Stay Sweet(click to listen)

Featuring the New Americans

VC: lead and harmony vocals, Mosrite acoustic, Turner Renaissance guitar, Fender Strat, Fender Precision bass, Yamaha CS1 synth (accordion & worlitzer), drum programming; Anglea Hessler: violin and harmony vocals, Mike Grow: mandolin; Rafael Pozos: standup bass

The Story

Another from the spring of 2006 and featuring the original New Americans. I wrote this for the group of kids from Room 28 at Searles Elementary that stayed with my for two years from 4th to 5th grade. They were a great bunch that I grew very attached to. As the last year ended and I realized they would soon leave me, I wrote this for them as they readied for middle school. This goes out to my "R" girls Raquel & Rosario as well as to Karina who has forgotten me already. I also thought of my soon to be five-year-old niece who will go through this same transition in years to come. I know any parent of girls knows what I'm talking about and for one who has seen so many girls come of age in my long teaching career, it's really sad to see them change as they become teenagers. You're never to old to be sweet!

Shades of the skin, colors of the tongue
Mean so little in the minds of the young
A friend is a friend, no matter where you’re from
My darlings know, one & one’s a sure sum

And as you grow
As the years twist and bend
The winds of change may blow
The meanness you can’t comprehend

From the dirt and the grime and the coldness of the street
Stay sweet!

I refuse to believe you must be mean to survive
All the locker room chatter, all that gossip and jive
Those teen years are tough, you’ve got to have a thick skin
But you don’t have to change what you are deep within

And as you grow
As the years twist and turn
You’ll be tossed to and fro
I just want you to learn

Don’t bow to peer pressure, don’t give in to defeat
Stay sweet!!

Stay sweet…
Stay true to your heart
Stay sweet…
Don’t let it tear you apart
Stay sweet…
Like you’ve always been
And when you're grown up, I’ll remember you when

Shades of the skin...…

VC
4/8/06

New Americans Mix

Vince Charming....Neo-Americana music for the New Millennium All contents copyright 2008 Charming Productions