Tag Archives: Jo-Hanna Read

songwriter

Not Just About Bathrooms

Tune (roughly): The Man on the Flying Trapeze

By Vicky Ryder and Jo-Hanna Read

They lie through their teeth with the greatest of ease, Those bigots who’d bring us all down to our knees; We’ve got to say no to their crap, don’t you see. It’s not just about bathrooms, we know!

They keep coming back with these onerous laws, We won’t let their hatefulness stick in our craws: Making up stories ‘bout rape in the john… It’s not just about bathrooms, we know!

They always keep pushing, they always ban more. Trans athletes, drag shows, and books by the score. They keep coming back with their hate we deplore. It’s not just about bathrooms, we know!

We’re raising our voices, hear what we say: All gender identities are more than OK.  We support and protect in all possible ways. It’s not just about bathrooms we know!

Can you tell me why people can’t see Everyone has a right to their own private pee Without having to prove their “legitimacy.” It’s not just about bathrooms, we know!

Hey Look Us Over

Tune: Hey Look Me Over
Lyrics: Cindy Jackson, Elizabeth Dequine, Jo-Hanna Read, Nel Mascall
Seattle Raging Grannies

Hey look us over,
Give us a whirl,
Like a four-leaf clover
We brighten the world!

Don’t pass us up, folks,
Come sing along!
Whenever you’re feeling down and out
Join us in a song.

You’ll feel like a rosebud
Blooming on the vine.
We know things are tough now,
It’s time to speak your mind!

We’re a little bit out of tune, we know
Your voice will fit just fine.
So look out world,
Here we come!

Tiny Houses

Tune: Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds
By Jo-Hanna Read

Tiny houses give us shelter,
Tiny houses strong and beautiful!
Tiny houses give us shelter,
They keep us dry and warm.
There’s a green one and a pink one,
And a blue one and a yellow one.
And they all are strong and beautiful
And we call them home.

And the people in the houses
Have all known such adversity.
We all need to have houses,
Tiny houses are a start.
We are workers and parents
Who struggle to make ends meet,
And we all need to have houses
That we can call home.

Evry person in this city
Should have shelter to keep us dry,
To protect us and our children
From the storms that life brings.
So we celebrate tiny houses
As a step in the right dir-e-ection.
Tiny houses built so lovingly
And we call them home!

Stop, Listen

Tune: For What It’s Worth by the Buffalo Springfield
By: Jo-Hanna Read

there’s something happening here
look around you it’s coming clear
we see young people everywhere
tellin’ us that we need to care

it’s time to stop // listen, what’s that sound?
listen to the young folks gather round

there’s so much change in the air
sometimes more than we think we can bear
young people speaking their minds
building so much resistance all the time

it’s time we stop // listen, what’s that sound?
listen to the young folks, gather round

what a time for us to meet
all the young people in the street
singin’ songs and carrying signs
we need to be there at their side

it’s time we stop // listen, what’s that sound?
listen to the young folks, gather round

so many issues strike deep
so many promises to keep
we want to let young people know we are here
to back you up in your vision so clear

we better stop // listen, what’s that sound?
listen to the young folks, gather round

stop, listen, what’s that sound?
listen to the young folks, gather

Now You Pissed Off Grandma

Piedmont Raging Grannies & Jo-Hanna Read
Tune: Billy Boy

We were angry when you raised all those taxes on the poor
We were outraged when you authorized those pipelines
Infrastructure’s gone to pot
Our grandkids getting shot
So we’re raging – cause now you’ve pissed off grandma.

You gerrymandered our elections and it’s harder now to vote
You rob women of their right to family planning.
Gay or straight or trans or poor
We’re worse off now than we were
You’ve ignored us so now you’ve pissed off grandma!

Social security’s in danger, Medicaid and Medicare.
Folks are dying every day for lack of health care.
Prisoners are locked in cages
Workers can’t get living wages
This is cruel – and you’ve really pissed off grandma.

You are stealing public taxes to support those private schools.
And you’re banning books and teaching whitewashed hist’ry.
With our teachers unsupported
And more immigrants deported
Feel our wrath, you’ve truly pissed off grandmas.

