(Song title from Sarah Vaughan’s catalogue,
by Walter Gross and Jack Lawrence)

Tenderly and soothingly,
I lay my head to rest,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I wish you all my best,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I put my pen away,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I kneel on down to pray,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I listen to the songs,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I know where I belong,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I look up to the sky,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I close my eyes and fly,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I dream so tenderly,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I invent history,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I sing my lullaby,
Tenderly and soothingly,
I bid you all goodbye.

(Song title from Anita Baker’s catalogue,
by Anita Baker, Louis A. Johnson & Gary Bias)

Alone in my cave I dream,
I dream of the things I miss,
My friendships, my family,
My sweet love, my life,
I miss her arms and miss her face,
I miss her legs and miss her embrace,
I miss her smell and miss her kiss,
I miss her when I reminisce.

(Song title from Al Jolson’s catalogue,
by George and Ira Gershwin)

The river of my heart is wider than the Swanee,
Deeper than the Atlantic Ocean I run,
But I cannot find a boat to sail me to the answers,
The answers to the questions,
The answers I need to hear the most.

(Song title from Ella Fitzgerald’s catalogue,
by G. & I. Gershwin and D. Heyward)

Bright, glorious sunshine pours in,
Seeping through my blind,
It’s always a joy to watch summertime begin,
And explore the shadows I find,
The colours of the garden shimmer,
And the sky ripples like diamond blue seas,
The butterflies swoop and slide and glimmer,
And my breath is taken by the gentle breeze.

(Song title from Nina Simone’s catalogue,
by Donaldson and Kahn)

The man works hard all day,
Works until his work is done,
Hurries home into the arms of his wife,
The love of his life,
They laugh and they smile,
Rest together for a while,
And she exclaims contentedly,
“My baby just cares for me”.

(Song title from Dinah Washington’s catalogue,
by Coward)

I’m mad about the boy who wrapped me,
Wrapped me round his finger,
He pulls the string and I come,
He knows I’ll continue to linger.

He says he loves the girl he’s dating,
He’s dating her to conceal the truth,
It hurts to be loved and tossed aside,
Aside to the wings; kept waiting.

I’m mad about the boy who hurts me,
Hurts me with his control,
Barks his order – I obey,
Allow the destruction of my soul.

(Song title from Cassandra Wilson’s catalogue,
by Cassandra Wilson)

Leave me,
Chill me,
Break free of me,
That would be injustice,
Lock me,
Chain me,
Bind me to you,
That would be justice.