1. Well I dreamt I saw the realm of stars It was 1000 away In a strange and familiar place. I saw souls in line for miles and miles They were, waiting their names Called by their wanted place. I saw those eyes, As black as mine. I was running from the corners of heaven I was running past the front of the line I was keeping my lover careful Cause I know I need a little more time. 2. Well I’m a woman good with wanderlust And a ticket for space, take me To any music making place. I’ve no time for bartering sacrifice Or Mother Mary grace No denying this heart of mine. They say, “There’s time…” “You can wait”…. Are you waiting in the corner of heaven? Are you waiting at the front of the line? Are you losing your turn, your patience? Are you waiting for my reply? 3. Off the subway back from Bloor and Jane I was walking past the Village train When I saw a face. That dark familiar gaze. She was dancing like a marionette to a window display, I can’t forget And my heart began to race. My heart began to race. Who’s this child, saying my name? Can I deny this, and post-pone this life away? I’ll come find you in the corner of heaven I’ll come put you at the front of the line I will let my lover be careless Cause I know you’re waiting to be mine. Don’t worry baby! I’m coming baby! All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

It’s no fun this place I’m in. With one word I’m in the spin. With everyone, upside-down and outside-in, Cross eyed, split-tongued and peering in. It cuts my door, My thick and thin. It ignores my sign, ‘No tresspassing!’ So I fake my calm, I smile, I let it in. Entertain the foe, The friend, the kin. Night falls on me The room grows dim, And circles trace My history’s rim. But just when I think I’ve given in I kill The Captor, The Guilt and The Sin. But there’ll be no casket, No Cross no hymn, No reading from the good book Of Magdalene. No Holy water, For this loss or win, For it owns me, It sells me when I’m in the spin. It owns me, It sells me, When I’m in the spin. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

He’s gonna take his mother’s name Things are never gonna be the same He’s gonna stand up to that man He's gonna t ake his place, gonna take a stand Brothers, sisters don’t approve One of his erratic moves Just another debut. He’s gonna be his father’s son Hard to care for anyone Build him a statue of glittering gold He says, “What about me? I’m so all alone!” Give him your love and it’s not enough Give him your life and he’ll rough it up Make that good boy tough. Don’t they make a beautiful pair? Can’t you see them both just standing there? With her long, white gown Spinning round and round There’ll be flowers, and tear drops And love songs and diamonds, Just in case. He’s gonna be a good woman’s man Have the whole world in his hand Stroke her brow with a mother’s touch Break her down so he can be her crutch Hold her high so she can see All that she won’t ever be If she doesn’t break free. Can’t deside to go or stay Can’t remember to blame Are things gonna stay the same Maybe people can really change All the things you must deny To look yourself back in the eye He gonna make you tell lies! It’s the theme of a beautiful life With love and danger intertwined All the blurry lines that once defined Between love, duty, wrong and right. Ridi Pagliaccio Sul tuo amor infranto Ridi del duol Che t’avelena il cor… Father, father be our guide Be our leader be our pride It’s a contorted love affair The more he hurts, the more she cares He won’t kill her in the litteral sense He’ll just scare her half to death… It’s a love-life sentence. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN) (except excerpt from Pagliacci aria, Vesti la giubba by Ruggero Leoncavallo.)

Sown the seeds of delusion Born the bows that conceal Cut off from introspection Now you are what you fear. A gigantic phantom A cameleon of dreams A holy mask of the theatre Gold paint at the seems. I’m a Wild, Wild Animal Spearing through the green, Bolting panicked away from you From what my eye has seen. Make me a promise of folk songs Knit me a spider’s desire Come and stuff me with clover Burn my mouth by the fire Bathe me in honey and sandalwood Heat my legs with your hands Come recite me your stories Build me your character of sand. For I’m a Wild, Wild Animal. Spearing through the green, Bolting panicked away from you From what my eye has seen Fill me with stars and rivers Shooting through a hot heart Should my stay heat your mindset Let my eyes no part For I’m a foolish woman I can see through these lies You invent your own story And I chose to comply Cause I am willing to let you Pay a weak woman’s fees When my wisdom to save myself Falls by desire’s disease I’m Wild…. in the green. Bolting panicked away from you But for nights like these. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

Here I am, Here I am by the scent of your pillow Wondering if, I’ll see you again. There you are, There you are in your old shadow Keeping guard Not to let the light in. What so wrong with being happy? What’s so unrealistic about dreams? Who do you still need to punish? Knock that chip off your shoulder and, make your peace. Here I am On your side of this quiet bed-room, Wondering if I’ll see you again There you are There you are with your coat and your passport Even now you can’t say If you’re out or in. What am I holding on to? It made me so low, How could I cry for you so? You picked up your picture of a Mediterranean bride And you filled up your suitcase, with fragmented pride And you told me, “Wait for me.” And I drove, And I drove, And I drove… Why don’t you show it if you’re sorry? Why don’t you write me and tell me your plan? Why don’t you drop your emergency bullshit? Why don’t you snap out of it – and be my man?! Here I am Here I am by the scent of your pillow Wondering if, I’ll see you again. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

