SOOK: True Colors

The songs

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1. ▶
   1. Overture: Ladies and Gentlemen, a Crab1:30
   🎻 Grand orchestral overture

   The curtain rises on a crab. The orchestra takes this extremely seriously.

   Lyrics

   Intro: timpani roll, brass fanfare Choir, hushedLadies and gentlemen... a crab. Orchestra swells Choir, louderLadies and gentlemen... a CRAB! Choir, grandFrom the marble steps to the Chesapeake, fifteen miles, one blue mystique! Choir, chantingSOOK! SOOK! SOOK! Choir, softBlue, then orange, then every hue... Choir, enormous, final chordLadies and gentlemen... a crab... for you!
2. ▶
   2. Chronic Blueness2:30
   🎷 Smoky jazz torch song

   SOOK in her Blue Period: misunderstood, melancholy, and very, very blue.

   Lyrics

   Verse 1They light the lamps on Key Highway, the harbor's gray, and I am blue. I sit alone on marble steps that someone scrubbed for someone new. The arabber goes clip-clop by, he's selling peaches, I'm not buying, 'cause nothing's sweet in Baltimore when a crab this blue is softly crying. ChorusI've got chronic blueness, hon, it's in my shell, it's in my claws. The doctors say it's natural, I say it's art, and art has flaws. So keep your mallet, keep your pot, don't spread that paper on the table, I'm not your dinner, I'm a mood, I'm chronic blue, and I'm unstable. Verse 2The painted screens on every block show cottages and swans in bloom, but nobody has painted me, a misunderstood crab in a lonely room. I'd order a snowball, marshmallow on top, and watch it melt, drop by blue drop. Bridge, half-spokenThey say, "Cheer up, it's only fifteen miles." They say, "You'll find yourself out there." Darling, I found myself this morning. She was blue. And she did her hair. Final chorusI've got chronic blueness, hon, it's in my shell, it's in my claws. The doctors say it's natural, I say it's art, and art has flaws. Ask me again in fifteen miles... ask me again in fifteen miles.
3. ▶
   3. Leg Day (×8)2:15
   🦵 80s workout synth-pop

   The crew trains to pedal a crab with eight legs. Leg warmers are mandatory.

   Lyrics

   Intro, shoutedOkay, crew! Find your pedals! And... crank! Verse 1Five a.m. in a rowhouse basement, sweatbands on and the bike's in place, eight legs on a crab and only us to move 'em, so we gotta pick up the pace! Leg warmers blue for the Blue Period, water bottle and a towel and a snack, fifteen miles from the museum and the only way home is back! Pre-chorusFeel the burn! (Feel the burn!) Feel the crab! (Feel the crab!) Federal Hill is calling and it isn't calling back! ChorusIt's leg day! (Times eight!) A crab's got eight legs and we can't be late! Pedal, pedal, sideways, push! It's leg day! (Times eight!) And one, and two, and three, and four, five, six, seven, eight, and more! Verse 2Squats on the marble steps for the warm-up, lunges down the alley to the corner store, calf raises waiting on the light on Light Street, then we do it all again, and then some more! Grandma's on the stoop with a stopwatch, says she's seen a faster tugboat in the bay, we just smile and we keep on spinning, 'cause the race is on the first of May! Bridge, shoutedGrapevine to the left! Grapevine to the right! There's no grapevine on a crab! Just pedal! Final chorusIt's leg day! (Times eight!) A crab's got eight legs and we can't be late! Pedal, pedal, sideways, push! It's leg day! (Times eight!) And one, and two, and three, and four, five, six, seven, eight, and more!
4. ▶
   4. Federal Hill (Is a Mountain to Me)2:35
   ⛰️ Overwrought power ballad

   A small park hill, sung like Everest, with a key change you can see from space.

   Lyrics

   Verse 1, soft pianoThey say it's just a little hill, a park above the harbor, green and still. They say the kids roll down it every June, they say I'll be up at the top real soon. But from the bottom, looking at the sky, with every rowhouse watching me go by... Pre-chorusmy pilots pedal, I can hear them breathe, a thousand reasons, and just one way to leave! ChorusFederal Hill is a mountain to me! Higher than the clouds above the Chesapeake! They call it a hill, I call it Everest, hon, and I'm climbing it sideways, one leg at a time! Federal Hill... is a mountain to me. Verse 2A man with a dog just jogged right past, a toddler on a tricycle went twice as fast. The cannons on the top look out across the bay, I swear that one of them just looked at me and turned away. Bridge, buildingI can see the summit! I can see the view! I can see the ice cream truck, and the harbor shining blue! Key change: final chorus, up a whole stepFederal Hill is a mountain to me! Higher than the clouds above the Chesapeake! They call it a hill, I call it Everest, hon, and I'm climbing it sideways, one leg at a time! Federal Hill... is a mountain to me! Outro, suddenly quiet...and now we have to go down it.
5. ▶
   5. Cobblestone Cha-Cha2:15
   💃 Latin cha-cha dance

   The Fells Point cobblestones rattle SOOK's shell, so she makes it a dance.

