♪♪ ♪♪ My name is Paola Prestini, and I'll be your guide through this episode, "Digital Discovery."

We entered March 2020, and, like most organizations, had to do a sharp turn.

Now looking back, I think of our activities post-March as urgent care.

How could we pay artists immediately and train them to be able to work and express themselves from home?

We sent recording packages and created a Digital Discovery Festival where over 100 artists were commissioned.

My good friend Helga Davis and I held master classes that I like to call Master Classes in Thought, with established artists talking about how the pandemic was affecting their souls, their practice.

I found that that really helps me get through the day.

Prestini: Once December hit and Zoom fatigue hit in, the question became, what does it mean to expand digital form?

How could we imagine the digital stage as improvisation?

How could we combine all the aspects we learned to create a new hybrid form?

Many, many different concepts.

Prestini: And so, in January, we launched Body/Space, a focus on the body, celebrating creative and intellectual innovation and reinventing performance for the virtual stage, questioning race, gender, different abilities, community, A.I.

And we partnered with the Center For Ballet Arts at NYU and continued our collaborations with Juilliard.

We launched a podcast called "Active Hope", featuring myself and the artists and leaders from the Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater, Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Kamilah Forbes.

Man: I love the concept active hope.

Hope is not inert.

Hope is not some sedentary thing.

Hope takes work.

Woman: And sometimes you need a little bit of hope as that North Star to continue pushing yourself forward.

I am really excited to be here with you, Damian, today.

You've been such a rock and an anchor for me and so many others during this pandemic, and I want to thank you for that.

And also guide our audience today through some of the questions I have for you that I think are really are on all of our minds as artists and as leaders.

For these emerging artists, they're going to be growing into a new world that's really driven by localism and community driven work, but also a global stage that has completely exploded by our facile use of technology.

But one can't do it all, so I'm curious how you're looking forward in terms of, what will they lose in order to be able to focus on this new phase, and what will be gained?

I'm gonna turn it right back against you right there just to say, Paola, you're the one who, from the beginning, when there's more here to do, there are things that are specific to this moment that we can do.

Our first conversations were all around that.

Like, you know, okay, there's loss.

Where's the gain?

And I think we all kind of got used to the idea that none of this is perfect, and we're gonna still do things that will be of meaning and of value.

You know, it's a moment where a lot of those kind of pillars of architecture that have held us up so far aren't working anymore.

And so I go back to that question of, like, how are you thinking about right now these models of the future for these students?

And how modular are you being?

How modular can one be when, especially when you're leading the biggest, one of the most important institutions in the world in terms of music and dance and theater?

So the base of education, of training, of knowledge building remains, whether it was happening on Zoom or it was happening in person and the hybrid blend that we lived in for a while.

And now increasingly more and more and more, we're kind of reengaging on a personal level.

And I think there at this moment that we're doing this conversation, there is a bit of a crisis of purpose I feel right now as we reemerge of people -- you know, we understand the employment statistics, we understand that people's motivation has changed in some way in this moment.

So the purpose of continuing can't simply be just to continue.

Right.

It has to be to reaffirm.

That Juilliard string quartet motto, which is "Play old music like it's new and new music like it's old."

Yeah.

That is a continuum of purpose.

So my goal, obviously, is always to reaffirm that but to also expand it.

Two last questions.

One which is very practical, which is just, you know, this kind of mode of digital communication has become so much part of what's I think allowed us to communicate on grand scales, but also it's been so limiting.

How do you imagine that just in this next phase?

And then the final question is, where are you finding hope?

I think on the digital front, I feel like we've developed some of these tools now to an extent that they can continue to be useful in hopefully progressive ways.

The way that we can share what goes on in a way in an educational space at Juilliard, which has always been very opaque, to a global audience I think will be tremendously valuable, hopefully for education writ large.

My feeling is that I believe that out of this will be a tremendous amount of energy in positive directions.

And I feel like fasten your seatbelts because there's gonna be incredible things to do and to get in the water quickly now because we're gonna go.

That's it.

And that gives me great hope.

Hi.

Welcome to my studio.

Serving as National Sawdust for the evening.

And thank you to National Sawdust for inviting me to experiment and inspiring me to do so.

I wish the ensemble was here.

