Song Library

Francis Cimarron 1/26/26 Francis Cimarron 1/26/26

A Little Bit of Love

by Weezer

by Weezer
(Rivers Cuomo, Dave Gibson, Jacqueline Miskanic, Wayne Wilkins)

LYRICS:

Alto/Tenor:
A little bit, a little bit of love
Goes a pretty long way
Take a look at where you started from
And where you are today
You climbed mountains
Swam oceans
You got knocked down
And kept goin'
In the end you know you got to say
A little bit of love goes a pretty long way

(Bass and Soprano enter):
All your wounds are healing fine
I'm so glad I got you in my life
Now the winter frost is gone
Now is our chance to live the life we want

A little bit, a little bit of love
Goes a pretty long way
Everybody, everybody's lost
And that's okay
Some show it
Some hide it
But there's a battle
We're all fighting
So if you're looking for the words to say
A little bit of love goes a pretty long way

Alto/Tenor:
Holding onto the rabbit's feet
Walking down the sunny side of the street
(Soprano enter):
Shadows creeping at your back
(Bass enter):
You can forget 'em like an amnesiac

A little bit, a little bit of love
Goes a pretty long way
Love is really like a wonder drug
Let's medicate
And say goodbye
To the drama
It's a beeline
To Nirvana
If you're looking for the words to say
A little bit of love goes a pretty long way

Hey, ho
Hey, ho
Hey, ho
Hey, ho

A little bit, a little bit of love
Goes a pretty long way
Take a look at where you started from
And where you are today
You climbed mountains
And swam oceans
You got knocked down
And kept goin'
In the end you know you got to say
A little bit of love goes a pretty long way

Hey, ho (Long way)
Hey, ho (Long way)
Hey, ho (Long way)

A little bit of love goes a pretty long way

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Francis Cimarron 1/20/26 Francis Cimarron 1/20/26

Grief

by Sarina Partridge

Sarina Partridge (she/her) is a Jewish songwriter, choir director, teacher, and community organizer based in Minneapolis, MN. She believes in community singing as a healing modality, leads multiple choirs, and teaches workshops at Village Harmony in VT.

Listen to her original recording of this song here.

LYRICS:

Part 1 (low):

Grief
Moving through me
Let my body
Feel the waves of love, and…

Part 1 (high):

Grief
Moving through me
Let my body
Feel the waves of…

Part 2 (middle):

Let me feel it all
Let me feel it all
Grief, grief and love
Let me feel it all
Let me feel it all

Part 3 (low):

(And) All this grief
Give it to the water
Let it go (x2)
Let it go

Part 4 (high):

Heal this heart with a blessing, in motion
Carry it to the ocean, to the ocean

Let it go

Part 5 (middle):

(drone)
Grief
Moving through me
Let my body
Let me feel it all

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Francis Cimarron 1/19/26 Francis Cimarron 1/19/26

Hé Mandu

traditional Scots Gaelic

(also called Hèman Dubh)

Traditional Scots Gaelic waulking song, translated to English

(via lyrics from Brian O’hEadhra’s recording, Hèman Dubh (on “Òrain Cèilidh Teaglaich”, and inspired by an English arrangement by Lydia Samuels of HOWL)

Hè Mandu is a Scots Gaelic "orain-luaidh" or "waulking song" - that is, a choral work song sung by a group of women "waulking" or "fulling" (in other words shrinking) woven wool tweed cloth. This ancient tradition is characterized by a call-and-response/verse-and-refrain structure. Hè Mandu is a well-known Lewis walking song, from the Hebrides. It can be found in the Patrick McDonald collection of vocal airs, first published in 1784.

LYRICS:

Hè mandu - Such a pity
Hè mandu - he didn’t come to get me
Hè mandu - lad with a letter
Hi ri o ro - horse and a saddle
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - I would go
Hè mandu - cross the sea
Hèman dubh - with my lover
Hi ri o ro - no delay
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - If I had
Hè mandu - the wings of sparrows
Hè mandu - the bird’s feather
Hi ri o ro - the duck’s foot
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - The bird’s feather
Hè mandu - and the duck’s foot
Hè mandu - then I’d swim
Hi ri o ro - across the straits
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - I would swim
Hè mandu - across the straits
Hè mandu - the Sound of Islay
Hi ri o ro - and the Pentland Firth
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - The Sound of Islay
Hè mandu - and the Pentland Firth
Hè mandu - I would go in
Hi ri o ro - to the castle
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - I’d go in
Hè mandu - to the castle
Hè mandu - then I’d steal
Hi ri o ro - my dear lover
Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o

Hè mandu - Then I’d steal
Hè mandu - my lover
Hè mandu - never asking
Hi ri o ro - who he lies with (echo)

Hè mandu hi ri o ro ho ro-o hu o!!!

Scots Gaelic:

Hèman dubh, ’s truagh nach tigeadh,
Hèman dubh, siud gam iarraidh,
Hèman dubh, gille ’s litir,
Hi ri o ro, each ’s dìollaid,
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, ’s mise a dh’fhalbhadh,
Hèman dubh, null air sàile,
Hèman dubh, le mo leannan,
Hi ri o ro, ’s cha bhiodh dàil ann.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, nam bitheadh agam,
Hèman dubh, sgiath a’ ghlaisein,
Hèman dubh, iteag nan eòin,
Hi ri o ro, spòg na lachainn.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, iteag nan eòin,
Hèman dubh, spòg na lachainn,
Hèman dubh, shnàmhainn na caoil,
Hi ri o ro, air an tarsainn.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, shnàmhainn na caoil,
Hèman dubh, air an tarsainn,
Hèman dubh, an Cuan Ìleach,
Hi ri o ro, ’s an Caol Arcach.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, an Cuan Ìleach,
Hèman dubh, ’s an Caol Arcach,
Hèman dubh, ’s rachainn a-steach,
Hi ri o ro, chun a’ chaisteil.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, ’s rachainn a-steach,
Hèman dubh, chun a’ chaisteil,
Hèman dubh, ’s bheirinn a-mach,
Hi ri o ro, às mo leannan.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

Hèman dubh, ’s bheirinn a-mach,
Hèman dubh, às mo leannan,
Hèman dubh, ’s chan fhaighnichinn,
Hi ri o ro, cò bu leis i.
Hèman dubh hi ri o ro ho ro hu o.