We see fat cats getting richer on the spoils of your wars.
You build bombs and drones while kids can’t get school lunches.
We say stop your racists wars
And start listening to the poor
Wake up, cause now you’ve pissed off grandma.

We’ve heard you claim you’re pious Christians as self-righteous as can be,
While our vet’rans sleep homeless on our sidewalks.
And while folks are going broke
You’re concerned about who’s woke!
You’re hypocrites and now you’ve pissed off grandma.

But we grannies have grown wise to your greed and to your lies,
And we know wrong from right and right from wrong.
We’ll keep singing through our pain
With the Poor Peoples’ Campaign
And throw you out cause you’ve really pissed off grandma!

Speak: And now we’re REALLY pissed off grandmas!

Here Comes Donald Trump

Tune: Here Comes Santa Claus
By Jo-Hanna Read

Here comes Donald Trump, here comes Donald Trump,
he thinks he’ll have his way.
He’s our present White House resident,
so what can we say?
Throwing tantrums, tweeting nonsense, every bloody night.
So let’s look for choices and use our voices to tell him he’s not right!

Here comes Donald Trump, here comes Donald Trump.
Mar a Lago bound.
Down on immigration across the nation,
except on his home ground.
Black Lives Matter is useless patter as far as he’s concerned.
And climate changes present no dangers ’cause he is safe and warm.

Then there’s Mike Pence, our vice president.
Republicans like him fine.
No one notices how he makes sure
the Senate toes the line.
Banon’s puppets, they all disrupt us and push their pathetic worldview.
Capitalism is their only vision, and the common folks be screwed.
Here comes Donald Trump, here comes Donald Trump,
women, watch your rears!
If you cross him he will call you
names that burn our ears!
If he meets you, he will squeeze you in.a manner most dire.
If you speak out he will tweet out that you are just a liar!

Here comes Donald Trump, here comes Donald Trump,
let’s look at the bright side.
People are speaking out, voters are freaking out,
around our nation wide.
Maybe he will energize us to come up with something new.
To come together to save our country from rule by the very few.

Speak: Time to impeach!

Everywhere

Tune: Over There
Lyrics: Jo-Hanna Read

Everywhere. Everywhere.
There are feds
In the streets
Everywhere.
They’re all wearing camo,
With tons of ammo
Shooting people,
Gassing up the air.

Everywhere. Everywhere.
Throw a man
In a van
Take him where?
They think they can scare us
With their fascist tactics
We are showing them
We don’t scare
Everywhere.

Don’t Go Back to the Way We Were

Tune: Beatles’ Back in the U.S.S.R. Lyrics: Jo-Hanna Read.

[Verse 1]
Sit in my apartment on a Friday night
Thinking of these COVID blues
Wondrin’ if the world can ever come out right
Can we take this chance to choose?

[Hook]
Don’t go back to the way we were
Now’s our chance for a whole new start, folks
Don’t go back to the way we were (yeah)

[Verse 2]
Been at home so long, we hardly drove our cars
Gee, it’s good to see the sky
Even see the Milky Way and all those stars
It’s enough to make you sigh

[Hook]
Don’t go back to the way we were
Now’s our chance for a whole new start, folks
Don’t go back to the way we were (yeah)

{Verse 3]
Open up the prisons, let the people out.
Find a way to feed the poor.
Medicare for all, it should be all about.
Black lives matter, kill no more!

[Hook]
Don’t go back to the way we were
Now’s our chance for a whole new start, folks
Don’t go back to the way we were (yeah)

[Bridge]
Well, that virus came and really knocked us out
Opened up our eyes
Killed the poor, the weak, the old, a rout
And brought our country too its knee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-ees
Oh, come on!

[Hook]
Don’t go back to the way we were
Now’s our chance for a whole new start, folks
Don’t go back to the way
Don’t go back to the way
Don’t go back to the way
Don’t go back to the way we were.

Cheer for Choice

Tune: The Fish Cheer by Country Joe and the Fish Lyrics by Jo-Hanna Read

[Verse 1]
Yeah, come on all you Republicans
Tryin’ to help women again
You’re sure they won’t do what’s best
With a positive pregnancy test
So it’s full speed ahead, the agenda is set,
To impose all the bans you can get!