But alas, this song is called "Stay Up."

♪♪ ♪ Forget the flood ♪ ♪ When I was out praying in the yard ♪ ♪ Listening for forever ♪ ♪ Drag the carpets out ♪ ♪ Into the sun ♪ ♪ Don't you get lonely, yeah ♪ ♪ Don't you get angry, yeah ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ You heard the cry ♪ ♪ And you want to cry back ♪ ♪ You heard the cry ♪ ♪ And you want to cry back ♪ ♪ And you want to cry back ♪ ♪ And you want to cry back ♪ ♪ Forget the flood ♪ ♪ When I was out trying to be someone ♪ ♪ Listening for forever ♪ ♪ Drag my body down ♪ ♪ Into the sun ♪ ♪ Don't you get lonely, yeah ♪ ♪ Don't you get angry, yeah ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ Hanging ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Around ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ Wasting ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ My time with you ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ You heard the cry ♪ ♪ And you want to cry back ♪ ♪ You heard the cry ♪ ♪ And you want to cry back ♪ ♪ You want to be held ♪ ♪ You want a reaction, baby ♪ ♪ Go make yourself good ♪ ♪ We're all singing for ya ♪ ♪ There's always something ♪ ♪ Out there swaying ♪ ♪ Go make yourself quiet ♪ ♪ If you want to move with it ♪ ♪ Oh, you want to move with it ♪ ♪ Do you want to move with it ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Stay up ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ Hanging ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ Around ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ ♪ Wasting ♪ ♪ Stay up, stay up, stay up, stay up ♪ ♪ My time with you ♪ ♪ Until your friends come out ♪ [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Scraping ] [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Coin rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Rattling, man speaking indistinctly ] [ Ding ] [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Rattling ] [ Rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Coin rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Scraping ] [ Scraping ] [ Rhythmic tapping ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rhythmic tapping, coin rattling ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] [ Rhythmic tapping continues ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Thud ] [ Static ] [ High-pitched static ] [ Piano plays ] ♪♪ [ Ethereal ambience ] ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Ambience cutting in and out ] [ Piano playing softly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I'm Flannery Cunningham, and my piece is titled "The Weight Of."

One of the really wonderful things about this commission process was the chance to work with composer Joan La Barbara during the writing phase because La Barbara has this amazing long standing personal practice in voice and electronics.

And this piece is coming out of my own practice in voice and live electronics and a setup that I built for myself in a program called Max.

So whenever you're translating something that's sort of a personal, unnotated performance practice for another performer, there are all sorts of challenges.

And I think singer Maya Carney more than rose to the challenge here, as well, of course, the members of the National Sawdust Ensemble.

Maya has quite a lot to do in this piece.

Besides negotiating her voice, she's also using a MIDI controller in front of her to bring in and out sets of effects, including pitch shifts, delays, and some loops that she records.

[ Singer vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Wait ♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪ I'm waiting ♪ ♪ I'm waiting ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Music tempo quickens ] ♪ How long ♪ ♪♪ ♪ How long will I ♪ ♪ Be waiting ♪ ♪ How long will I ♪ ♪ Be waiting ♪ ♪ Paralyzed ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Out of my depth ♪ ♪ No ships dock near the harbor ♪ ♪♪ ♪ No boats sail near the shore ♪ ♪ They're out to sea ♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪ Their holds are full ♪ ♪ But all the lights have gone dark ♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪ To lead the friend home to sleep ♪ ♪ They're left adrift ♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪♪ [ Singer vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singer vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Waiting here ♪ ♪ An island ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪ Waiting ♪ ♪ I'm waiting here ♪ ♪ I'm waiting ♪ [ Tempo quickens ] ♪♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Fretful, fitful freeze ♪ ♪ Away ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Singer vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ The weight ♪ ♪♪ ♪ The weight ♪ ♪ Of ♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪ The weight ♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Of worrying over the world ♪ ♪ That weight ♪ [ Singing indistinctly ] ♪ Of worrying ♪ [ Singer vocalizing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I am so excited to have Allison Loggins-Hull with me, just a beautiful human being, composer, performer, curator, producer, mother.

So many different roles [ Laughs ] So many.

So many different roles.

Yeah.

