The SONG Project recently partnered with Amirah, providing a safe place where women who had been commercially exploited could explore and express their stories through lyrics and melodies, empowering them to transform their lived experience, hopes and fears into songs. While exploring themes around their journeys, both light and dark moments, the women heard their stories reflected back to them and community was strengthened while sharing and collaborating with others around their truth.
The journey of learning the songwriting tools was sometimes long and hard with counting syllables and shuffling lines around while editing, so that each individual’s words would become part of the whole and every voice would be heard and validated in a song format that made sense and had movement! In the end it was a privilege to witness the smiles as they proudly sang their creation into the world and heard it back as a complete project for the first time! I look forward to continuing to partner with Amirah, integrating songwriting as a tool to support their women in reaching some of their goals and finding healing in the process of creating. It’s an exciting time to be part of a community of women reflecting on their past and showing strength and resilience as they hope, dream and take the next steps towards a future that is theirs to reclaim, live and celebrate in.
Listen to the women’s song here and check out the lyrics below!
The group at Amirah was made possible due to the generosity of The Blakeley Foundation. To support future work at Amirah, donate to The SONG Project directly here! (The SONG Project is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of The SONG Project must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.)
Risin’ Up
Falling on the sidewalk, crawling on the sidewalk, fading into the ground
One person who’s making life tough
Not easy to get rid of all these negative feelings
My life was too hard, not only for me but everyone
Alone, lost, fading, a ghost in the dark
Anxiety, trauma connected to drama
Watch out this journey is connected to karma
I’m risin’ up, risin’ up, risin’ up
Pickin’ myself back up
I’m not gonna fall again, fall again
Pickin’ myself back up
This is my journey, my journey
Searchin’ for the vict’ry, learning to be loved, standing on my own two feet
I’ll cast on Him my every care
Strong, phenomenal, powerful is now what I become
Risin’ up, overcoming sadness and shame
How must it feel to walk down the sidewalk without fear
Determination, striving to reach my goals
I’m movin’ on, filling my void, and now I’m whole.
I’m risin’ up, risin’ up, risin’ up
Pickin’ myself back up
I’m not gonna fall again, fall again
Pickin’ myself back up
This is my journey, my journey
Letting go of our past
Suffering through our journey
Breaking free at last
We are women of worth
Together we can end modern slavery
I’m risin’ up, risin’ up, risin’ up
Pickin’ myself back up
I’m not gonna fall again, fall again
Pickin’ myself back up
This is my journey, my journey