[Chorus]
And it’s 1, 2, 3
What are we fighting for?
You know my body’s my own
Why can’t you leave it alone?

And it’s 5, 6, 7
Don’t regulate my pearly gates
Ain’t it time to hear my voice
Listen up!
We need a choice!

[Verse 2]
Come on politicians moving fast
Your big chance has come at last!
Supreme Court didn’t hesitate
To pull the plug on Roe v. Wade.
Doesn’t matter what a woman needs
Gotta protect those seeds!

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Well, come on people throughout the land
Come on with us and make a stand
Register and get out the vote
Elect officials who are righteous folk!
Everyone’s body should be their own.
Why can’t they leave us alone?

[Chorus]

Won’t Know Much

Tune: Wonderful World by Sam Cooke
Lyrics: Jo-Hanna Read

You won’t know much about history
Only the parts we want you to see!
You won’t know much about literature
We’re here to make sure that you stay “pure”
We’ll keep a watch out for ideas “woke”
Ban most of history with one stroke
What a wonderful world this will be!

You won’t know much about geography.
There’s nothin’ much out there for you to see.
You won’t know much about science books.
Logical thinking is a commie hook.
The hist’ry they’ve been teaching is a joke.
We know the slaves were very happy folk.
What a wonderful world this will be!

Bridge: You don’t need to be an “A” student.
Don’t try to be.
Ignore ideas that make you sad, baby,
Happy ignorance will make you free!

We’ll teach our chi-il-dren how to be
Straight-laced Americans, white and free.
Don’t let them think about the other folk,
Who disagree with us, they’re all too “woke”!
Just trust that we know what’s best for all.
Nobody else can ever make the call.
What a wonderful world this will be!

There Goes 45 

THERE GOES 45
•	Tune: Here Comes Santa Claus
•	By Jo-Hanna Read

There goes 45, there goes 45,             
We’ve sent him on his way.
Lost the election, 
Tried for exception,  
He’s out of here we say!
Filing lawsuits, leaning on officials, 
Spreading all of his lies.
He lost the election, 
His pathetic reaction 
Is pretend there’s still a fight.

There goes 45, there goes 45, 
He’s trashed so many things.
Packed all the courts with 
Right wing zealots,
Including the Supremes.
Trashed protections for earth’s environment, 
Immigrants, so many wrongs.
Tried to eliminate 
Affordable Care Act, 
While Covid rages on.

There goes 45, there goes 45, 
Doing all he can
To trash our country, 
Put millions in poverty,
Seems to be his plan.
People are dying, our nation is crying, 
The pandemic threat is clear,
Economy hurting, 
Yet he keeps blurting 
That a vaccine is almost here.

Goodbye 45, we’re done with 45, 
You need to move your rear
Out of the White House, 
Off of the premises
The people’s voice is clear.
Stop your whining, stop your tweeting, 
Get your ass in gear.
Start the transition, 
Stop your pissin’,
A new administration is here.

AND ABOUT TIME!

Gaggle Black Lives Matter

By Jo-Hanna Read

Oh, we’re a gaggle of Grannies
Urging you off of your fannies.
rise up and say “no”
To facism’s toll
BLACK LIVES MATTER!!

Police misconduct unending,
The constitution you’re bending.
When you shoot to kill
Does it give you a thrill?
BLACK LIVES MATTER!

We must find the will
To abolish systems that kill
People based on their race.
Give racism no place.
Black Lives Matter!

Being anti-racist
Means working to undo
The centuries of oppression
That so many have lived through.

So join this gaggle of Grannies,
Get up off of your fannies
We’re telling you now
We’re angry and how
End racism now!

We really mean it! End racism now!

We really mean it! Black Lives Matter !

We really men it! End racism now!

Black Lives Matter

Climate Change Is Here

Tune: My Boyfriend’s Back
By Jo-Hanna Read
 
Spoken (maybe with “oohs” in the background):
We thought if we just shut our eyes
The problem would go away.
But when that didn’t work, we realized
The problem is here to stay.