And specific to National Sawdust, you know, you've been here both as a performer in the National Sawdust ensemble, which is such a strong mentoring arm, but also as a composer.

Talk to me a little bit about both your role in the ensemble and also, you know, the flip of having your work performed in here, since we're going to see both of those.

So National Sawdust ensemble I've been a member of for a few years now as the flutist of the group.

And have had the opportunity to work with a number of emerging composers from diverse backgrounds.

And it's been a real pleasure to be able to be in a position to serve as a mentor and to work with such a strong group of players in the ensemble, to realize these pieces and bring them to life and share them with the world.

Yeah, some of them range from graphic scores that are beautiful paintings to works that include improvisation to super complex notated scores.

And I'm just curious, what prepares you as a musician to be able to interpret that and to bring to life music that's so vastly different?

Just being very open minded and very willing to listen and to think creatively, as well, and to be able to contribute your own creative spin on things.

So for the last Hildegard performance, I had the honor of performing a work by Amanda Feery.

Back in the medieval days when women were considered to be, I guess, unruly, meaning opinionated and vocal.

Okay.

That thing.

[ Laughs ] Yes, they could be humiliated in front of others as a form of punishment.

And to silence them, they would be put in these things called bridles, which kind of look like a metal mask that would go over their face and that would hold their tongue.

And then they would be called "Scolds."

So the Scold is trying to tell that story.

And Amanda treats the flute as if it's a bridle, right?

As if it's something that's like holding back my speech, my ability to communicate.

And she does it in such a brilliant way, by utilizing lots of syllabic sounds like concussion, these kinds of things, and lots of air tones.

So it sounds like I'm trying to say something, but I can't, you know?

Right.

For me, working on that piece was like pure joy.

[ Flute playing ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell chiming ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bell chiming ] Hi, everyone.

My name is Amy Hall Garner, and I am so happy to introduce my new work, "Meaningful in Motion."

This work is a visual tribute dedicated to three prominent Black ballerinas who were unknowing inspirations in my artistic development.

These women were trailblazers who represent class, dignity, and perfection.

They are rare in the world of classical ballet, and their names are Virginia Johnson, Debra Austin, and Lauren Anderson.

♪♪ ♪♪ Woman: I fell in love with ballet when I saw my first Black ballerina for the very first time.

You don't know you haven't seen one until you see one.

I was 9 years old at a performance of Dance Theatre of Harlem.

And I have to say that changed my life.

Then fast forward.

I was 11.

And Ben Stevenson came to the Houston Ballet.

as this artistic director, and he taught our ballet class.

He made class fun.

He made class -- of course, it was already hard.

It's ballet.

But he made it fun and exciting, and he made anything possible in the studio.

At that point, I was hooked.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Woman singing in native language ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Man: It's green switch.

They change places.

She plays and plays.

He breathes in and in and in.

Then they switch back.

♪♪ His right side approaches his left side.

Tries to hold it, pushes and pulls, but his left side sits tight as if it were forbidden to be touched or moved, as if it were taboo.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ As he twists and turns, she becomes a shadow.

And then so does he.

They are colorless reflections of a distant past that ties them together.

Shadows stuck on the wall.

She plays, he digs.

They sway.

♪♪ Again, they switch.

Now his right side pulls him up and down.

He is a victim of the contest between these extremities.

This is him.

He is both statue and breeze, pillar and wing.

♪♪ ♪♪ Switch.

This is him breathing in and in.

Switch.

This is him breathing in and in.

And in.

As she disappears and becomes a grotesque, sustained chord.

♪♪ This is him covering all sides now.

Mirrored and reflected.

This is him left and right, front and back.

Four identical versions of him moving in sync, breathing and digging.

Something has changed.

And so has he.

♪♪ Narrator: The second section is called "Overuse/Underuse."

It was filmed in a space with a white wall and concrete floor.

The integrated American Sign Language interpretation is framed within a circle in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

The sign language expresses the music and the lyrics.

Man: She walks in barefoot.

Black pants and vest, she goes to her organ in the center of the space.

She sets her song in motion.

♪♪ I enter in a black suit holding a silver bucket as if it were an urn carrying the remnants of our shared history.

As she plays, I pace back and forth on the foreground.

♪ You are my purifier ♪ My bare feet trailing on the smooth gray floor.