   Lyrics

   Verse 1Welcome to Fells Point, the cobbles are old, laid down by sailors, or so we're told. Down on the waterfront the stones go clack, she's got a rattle in her shell and a shimmy in her back! ChorusCobblestone cha-cha! (Cha-cha-cha!) Her shell goes clackety, clackety, clack! Cobblestone cha-cha! (Cha-cha-cha!) Every bump's a beat and there's no going back! Verse 2Every stone's a bongo, every crack's a drum, the tugboats in the harbor say, "Here she comes!" The ladies on the corner with their coffee in hand say, "That crab's got rhythm, she should start a band!" BridgeLeft claw! (Cha-cha-cha!) Right claw! (Cha-cha-cha!) A little pinch! (Cha-cha-cha!) Ay, que jaiba! Let the whole Point sing! ChorusCobblestone cha-cha! (Cha-cha-cha!) Her shell goes clackety, clackety, clack! Cobblestone cha-cha! (Cha-cha-cha!) Every bump's a beat and there's no going back! OutroOne, two, cha-cha-cha! Fells Point, cha-cha-cha!
6. ▶
   6. Hands Off the Crab2:15
   🤠 Country two-step

   SOOK's security man pleads with Inner Harbor tourists to look, wave and not touch.

   Lyrics

   Verse 1Well, I'm security for a big blue crab, got sunglasses, an earpiece and a gift for gab. We come rollin' to the harbor where the paddle boats float, and every tourist on the promenade wants to climb aboard her boat. ChorusHands off the crab, y'all, hands off the crab! You can look, you can wave, you can take a little snap, but hands off the crab, y'all, she's a work of art, and she's sideways in the middle of the harbor's heart. Verse 2A fella in a visor tried to sit on her claw, I said, "Partner, that's a sculpture, not a petting zoo, y'all." A lady off a cruise ship came at her with a mallet, I said, "Ma'am, put that down, this ain't brown paper on a pallet!" ChorusHands off the crab, y'all, hands off the crab! You can look, you can wave, you can take a little snap, but hands off the crab, y'all, she's a work of art, and she's sideways in the middle of the harbor's heart. BridgeThe dragon boats are starin' from the water by the pier, the gulls are circlin' over and the ice cream man is near, so take your pictures, folks, and give a big ol' cheer, but if you touch that crab, friend, I'll be standin' right here. Final chorusHands off the crab, y'all, hands off the crab! You can look, you can wave, you can take a little snap, but hands off the crab, y'all, she's a work of art, and she's sideways in the middle of the harbor's heart. Outro, spokenY'all have a nice day now. Hands off.
7. ▶
   7. Down the Ramp2:15
   🌵 Spaghetti-western standoff

   High noon at Canton: a crab, a boat ramp, and the water, staring each other down.

   Lyrics

   Intro: whistle, lone guitar Verse 1The sun stood high on Canton, the wind came off the bay, a blue crab at the top of the ramp, and the water in her way. The crowd went quiet on the waterfront, a seagull held its breath, the harbor said, "I'm waiting, hon." The crab said, "Not just yet." Chorus, choirDown the ramp... down the ramp... there's a showdown on the waterfront, and only one goes down the ramp. Verse 2She checked her floats, she checked her paddles twice, the pilots checked their life vests, 'cause the pilots, they are wise. The water didn't blink, the water never does, it's been here since the Patapsco was the only thing there was. Bridge, spoken, slow"Water," she said. "This harbor ain't big enough for the both of us." The water said nothing. It's water. Final chorus, choirDown the ramp... down the ramp... there's a showdown on the waterfront, and only one goes down the ramp. Outro, spoken...And she rolled.
8. ▶
   8. Steamed2:15
   🔥 Baltimore club

   Splashdown! The sirens wail, SOOK blushes, and she turns steamed orange.