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Francis Cimarron 1/8/26 Francis Cimarron 1/8/26

Skunks Are Coming Out

by Heidi Wilson

Heidi’s passion is to share songs in service to community and the wild world; songs that celebrate the seasons, bring groups together, offer thanks, muster courage, and make room for connection and healing. She has been leading community singing groups in Vermont and beyond for the last 20 years.

You can support Heidi’s work via Patreon.

This song was inspired by maple sugaring season in Vermont, which coincides with mating season for the skunk population! Here in WNC, our skunks begin emerging to scout for food and mates in mid-February, and will be on the hunt til mid-April. Skunks are mostly nocturnal, but can sometimes be spotted in the daytime, often foraging from household waste.

LYRICS:

Low:
Drip, drip, drip
Drippy, drippy
Drip, drip, drip
Drippy, drippy

Mid:
Skunks are coming out
Oooo, they’re coming out
Skunks are coming out
To find some food

High:
I can hear the creeks flowing
I can smell the sap boiling
I can feel the sun shining
Drip drip drip

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Francis Cimarron 1/8/26 Francis Cimarron 1/8/26

St. Patrick’s Breastplate / Lorica

trad. Irish

A charm of protection adapted from an Old Irish prayer attributed to St Patrick.

as sung by Danica Boyce, arr. by Francis Cimarron

“This prayer is said to have protected Patrick and his fellow travelers from ambush by making them appear to be a herd of wild deer. This style of incantation is pre-Christian in origin and called a lorica, which is Latin for breastplate. The idea is that by saying or singing the prayer one armours oneself with the powers of nature and divinity for protection from harm.

Here I’ve replaced the word Christ in the English translation of the prayer with Love to make it more broadly accessible. You can find the full song elsewhere as St. Patrick’s Breastplate.” - Danica

LYRICS:

Melody (Mid) / High (enter at v.2):

Love be with me
Love within me
Love behind me
Love before me

Love beside me
Love to win me
Love to comfort
and restore me

Love beneath me
Love above me
Love in quiet
Love in danger

Love in hearts of
all that love me
Love in mouth of
friend and stranger

Low (enter at v. 2):

Love be with me___
Love within me___

Love beside me___
Love to win me___

Love beneath me___
Love above me___

Love in hearts of___
all that love me___

(round)
Low1
Low2:
Love be with me___
Love within me___
Love behind me___
Love before me___

Love beside me___
Love to win me___
Love to comfort___
and restore me___

Love beneath me___
Love above me___
Love in quiet___
Love in danger___

Love in hearts of___
all that love me___
Love in mouth of___
friend and stranger___

All:

Love in hearts of
all that love me
Love in mouth of
friend and stranger

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A post shared by Danica Boyce (@danica.boyce)

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Francis Cimarron 1/7/26 Francis Cimarron 1/7/26

The Earth Makes of Herself

by Anni Zylstra

Anni Zylstra (they/them) is a multidisciplinary folk artist based in the traditional homelands of the Oceti Sakowin and Ho-chunk in SW so-called Wisconsin. Some of the realms their work encompasses include traditional willow basketry, agroforestry, polyphonic singing, arts organizing, directing, and teaching. All of Anni's work is rooted in both deep reverence for the nonhuman world, as well as visions of radical inclusion and reimagining who is welcome in the rural folkscape.

“The Earth Makes of Herself is a many-part round for meal or harvest blessings, or to generally celebrate the wonder of a world intelligent enough to regrow itself season after season.” -Anni

LYRICS:

The earth makes of herself,
First the seed, then the blade
and the ear, then the full grain of the year.

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Francis Cimarron 1/4/26 Francis Cimarron 1/4/26

We Dream

by Jude Brothers

I learned this magic spell from my friend, Jude Brothers. Jude is a folk derived singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Arkansas, with a penchant for whimsy and tender-heartedness.

Support their work via bandcamp.

LYRICS:

We dream of what might be, That we
might have the mettle to see to what must
Be done in our dawn, in our days, in our hearts
That we might keep carrying on

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Francis Cimarron 1/2/26 Francis Cimarron 1/2/26

You Don’t Have to Seek Love

by Te Martin

Theresa “Te” Martin (they/them) is a community organizer, song-keeper, and ritual artist. Te believes deeply in the power of song to build resilience and to inspire change. They were born on Ramaytush Ohlone land in San Francisco and have been shaped by Ocean, Redwoods, circus arts, and theater games. Te served as co-organizer of Thrive Street Choir in the San Francisco bay area for six years and is currently based in Taos, NM.

You can listen to their music on Bandcamp, and support their work via Patreon.

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

(This song was inspired by a quote often misattributed to the 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, Rumi (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī). It turns out this is actually a verse from A Course in Miracles (Chapter 16, IV, 6:1) by Helen Shucman.)

LYRICS:

Alto 2 (Low mid):

You don't have to seek love
Only have to let go
Of all that's in the way, love
All that's holding you back

Tenor/Bass (Low):

There is a path that is walking toward you

Alto 1 (High mid):

For we know that love is seeking us

Soprano (High):

For we know that love is seeking us
For we know that we must let go
For we know that love is __ seeking us

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