♪ Oh ♪ ♪ You are my denier ♪ I circle around her as a capricious, sinister figure.

♪ Are you my strong ♪ I surround her with my unpredictability.

♪ Are you the lack of nerve ♪ ♪ The left, the left, the left ♪ ♪ Are you my pain ♪ ♪ Are you my wing ♪ ♪ Are you my power ♪ ♪ The right, the right, the right ♪ ♪ Are you my frame ♪ ♪ Are you my numbness ♪ ♪ Are you my loss of motion ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ Are you my cone ♪ ♪ Are you my tingling ♪ ♪ Are you the flesh of stillness ♪ ♪ The right, the left, the right ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ I see your hands grappling and squirming, wrestling.

As do mine.

And I still move slowly around her, try to make her remember everything.

I could be a tree going through the seasons, growing doubt like leaves bending in the wind, blooming, weathering, shivering.

♪ The right ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left, and then the right ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The left, the right ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The right, the left, the right ♪ ♪ The right, the left, the right ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ The right, the left ♪ ♪ I, I will use you ♪ ♪ I will use you and use you and use you and use you ♪ ♪ And lose you ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, I ♪ ♪ I will use you ♪ ♪ I will use you and use you and use you and use you ♪ ♪ And abuse you ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Are you still there ♪ ♪ My purifier ♪ ♪ Are you still there ♪ ♪ My one denier ♪ ♪ Are you still there ♪ ♪ To transpire ♪ ♪ Are you still there ♪ ♪ My one denier ♪ ♪ The pacifier ♪ ♪ A true transformer ♪ ♪ The one desired ♪ ♪ Or just acquired ♪ Side by side.

Slowly at resolute.

I look up.

She looks forward.

Expression on her face, terrifyingly relaxed.

Her gaze is fixed.

She doesn't blink.

I look down.

We are reckless.

Ready to collide with whatever is about to happen.

♪ The one eroding ♪ ♪ The one I'm losing ♪ ♪ The one that's slowing ♪ ♪ A pain I'm feeling ♪ ♪ The truest cone ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪ Cone ♪ ♪ The left, the right, the left ♪ ♪♪ Then I stand.

Alone.

I drop the silver bucket.

It hits the ground.

Our past splashes straight up in the air.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I dreamt last night you left a letter in my box ♪ ♪ You told me that you loved me ♪ ♪ And you have all along ♪ ♪ Woke up this morning with five messages from you ♪ ♪ On that old group message ♪ ♪ With some friends that we both knew ♪ ♪ And will you speak?

♪ ♪ Speak to me ♪ ♪ Don't hold back ♪ ♪ Don't hold back ♪ ♪ Do you dream?

♪ ♪ Dream of me ♪ ♪ Will you please answer that ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Sometimes the night when I'm alone ♪ ♪ On fragile ground ♪ ♪ I'll read our conversations from three years ago till now ♪ ♪ One time you said when you see lights ♪ ♪ You feel me round ♪ ♪ Were you always sending signals?

♪ ♪ Did I miss them all somehow?

♪ ♪ And will you speak, speak to me ♪ ♪ Don't hold back ♪ ♪ Don't hold back ♪ ♪ Do you dream ♪ ♪ Dream of me ♪ ♪ Will you please answer that ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'm tired of games ♪ ♪ I'm tired of waiting for a clue ♪ ♪ If I tap the walls in Morse code ♪ ♪ Will the message still get through?

♪ ♪ I sent a flare into the sky tonight for you ♪ ♪ And saw a star ♪ ♪ Could it be you're thinking of me, too ♪ ♪ And will you speak, speak to me ♪ ♪ Don't hold back ♪ ♪ Don't hold back ♪ ♪ Do you dream, dream of me?

♪ ♪ Will you please answer that ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I'm a two-faced lover in a costume ♪ ♪ Caught a taste of your center cross the ballroom ♪ ♪ Told my date that I'm going to the bathroom ♪ ♪ And promised him that I'm coming back soon ♪ ♪ Passing strangers are dangers behind me ♪ ♪ Adrenaline pumping, hope he won't find me ♪ ♪ Stole the blue print and the master key ♪ ♪ There's a hidden door, so come and catch me ♪ ♪ All alone on the floor of the back room ♪ ♪ Feel the pulse of the tunes in the next room ♪ ♪ Will you dance in the glow of the red moon?