Sung:
Climate change is here and we’re already in trouble
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)
Now we see it happ’nin’, gotta fix it on the double
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)

They been spreading lies that it isn’t true
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)
That climate fluctuations are nothing new
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)

Hey- the oceans keep on risin’
And, we’re fin’ly realizin’

Those carbon emissions are filling the air
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)
Causing destruction everywhere
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)

With so many creatures dyin’
Don’t you think we should be tryin’?

It’s time to say we don’t believe deniers’ lies
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)
To save the planet now we got to organize!
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)
(Hey-la, hey-la, climate change is here)

Yell: Hey, everyone, climate change is here now!

15 Now

Tune: Sixteen Tons
By Jo-Hanna Read

Chorus:
Work for minimum wage and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
The poverty level is more than you earn.
While the company bosses have money to burn!

You work hard for all your life.
And so do your children, your husband or wife.
You wait on tables, you sweep the floor.
No matter how hard ya work, you’re poorer than poor

Chorus

We say 15 Now is the way to go.
We need it right now, no need to go slow.
Deducting tips and benefits will not do!
If you think that’s fair, you don’t have a clue.

Chorus

Big business is worried that we’ll get this through,
So they started OneSeattle with their big business crew.
Now they’re gettin’ small businesses to front their lines
With misinformation and downright lies.

Work for min’mum wage and what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
The poverty level is more than you earn.
While the company bosses have money to burn!

Guantanomo

  • by Jo-Hanna Read
    tune: All of Me

Guantanamo, You’ve taken all of me,
Now I see, I’ll be here forever.
Take my pride, You’ve made me lose it.
Take my soul, You just abuse it.
In a cage I’m left with only rage,
How can I even go on living?
You tore apart my soul and my heart
And left me in Guantanamo!!!

Time has passed, Like in a looking glass,
All my hope, has faded completely.
Eleven years, And I’m still counting.
I protest, And you force feed me.
In a cage I’m left with only rage
How can I even go on living?
You tore apart my soul and my heart
And left me in Guantanamo!!

You Don’t Own Me

  • by Jo-Hanna Read
  • tune: by Lesley Gore

You don’t own me,
You can’t treat me like I’m a toy.
You don’t own me,
You can’t take away all my joy.

And don’t tell me what to do
Don’t tell me what to say
Don’t sell my life away
And don’t make a slave of me!

You don’t own me,
Don’t take my autonomy.
You don’t own me,
I need to be free to be me.

So, don’t tell me what to say.
Don’t tell me what to do.
Don’t take my liberty!
That’s all I ask of you.

I’m strong and I love to be strong.
I’m free and I need to be free
To live my life the way I want
Not a life of slavery.

So- don’t tell me what to do
Don’t tell me what to say
And let me be free to live
In my own special way.

You don’t own me….

We’re Watching, Obama

  • by Jo-Hanna Read
  • tune “She Loves You”, Beatles

We’re watching, O-ba-ma,
We’re waiting, O-ba-ma,
We’re hoping O-ba-a-ma.

Although we wanted you,
We weren’t sure you could win,
Until John lost his mind
And selected Pa-a-lin.

Now we’re watching,
And you know that can’t be bad.
We’re waiting,
And we hope you make us glad.

So now you’ve got the job
You’ve got to move with haste
There’s so much you must do
To clean up Bush’s waste.

Because we’re watching,
And you know that can’t be bad.
We’re hoping,
And you know you should be glad.

It was a mighty fight
To get you to this place.
Now get your ass in gear
And put some change in place.

Because we’re watching, O-ba-ma,
And we’re waiting, O-ba-ma,
With the hope we have,
Just don’t let us down.

Taking Care

  • by Sue Kay, Jeanne Lorimer, Jo-Hanna Read, Rita Selin 
  • tune Favorite Things

Red wine and choc’lates and salmon and kiwis,
Water aerobics and laughter if you please,
Walking and talking and sharing with friends,
These are a few of our favorite things.

When the wind blows wear your warm clothes.
Keep your powder dry.
Remember your vegetables and the red wine—
And only one piece of pie!

Crosswords and pinochle, bridge and sudoku,
Keep your mind nimble and it will see you through.
Tangles of memory lost by the way—
Where will you be at the end of the day?

