Don't Laugh at Me

[Sapphire Blue]

DON'T LAUGH AT ME
(Steve Seskin/Allen Shamblin)

I'm a little boy with glasses
The one they call a geek
A little girl who never smiles
'Cause I have braces on my teeth
And I know how it feels to cry myself to sleep
I'm that kid on every playground
Who's always chosen last
A single teenage mother
Tryin' to overcome my past
You don't have to be my friend
But is it too much to ask

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

I'm the beggar on the corner
You've passed me on the street
And I wouldn't be out here beggin'
If I had enough to eat
And don't think I don't notice
That our eyes never meet

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm short, I'm tall
I'm deaf, I'm blind, yes, I think in a way, we’re all
I’m black, I’m white and I am brown
I’m Christian, I’m Jewish, and I am Muslim
I’m gay, I’m lesbian, I’m American Indian
I’m very, very young, I’m quite aged
I’m very wealthy, I’m very, very poor

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

My country ‘tis of thee
Oh, sweet land of liberty
It is of thee that I sing

http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/music/f-22-11.htm

This is from Robert Fulghum's book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten...

In the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific some villagers practice a unique form of logging. If a tree is too large to be felled with an ax, the natives cut it down by yelling at it. (Can't lay my hands on the article, but I swear I read it.) Woodsmen with special powers creep up on a tree just at dawn and suddenly scream at it at the top of their lungs. They continue this for thirty days. The tree dies and falls over. The theory is that the hollering kills the spirit of the tree. According to the villagers, it always works.

Ah, those poor naive innocents. Such quaintly charming habits of the jungle. Screaming at trees, indeed. How primitive. Too bad they don't have the advantages of modern technology and the scientific mind.

Me? I yell at my wife. And yell at the telephone and the lawnmower. And yell at the TV and the newspaper and my children. I've even been known to shake my fist and yell at the sky at times.

(snip)

Don't know what good it does. Machines and things just sit there. Even kicking doesn't always help. As for people, well, the Solomon Islanders may have a point. Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts...

[Lindacooks]

1. Simply beautiful. Thank you.

K&R

[MaryRN]

2. Thanks..

I've seen PP & M do this several times. It brings me to tears. Thank you for the reminder.

[w8liftinglady]

8. I haven't even heard it,and it brought me to tears

[Sapphire Blue]

9. You can listen to it here:

http://www.operationrespectct.org/song.htm

[w8liftinglady]

10. wow...thanks!

[Sapphire Blue]

11. Operation Respect was founded by Peter Yarrow

Info here: http://www.operationrespect.org/Historypage.htm

[w8liftinglady]

12. what a beautiful sentiment-thank you-a true liberal.

[Sapphire Blue]

14. Perhaps when we receive a hurtful reply to a post, we should just post...

... this link - http://www.operationrespectct.org/song.htm - as a reply.

[w8liftinglady]

15. agreed-I'm showing it to my kids

[Sapphire Blue]

25. w8liftinglady, look what I found!

An NPR audio clip w/Steve Seskin (the song co-writer)...

'What's in a Song?': Don't Laugh: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4124291

[w8liftinglady]

3. allow me to apply this to THIS DU thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1737927&mesg_id=1737927

[Sapphire Blue]

5. ...

:hug:

[w8liftinglady]

4. what a beautiful,heart-wrenching lyric.Thank you

[w8liftinglady]

6. please-one more rec...this is a beautiful song.

[w8liftinglady]

7. from this album-I will definitely buy

http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/music/f-24.htm

[w8liftinglady]

13. I'll kick for the night crew

[Sapphire Blue]

16. ... and I'll give it another

:kick:

[w8liftinglady]

17. I can't express how grateful I am..that you shared this...thanks

[Sapphire Blue]

22. w8liftinglady , I'm grateful that I brought something nice to your day.

:hug: to you, and :grouphug: to your family!


"In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings"

[w8liftinglady]

23. no,really-I have forwarded this to everyone I care about-thank YOU

[Sapphire Blue]

24. You're welcome : )

[w8liftinglady]

18. allow me to kick it again-my family loves this

[w8liftinglady]

19. another kick-read these lyrics

[Sapphire Blue]

20. And *** LISTEN *** to the song @

http://www.operationrespectct.org/song.htm

[w8liftinglady]

21. agreed-people need to know..they are OK..and loved.

[bobbolink]

26. I'm so glad to see this song! Thanks!

I mentioned it to a friend last night, and she can't wait to hear it!

It's terrific of you to keep bringing these wonderful resources to our attention!

:loveya:

[Bush_MUST_Go]

27. Truly beautiful song. Thanks for caring & sharing.

[bobbolink]

30. I'm listening again, and reveling in the tears...

Can any of us not relate to any of this song???

This is so wonderful!

[Sapphire Blue]

28. See post #25... it has a great audio clip of one of the song's writers...

... & one of the posts up top has a link to Operation Respect... what a history! And what a treasure Peter Yarrow is!!!

:loveya:

[bobbolink]

29. Yes, Peter Yarrow has been a gift to us! Thanks for all these links!

You are really helping me find things that are so helpful!

:loveya: