor tenement, we'll lie down
And speak with our skin
Cause not all of our thoughts can be said through our teeth
So if the sounds don't come
It won't matter to us
We'll still know what we mean

One day, they came while I was telling you the sunrise
And they said the way we lived we would die
But I'm not worried, no they can't hurt me
Not with you here beside me

So in your fifth floor tenement, we'll lie down
And speak with our skin
Cause not all of our thoughts can be said through our teeth