I don’t know why I am fascinated by the name Josephine.
It was my maternal grandma’s name.
I remember I featured a drag queen in the first play I directed where ‘Joe’ becomes ‘Josephine’ and does a lip sync number, way back in 2000. My grandma was there watching, and although I suspect she already had (undiagnosed yet) Alzheimer’s, she was actually all smiles and loved the idea (my grandma was quite open-minded I have to say).
I remember being fascinated by Josephine Baker.
I remember liking the story of Josephine Bonaparte, not because she was am empress but because she was very much into the arts.
But I feel that with such a grand name must come grand tragedies.
A lot of pain maybe.
So when I wrote the following song, and while having a lot of female figures in my mind to write about; women who always have to put others before themselves; women who have to be the strong ones holding their entourage, their families, because the men just cannot hold it, cannot take it; women who carry their whole ancestry’s burden; women who have to endure so many inequalities while actually being the stronger sex... the first name that popped in my head was Josephine.
Maybe I was also inspired by Tori Amos’ ‘Josephine’ (‘not tonight Josephine’, always being held back…).
Here’s to these women,
Here’s to all the ‘Josephines’ out there,
May you all dance freely.
Oh Josephine:
Oh Josephine,
Dancing in the free area of your mind
Holding down the fire,
holding down the fort
Have you taken a breath lately?
Have you given yourself permission?
That light you kept inside is dying
It tried to come out
It tried to come out
Oh Josephine,
Smiling but who are you fooling,
Only yourself,
Only if you laugh
Have you forgiven them already?
Oh, but you’re only a woman
The light you kept inside is dying
Silently screaming
Why aren’t you screaming?
Oh Josephine,
Tell me you will come out and dance
Ignite your veins
Light up your scars
Bask in the glow, and be free
you’re a goddess, royalty, a woman
nothing to revisit, nothing to repair
but your own worth and a bit of love to spare
no one to save anymore
but yourself
the light you kept inside is dying
drop your misplaced defenses
let them rip your dresses
the light you kept inside is waving
let it out, let it out
let it out Josephine