1. On a dock, on a rock in, in a barn, on a farm, in the dirty city looking pretty in a state of charm, It’s extrodinary, nothing about it is ordinary. On a plane, on train, my claim to fame is a game I ache to play, it’s truth and daring, The music’s blaring, it’s extraordinary! I believe, I see the lining Silver, bright and blinding: One, two, three four, that must be luck at my door. In my mind, on my tongue, I’m the one and so I strum: La di da di da, la di da di da… Suddenly you can’t unwind for clarity or peace of mind, to lay the chords and the rhyme you hold your hands and watch the time. The girl who knew all the songs on the radio, and knew all the places to go, now sits home watching reality shows waiting for love to knock on the door. CHORUS God bless the foolish and the good. They don’t bight back like they should. Giving up the upper hand, trying to be the better man, 'til they lose their step and foot. Bless the fool and bless the good. 2. In a car, in a bar, on a stage you’ll be amazed, anyone can see she’s a trail ablaze, singing Smokey and Marvin, Joni, Jimi and Janis Joplin. Above the pit, above the choir, above the timpani and the lyre, above the double basses and velvet spaces, singing Leonora, Cio Cio San and Fedora. "Change your course! Drop that horse! I’m warning you, don’t be a fool!" All the talk, all the droll, for the straight, the swing and the rock ‘n roll… Suddenly you can’t align the stars that are and are not mine to chose the road the fork divides you hold your head and watch the time. The girl who sang all the songs on the radio and knew how to work the dance floor, now sits home watching cooking shows, waiting for luck to knock-knock on the door. CHORUS God help the foolish and the good! They don’t fight back like they should. Giving up the upper hand trying to be the better man 'til they lose their step and foot... Help the fool and help the... ...wise, my love. You can realize if you just try, my love. If you can't abide you can surprise, my love. Surprise, my lovely one… 3. In my eve and in my dawn, in my quiet and in my calm I reorganize, alchemize, hypothesize. Don’t get mad, don’t be upset, don’t fall behind, don’t get ahead. Deny, deny. Deny, deny and close your eyes. Loyal to the fair, Loyal to the foe, Loyal to the dead and the growing old, Loyal to the badger and to the crow, And Loyal to the big Bravo. Now she’s the girl with the songs on the radio And the new dance craze on the disco floor And the #1 guest on the Letterman show She’s your None Hit Wonder un-Pop Hero! CHORUS God damn that stupid would and could! Man that stuff can get you good! Giving up the upper hand trying to be the bigger man 'til you lose your stride and foot... Who’s the fool and who’s the good? All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

The piano was coming today Coming to grace my living room stage The boys were ready for the turn In the stairwell of narrow turn. March, April and May Waiting for that mahogany case How could the lid be closed so fast? For an old lady that came to bust my ass. She said, “You can’t play in the day, and You can’t play at night. We’ve got night shifters and day shifters And we’ve all got a right.” Someday, I’m gonna have my say. It’s no fun, This place I’m in, With house coat ladies under my skin. With peeling eyes and ears for pins, And seething is the sin I’m spinning in. The piano was coming today Coming to grace my apartment space. The boys were young and eager to learn In the stairwell of narrow turn. March, April, May and June, Listening to that foul baffoon, God I hope I’m outa here soon, With his rhyming off his Landlord’s tune. No parties no pets no smokers no rundowns. No singing No stomping No fighting after Sundown. No babies No laughing No loving out Too loud. No dancing No playing No pianos In this house. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

Rain streems down my window Has my face coloured on it. White, like my nails, with clouds Floating on them. It’s cold, in a warm way and I wish you were here with me Wrapped in a blanket. We’d watch their music splatter On their pavement On my pillow, Some hot, pocket… Outside The faces drip with maddness and with “Get me outa here…(and) Out of my way you crazy kids!” I’d like to take a walk with you in the rain No umbrella. I’d like to sit and say nothing with you in the rain In a bank shelter. Look, there’s a rainbow within and in its peace There is splendor. I’d like to tak a walk with you in the rain, No umbrella. In the rain, No umbrella. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)

With one shoulder hiked up around my neck My legs turned against the warm television set A man sits in the corner of his little mansion And he doesn’t know the damage of his philosophy’s expansion but No one here can help me or judge me in my finding They’re just here to close me closer, and celebrate my dying. So I sit in my little room where I’ve made my little study And I write and listen all day to find my inner harmony But here one lives by static, as it tries to undermine you It says, “That’s not what life is like!” as opinions override you So you try to pace your answers ‘cause you don’t want to fight You may not know what life is, but you know what it’s like. So I close myself in closer to my innards inner warning I enchant the evening and I pacify the morning And I knock my friends off, in their dreams of softer voyage Who pump me like a life raft and mount me to keep buoyant They can’t bear to see the might sharp, refined nor underdressed They can’t clean up their own acts, but they won’t accept your mess. So, I close myself in closer to my books, guitar and pen, I sing for a freedom I was closer to back then But I can’t resist this storm of theories and abstractions That explain my delinquencies and excuse my reactions So that one day when I look behind to judge this woman’s choices I’ll measure them by the heed of these navigating voices. But “All is better done than said”, a wiser one said to me. “Organize your thoughts. Develop by degrees.” So I work to stupify my curious and fickle ways That’ll build a testament to these ‘new and improved’ days Cause, all is better done than said, and so this end must serve, I must put my thoughts to test and at best, amend these useless words. Time for change. Time for change. So hard to change, But I don’t want to stay the same. Don’t want to change. So hard to change But I cannot stay the same. All Lyrics and Music by Romina Di Gasbarro © 2010 Romina Di Gasbarro (SOCAN)