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Raise the Roof

by David Michael King

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Written for the first annual “Sleep in for the Homeless,” held in 2008 on the steps of Pittsburgh’s City-County Building. The event is organized by Community Human Services Corp. The song has been performed at each "Sleep-In" since then.

lyrics

LYRICS

Marta is a single mom
With three kids of her own
Working hard to pay the bills
Provide a decent home
Health insurance rises
Can’t afford her share
Hoping to get by with luck
And a little prayer
When her youngest one got sick
The debts kept climbing high
Now they’re living in a car
Her children ask her “why”

It’s time we Raise the Roof
A roof above their heads
Raise the Roof
For Marta and her kids
Safe housing, now’s the time
We leave no child behind
We keep our promise to our kids
Let’s shout out loud
Stand up tall
From the streets
To city hall
Raise the Roof

Leon is a veteran
Served his country well
Full of hope when he came home
Working in the mills
Soon the mills were shutting down
Couldn’t make ends meet
Boxes on an old park bench
Is where he falls asleep
Now his mind does funny things
You wouldn’t recognize
The man who came home
With hope in his eyes

It’s time we Raise the Roof
A roof above their heads
Raise the Roof
For Leon and his friends
In a land with millionaires
No one should sleep on the stairs
That’s the real crime
Let’s shout out loud
Stand up tall
From the streets
To city hall
Raise the Roof.

We won’t quit
We won’t turn back
Our need for change is real
We are the City
Of Champions
We are forged of steel.

Sarah lives in South Oakland
She has no heat, no phone
Still she’s glad to have a job
A place that she calls home
Times are tough, sometimes it’s hard
To buy enough to eat
She knows she’s only one paycheck
From living on the streets

It’s time we Raise the Roof
Refuse to live this way
Raise the Roof
We will have our say
If not us, who will it be
If not now, when will we see
Justice for our families
Let’s shout out loud
Stand up tall
From the streets
To city hall
Raise the Roof.

credits

released October 15, 2008
David Michael King guitar and vocals
Gil Bigenho, Jr. violin and vocals
Keith Swan bass)

Recorded at Wilkin Audio

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all rights reserved

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David Michael King Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

David Michael King wrote music and lyrics for two 15-minute musicals: "Take Me," with book by Maureen McGranaghan and "One Night," with book by Zhiwei Ma. He has had musical theater pieces performed in Hot Metal Musicals. His singer-songwriter tunes can be heard on "Love and Other Punchlines" and other recordings. Performances include playing with Pete Seeger and opening for The Subdudes. ... more

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