In this series of posts, we’ll be bringing you glimpses into the devising process for The Trojan Women Project. The thirteen performers involved often wrote poems, songs, dialogues, and movement pieces on the theme and ideas being explored in the rehearsal room. Sometimes they were created in the spur of the moment and other times director Rachel Hynes gave them prompts to go away and work on and then return with material. This song was written by Karen Lange who played Sarah to explore the idea of “women’s language.”
THE SEED
by Karen Lange
As soon as I left my mother’s womb
I lost some of my value
Kind of like a shiny, new car driven off the lot
A bundle of someone’s hopes and someone’s future disappointment
Even though my daddy swears I’m not
Thrust into a crazy world
Raised as someone’s little girl
Now keep your knees together,
Don’t be fresh
All the wild little boys
Spit & run & shoot their toys
Don’t tattle when they’re lookin’ up your dress
Don’t make a mess
It’s planted right there, deep inside of you
As soon as you come out in light
And it just keeps digging in
So you keep on fitting in
On the playground we learn the rules
Boys rule, girls drool
Some of us have to lose, so some may win
The boys grew up, their arms grew stronger
They traded in their plastic
For some heavy metal new toys made for men
Sweat and stubble in a flannel shirt
He likes it when I’m frightened
Now honey don’t try doing that again
Tried to make a happy home
It’s only happy when he’s gone
Just keep it all together
Don’t let on
All the wild macho guys
Can brag about their little wives
Do what she’s told, won’t get fat, won’t get old
Their perfect lives
It’s planted right there, deep inside of you
As soon as you come out in light
And it just keeps digging in
So you keep on fitting in
In the kitchen we learn the rules
Bitch, look what you made me do
Some of us have to lose, so some may win
A conference room upon a table
I want to tell but I’m not able
Gonna say I slept my way into my brand new corner office
Boys will be boys
Those little scamps
Can’t help that you’re a common tramp
Don’t like it? Then why’d you wear those heels?
Now how’s that feel?
Soon as you leave your mother’s womb
They plant the seed inside you
The one that tells you that you’re second class
A pair of legs, a pair of tits
That’s about the size of it
It’s a life-long game that you will finish last
It’s planted right there, deep inside of you
The expectation you’re not right
We learn to keep listening
That’s how we keep on fitting in
In the boardroom we learn the rules
This world just wasn’t made for you
Some of us have to lose, so some may win
It’s planted right there deep inside of you
From the start to end of life
The older you still listening
Though no one cares if you fit in
Before the end you’ll wonder why
And wish that you’d been born a guy
Cuz things just work out better for a him
When will we win?
When will we win?