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"Be who you are - cuz we need you. live your life." We invite all of us to step up and love our children as they are, believe them and work to be the support system for all children to feel safe and loved in their gender identities.

THE STORY
“Live Your Life” was the first song we wrote for the album. We worked with a dear family friend who is trans to begin a letter to him as a 5 year old - and asked, “what would you need to hear to get to where you are today?” This became a throughline question we asked every artist who came into the studio. What this writer showed us was that things aren’t easy, and some things don’t get better. To tell our kids that it will be easy one day is not fair. We can however model and provide true loving support as medicine. It is all of our responsibilities to commit to creating a safer world for trans folks. This song was a beautiful gift to us as artists, and to our youth - whom we sing it to from our hearts. Violinist Shaina Evoniuk was so inspired by the music, she wrote and arranged violin parts without even being asked; she heard the voice was needed. That’s what collaboration and community is about.

lyrics

VERSE 1:
I just gotta be myself
It’s my body and it’s mine to live in
I don’t want to have to toughen up or build a thicker skin
Don’t fight with me about who I am
Fight WITH me FOR who I am.
See me now seein’ how this is real right now better fade the doubt Just believe the me I be and then you’ll see
You hear me then don’t turn me down
So get me listen up,
So get me turn me up
So get me better run yea we gotta keep up
Times up/ flip it up

CHORUS:
Do what it takes to live your truth
Be who you are—cuz we need you
Body heart and mind like humans do
Live your life cuz we need you

CHORUS

BRIDGE:
Somebody protect me
So I know that you get me
Just ride with me
Sea to shining sea
You’ll see
There is no normalcy—like you thought you see
Feel your back against the wall
That’s me
I’mma be here just lean on me
I got you I am you in you I believe
I won’t leave

CHORUS
I deserve the respect love and happiness.

credits

from The Love (GRAMMY​®​-​nominated), released August 8, 2019
CREDITS
Written by Kaitlin McGaw (Letter Kay ASCAP), Tommy Shepherd (Felonious Music ASCAP), Derrick Okoth (All Family No Friends/This All We Got Music BMI), and Anonymous. Produced by D.O. Speaks & Street Symphony. Bridge arranged by Kevin and Geoff McCann, Tommy Shepherd. Additional production by Kevin and Geoff McCann. Vocals produced and arranged by Jeff Kolhede. Strings arranged by Shaina Evoniuk. Lead Vocals: Tommy Shepherd, Kaitlin McGaw. Backing Vocals: Kali de Jesus, Lillian Ellis, Maya Fleming, Tommy Shepherd III. Violin: Shaina Evoniuk. Drums: Tommy Shepherd. Recorded at Zoo Labs, Oakland with engineers: Jeff Kolhede, Geoff McCann, and recorded/engineered by Shaina Evoniuk in her home studio. Created with the support of the Zellerbach Foundation.

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Alphabet Rockers Oakland, California

GRAMMY-winning Alphabet Rockers make music that makes change. Created with young people for all people.

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