♪ ♪ All alone on the floor of the back room ♪ ♪ Feel the pulse of the tunes in the next room ♪ ♪ Will you dance in the glow of the red moon?

♪ ♪ Casanova when the lights go down ♪ ♪ Got my mess so I won't be found ♪ ♪ Can help it if he's not around ♪ ♪ Casanova and I'm falling in ♪ ♪ Feel your heartbeat against my skin ♪ ♪ Can't help it if I fell again ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Make my through the haze at the party ♪ ♪ Different night, different light ♪ ♪ Different melody ♪ ♪ Can't see, but I feel your eyes on me ♪ ♪ Meet a four on the floor ♪ One, two, three.

♪ All alone on the floor of the back room ♪ ♪ Feel the pulse of the tunes in the next room ♪ ♪ Will you dance in the glow of the red moon?

♪ Whoa, oh, oh, oh.

♪ All alone on the floor of the back room ♪ ♪ Feel the pulse of the tunes in the next room ♪ ♪ Will you dance in the glow of the red moon?

♪ Whoa, oh, oh.

♪ Casanova when the lights go down ♪ ♪ Got my mess so I won't be found ♪ ♪ Can help it if he's not around ♪ Whoa, oh, oh.

♪ Casanova and I'm falling in ♪ ♪ Feel your heartbeat against my skin ♪ ♪ Can't help it if I fell again ♪ Whoa, oh, oh.

♪ Casanova and I'm falling in ♪ ♪ Feel your heartbeat against my skin ♪ ♪ Can't help it if I fell again ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Your story's a lie ♪ ♪ I told you each time ♪ ♪ I want you alone ♪ ♪ With no strings tied ♪ ♪ You push that aside ♪ ♪ You took me in stride ♪ ♪ When I look from above ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ You say that I'm in your heart ♪ ♪ Only meet me in the dark ♪ ♪ Where it's safe for you to play ♪ ♪ So I try to push away ♪ ♪ Every time you feel it slack ♪ ♪ That's the time you reel me back ♪ ♪ And you know just what to say ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ Played like a game ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ Played like a game ♪ ♪ Is this love ♪ ♪ Or is it vanity ♪ ♪ Your grace ♪ ♪ Disturbs my sanity ♪ ♪ Old friend ♪ ♪ Thick as thieves ♪ ♪ We found the jewels ♪ ♪ But stole these ♪ ♪ Is this love?

♪ ♪ Or is it vanity?

♪ ♪ I told you each time ♪ ♪ Your grace ♪ ♪ Disturbs my sanity ♪ ♪ No strings tied ♪ ♪ Thick as thieves ♪ ♪ We found the jewels ♪ ♪ But stole these ♪ ♪ Is this love?

♪ ♪ You say that I'm in your heart ♪ ♪ Of is it vanity?

♪ ♪ In the dark ♪ ♪ Where it's safe for you to play ♪ ♪ Sanity ♪ ♪ Old friend ♪ ♪ Every time you feel ♪ ♪ That's the time you will be back ♪ ♪ And you know just what to say ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ Your story is a lie ♪ ♪ Or is it vanity ♪ ♪ I told you each time ♪ ♪ Your grace ♪ ♪ Disturbs my sanity ♪ ♪ No strings tied ♪ ♪ You push that aside ♪ ♪ You took me in stride ♪ ♪ When I look for ♪ ♪ But stole these ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ You say that I'm in your heart ♪ ♪ Is it fantasy?

♪ ♪ In the dark ♪ ♪ Where it's safe for you to play ♪ ♪ So I try to push away ♪ ♪ Every time you feel ♪ ♪ That's the time we'll be back ♪ ♪ And you know just what to say ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ Played like a game ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from this love ♪ ♪ Played like a game ♪ ♪ I'm so sick from your love ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Forget the flood ♪ ♪ When I was out praying in the yard ♪ ♪ Listening for forever ♪ ♪ Drag the carpets out ♪ ♪ Into the sun ♪ ♪ Don't you get lonely, yeah ♪ ♪ Don't you get angry, yeah ♪