The Ballad of Sylvia and Marsha P.

Some say they both were there the night that it went down Marsha P, she threw the shot glass that was heard around The world; then Sylvie hurled a brick Said, it's the revolution-- I'm not missing this Admittedly, there are conflicting accounts Cuz Sylvia Rivera, she wrote her own history Born in the Bronx but raised on 42nd St She was turning tricks at 10 years old So no wonder that she wants it how she wants it told Cuz every night she'd scrub herself clean Thinking, is this how it's s'posed to be And they were there-- oh But we didn't take care of our Queens They were there-- oh Sylvia and Marsha P Pay it no mind-- now, that's what Marsha P stood for She said that to a judge and he threw her case out of court And she was in court quite a bit Cuz every day babygirl was hustling And most of what she made, she gave away Cuz more than beauty, more than sparkling personality She'd give the shirt right off her back for anyone in need And Sylvia lived on the docks Why should they be out here when I am not? The down-and-out mayors of Gay Pier and Christopher Street And they were there-- oh But we didn't take care of our Queens They were there-- oh Sylvia and Marsha There was one thing, Sylvia, she never could believe Why would Marsha take her own life-- why would she leave With so much work yet to be done They were supposed to go together if they crossed Jordan And Marsha made her promise: stay and fight But Sylvia was so distressed And liked to drink, to be honest And she was sick of living 'neath the sky Cups, cups full of beer and gin She went down to the river they found Marsha in And stepped into the Hudson's sluggish tide But she didn't die I can feel her spirit on the river, she said I can see her beautiful smile Whispering like cattails, You're not done, girl We've miles and miles to go before we sleep Now you know the truth: Sylvia spent much of her life More depressed than activist, too weak to tend the light I'm saying this lest we forget That nobody in history is a monolith Each soul has brightest days and darkest nights And one day Sylvia, she fell in love And love gave her the impetus Get sober for her Julia Address the inequalities At work in our society She fed the homeless, tirelessly In her death throes she was winning seats She crossed the river Jordan in a hospital bed Liver cancer is what finally did her in Well, it's been 18 years now, 2020 And a trans person of color's murdered once a week It's plain to see that nothing much has changed What would Sylvie say I can hear them calling from the river I can see their beautiful smiles Singing from the cattails, You're not done, girl We've miles and miles to go before we sleep Miles and miles to go before we sleep No one's free 'til everyone is free And they we were there-- oh But we didn't take care of our Queens They were there-- oh They were there-- oh But why didn't we take care of our Queens They were there-- oh And we've still miles and miles to go before we sleep