Don’t like walkers, don’t like four-prongs,
Can we take a bus?
If you do all of our favorite things,
Then you’ll look good—like us!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

  • by Jo-Hanna Read
  • (a la Aretha Franklin) 
  • Solo with background group, which sings chorus and parts in ( )

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Listen up, AIG.

We gave you (oo oo)
So much money (oo oo)
And then you did (oo oo)
Something funny. (oo oo)
All we’re asking (all we’re askin’)
Is a little respect. (just a little bit)
No more bonuses (just a little bit)
Just a little respect. (oh, yeah)
From you.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Listen up, Dick Cheney.

We thought we got you (oo oo)
Out of our hair (oo oo)
Then we turn on the TV (oo oo)
And see you there. (oo oo)
There’s no way we’ll give you (no way)
Any respect. (no way)
Never, never, (no way)
We got no respect (no way)
For you.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Obama, we hope you see.

We’ve given you (oo oo)
All of our hope (oo oo)
And all we’re askin’ (oo oo)
Is do your work right (oo oo)
Give us some jobs (oh, yes)
And some self respect (just a little bit)
Oh, yeah (just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
No more war economy

Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me,
sock it to me)
A little respect (sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me)
Whoa, babe (just a little bit)
Just a little respect (just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
OH YEAH!

Hinda

  • by Jo-Hanna Read
  • tune: Bicycle Built for Two

Hinda, Hinda,
What are we gonna do?
It’s your birthday,
Here is a toast to you.
You don’t have a lot of patience
For vacuous celebrations,
What we want to do
Is honor you,
But what can we rhyme with “feisty”?

Heard It Through the Pope-vine

  • By Jo-Hanna Read with a little help from her friends
  • tune: “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”
  • lead singer(s) plus background singers (the latter in italics)

Ooh, you try to be true to your creed
Help others in their time of need.
You took a vow of poverty
Left your home and family.
The Church you pro-mised to obey
But we found out yesterday
Don’t you know that..

Chorus:

  • We heard it through the Pope-vine,
    You nuns have got to get in line.
    We heard it through the Pope-vine,
    You women must have lost your minds.
    Honey, honey, yeah.

Heard it through the Pope-vine
You nuns have got to get in line
Ooh, ooh, ooh

The Leadership Con-fer-ence
Of Women Re-li-gi-ous
Who would have ever made a guess
You’re radical feminists?
We need to pull you back from sin
And we’ve got just the men
To do it, ’cause

Chorus

background chorus

You women have lost the path
Of patriarchy and God’s wrath
You put too much priority
On health and social equity
The pope knows what is best
To lay your sins to rest.
Don’t you know that

Chorus

background chorus

Suggested intro:
There’s a war on women they won’t win,
Popes, conservatives, congressmen.
Our patience wearing very thin.
We won’t rely on as-pir-in.
This war has got to end!

Beatles Medley

  • by Jo-Hanna Read

Long Hard Fight

  • tune: Hard Day’s Night

It’s been a long hard fight
For women standing against war.
It’s been a long hard fight
But we keep coming back for more.

And we know that we do
Our best to make it come true
We want a world at peace.
We want a world at peace.

Hey Grans

  • tune: Hey Jude

Hey grans, don’t be afraid.
You were made to go out and sing loud.
The minute you let things under your skin,
Then you begin to make us proud.

And anytime you feel the pain, hey grans, explain,
We all have the world upon our shoulders.
For well you know that it’s the time to find a rhyme
And belt it out a whole lot bolder.

All You Need Is Rage

  • tune: All You Need Is Love

All you need is rage, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh,
All you need is rage, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh,
All you need is rage, rage, lovely granny rage.

All you need is rage, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh,
All you need is rage, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh,
All you need is rage, rage, lovely granny rage,
Lovely granny rage, lovely granny rage.

We Love You

  • tune: She Loves You

We love you, grans, grans, grans
We love you, grans, grans, grans
We love you, grans, grans, grans, grans.

We all know granny love,
Is the best that we can fi-i-ind.
If we only knew the tune
And our glasses we could fi-i-ind.

We’d  sing some satire
And you know that can’t be bad.
We’d sock it to you
And you know you would be glad.

We love you, grans, grans, grans
We love you, grans, grans, grans
We love you, grans, grans, grans, grans.