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Of Portland, Oregon’s Anna Tivel, Peter Mulvey once said, “[She] chooses over and over to dwell unguardedly within the simple humanity of others.” That trait is once again on display in her contribution to the effort, “Black Umbrella.” In this song, Tivel narrates the tale of a Black teen who intervenes in a bank robbery with fatal and undeserved consequences. This frustrating and frustratingly common story is brought lower by the dismissive summary of the protagonist’s efforts included in the following day’s newspaper.

lyrics

Under a black umbrella, you were keeping to yourself
And the rain came down like diamonds on the sidewalk where you stood
Another lonely town across the endless bible belt
Nothing big enough for headlines ever happened here until today

Looking like a stranger in your older brother’s coat
You were watching from the corner, as the day slowly unfolded
A ringing bell against the door of Frank’s savings and loan
And you saw it all, the teller ducking down, the gun exploding

Like an old bronze statue you were frozen there in place
One man slumped on the counter while the other filled a pillowcase
And suddenly your feet were running, rain all in your face
Across the street, the ringing bell, the door, the engine roaring

Blood was on the floor, the teller reaching out his hand
And you felt his pulse, you called for help, you tried to stop the bleeding
Sirens on the boulevard, a rush of blue motion
Like a wave came on, their weapons drawn, the teller’s soul just leaving

Hands over your head they said, and you tried to tell the truth
The pillowcase, the getaway, the car, the blood and you
In your older brother’s coat, your stocking hat and worn out shoes
But to them you were just some punk kid cracked out and skipping school

Anger like a freighter pulling punches in your head
And you tried to push your way past all the uniforms and the dead man
But they pulled you to the ground your face pressed on the wet cement
Like an animal, spreadeagle, the umbrella in your waistband

Gun, somebody cried, and you kicked your legs and broke the window
In a chaos of confusion, raining glass like diamonds loosed and you were
On your feet again and then a bullet danced right through you
And the ground came up like some great flood and then you were not moving

Under a black umbrella you were keeping to yourself
And the rain came down like diamonds on the sidewalk where you fell
And nothing in the headlines even mentioned you at all
Just a corner note about a cracked out kid who broke the law

credits

from U​.​S​.​P​.​S. - United Songwriters for the People's Sovereignty, released October 2, 2020

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U.S.P.S. - United Songwriters for the People's Sovereignty image

U.S.P.S. - United Songwriters for the People's Sovereignty Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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