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Sometimes I'm shy

from Rio's First Album by AMMRA

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about

This song is based on two true stories, one my own and one of Rio’s. I was teased a lot when I was younger, and Raul Macias indeed told me I combed my hair with an egg beater – at a workshop on “conflict resolution management” no less! I tried to connect this to Rio’s occasional shyness and timidity, which seems to have been linked to his language capacity or lack thereof. In the early months of him starting at preschool (where most kids speak English, while Rio’s first two languages were Spanish and Japanese; side note: Nippoñol is his unique combining of the two) he told one of his teachers “sometimes I’m shy”. He’s said this to me too, when I asked why he was not playing more with the other kids at school.

In the end, I’m not worried about it, and he is certainly not shy all the time. I wanted to remind him that he should feel confident even if it’s hard to live a trilingual life.

lyrics

When you think you’re all alone, language brings you home.
On the playground, scrape your knee
Let the bees knees be!

When I was in 4th grade
I was the butt of a joke
the principal’s son — he knew
“you comb your hair with an eggbeater” he said
“is that how you get that cool style?”

It wasn’t funny then, it isn’t funny now,
when you’re in the out crowd.
you may think to yourself, or say it out loud:
“Sometimes I’m shy”.

Sometimes you’re shy? So am I.

Maybe you’ll wet your pants,
perhaps afraid to dance, you’ll miss out on a party
But not your birthday party,
cuz it’s not just a hobby — it’s something you’re really into.

But then you choke up, you don’t wanna speak up
or even blow out your candles
We all have moments like that, y’ know just like that cat
….sometimes we are shy!

Sometimes you’re shy? So am I.
Whatever language, you’ll come out loud and clear.

Your English has exploded; is Nippoñol outmoded?
or is this just a phase?
Can be as shy as you like, or have an energy spike —
Oh gregarious days!
the more words to learn, the harder it is to talk with confidence.
Because you think very fast — three ways in one at that — your shyness makes sense.

credits

from Rio's First Album, released December 19, 2019
Tyson Vogel: guitar

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about

AMMRA image

AMMRA San Francisco, California

AMMRA = Antonio Miguel Martín Roman-Alcalá

Once musician, future musician, now dad, fan of the red and black

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