Joyful Girl

Joyful Girl by Ani Difranco

I do it for the joy it bringsbecause I'm a joyful girl 

because the world owes me nothing
and we owe each other the world
I do it because it's the least I can do
I do it because I learned it from you
I do it just because I want to
because I want to

everything I do is judged
and they mostly get it wrong
but oh well
'cuz the bathroom mirror has not budged
and the woman who lives there can tell
the truth from the stuff that they say
and she looks me in the eye
and says would you prefer the easy way?
no, well o.k. then
don't cry

and I wonder if everything I do
I do instead
of something I want to do more
the question fills my head
I know that there's no grand plan here
this is just the way it goes
and when everything else seems unclear
I guess at least I knowI do it for the joy it brings...

I have JOY tattooed on the back of my neck.
I've always found this song really speaks to me on a level that no other song has.


I like to think that it relates easily to my veganism as well. "I do it cause it's the least I can do"
I can do ASL to half of this song. It's a slow song, but I still can't manage to keep up.
Actually, that's not totally accurate. It's more Signed Exact English than American Sign Language. I learned some SEE in elementary school watching the interpreters.

I use ASLPro.com for a lot of the words. Just in the last two years I've learned that they are different ways of signing. SEE is more word-for-word, and ASL slangs up English and grammatical order doesn't seem to matter much. That's my general understanding. I plan to take an ASL class this year. We will see what level I'm at, and if I've been doing things horribly wrong. I'd like to think I haven't been brutalizing the language.

I would also like to mention(in case I haven't before): I adore Ani Difranco's work!
My good friend, Patrick, introduced her music to me in grade 12. He was driving me home from some extra-curricular activity(could have been vocal jazz, mural club, drama-something, etc-can't recall now), and he played 'Untouchable Face' on his stereo. It was magical.
Ten plus years later, I have 25 of her albums(there's more), and I've seen her play live 5 times. Once in Calgary, Alberta, once in Regina, Saskatchewan, once in Morristown, New Jersey(we just happened to both be in Morristown), once in Winnipeg, Manitoba and most recently in Edmonton, Alberta.
I think I'd like to see all of Canada going to her shows. She's that good! Never been disappointed!