   Lyrics

   Intro, chantSteamed! Steamed! Steamed! Steamed! Verse 1Splash down in the harbor, the water's warm, the sirens goin' off like a summer storm, I was blue a minute ago, now look at me blush, from my claws to my eyes, it's an orange rush! HookTurn it up, I'm steamed! (Steamed!) Turn it up, I'm steamed! (Steamed!) Blue went in and orange came out, that's what the Great Blushing's all about! Hon, I'm steamed! (Steamed!) Verse 2Scientists are screamin', the cameras flash, the wellness folks are chantin' 'cause I made a splash, put down the mallet, the paper and the pot, I'm a sculpture, hon, I'm just really hot! BreakdownBlush! (Blush!) Blush! (Blush!) Blush, blush, blush, blush! Orange! Orange! Orange, orange, orange! Paddles up, paddles down, swim it out! HookTurn it up, I'm steamed! (Steamed!) Turn it up, I'm steamed! (Steamed!) Blue went in and orange came out, that's what the Great Blushing's all about! Hon, I'm steamed! (Steamed!)
9. ▶
   9. The Lobbyists Have Filed2:15
   💼 Victorian comic-opera patter song

   The lobbyists try to trademark SOOK's blush, at very high speed.

   Lyrics

   Verse 1, patterWe represent the interests of a very large consortium that wishes to secure the blush before the crab can sport 'em. We've filed it in triplicate, in quadruple, in quintuple, with footnotes on the footnotes in a binder that is brutal! The color code is pending and the shade is under seal, we'd like the rights to orange and a fifty-fifty deal, and should the crab object, we have prepared a lengthy brief explaining why a crab who blushes is a common thief! ChorusThe lobbyists have filed! The lobbyists have filed! They've trademarked every sunset and the paperwork is piled! Verse 2, fasterWe've filed upon the pumpkins and the traffic cones and sunsets, the tangerines, the marmalade, the life vests and the bonnets, the court is in recess, but we've a motion on the matter: a crab who blushes orange owes a royalty per platter! Bridge, chorus whisperingObjection! (Sustained!) Objection! (Overruled!) Objection! (We're not sure!) The court has not yet ruled! Verse 3, fastestSo if you see a sunset over Fells Point, do not stare at it, unlicensed admiration is a tort, and we will care a bit! The crab may keep the blue, for blue is frankly rather tragic, but orange is our property, and so's the rainbow magic! Final chorusThe lobbyists have filed! The lobbyists have filed! They've trademarked every sunset and the paperwork is piled! The lobbyists have filed... and the court has not yet ruled!
10. ▶
    10. Sand in My Claws2:15
    🎸 Delta blues

    Stuck in the Patterson Park sand pit, with the pagoda looking down.

    Lyrics

    Verse 1Well, I rolled into Patterson Park this mornin', that pagoda on the hill was lookin' down, yes, I rolled into Patterson Park this mornin', and that pagoda on the hill was lookin' down, said, "Crab, you got fifteen miles, and you're stuck in the sandiest ground." Verse 2I got sand in my claws, sand in my shell, I got sand in my claws, mercy, sand in my shell, I got sand in places a crab don't like to tell. Verse 3Pilots pushin', and the pit crew's diggin' with a spoon, pilots pushin', and the pit crew's diggin' with a spoon, we gon' be in this pit till the middle of next June. Verse 4Then came the mud, oh, the mud, it called my name, mud in the park, mercy, it called out my name, I said, "Mud, I'm a crab, hon. This here's my kind of game." Outro, spoken over harmonicaSand in my claws... and I kinda like it.
11. ▶
    11. Lil' Jimmy's Lament2:15
    🧦 Gentle folk ballad

    Lil' Jimmy, the sock crab who rides in the seasoning tin on SOOK's back, asks to be noticed.

    Lyrics

    Verse 1I'm a little sock crab in a seasoning tin, on the back of a lady with a sky-blue skin. I've got button eyes and a heart made of thread, I was somebody's sock once, or so it is said. ChorusOh, nobody sees Lil' Jimmy, riding up high where the seasoning goes, fifteen miles on the back of a giant, and nobody thanks me, and nobody knows. Verse 2I saw the hill and I saw the harbor, I got splashed at Canton and I didn't complain, I lost a button on the Fells Point cobbles, and I'll never see that button again. Verse 3They say if they lose me, it costs them an hour, a whole hour, for a sock crab like me, so I hold on tight when the turns get bumpy, 'cause I guess I'm important, as important can be. Final chorusOh, somebody saw Lil' Jimmy, riding up high where the seasoning goes, a lady on the loudspeaker said, "Thank you," and now everybody, everybody knows.
12. ▶
    12. True Colors (Rainbow Enlightenment)2:30
    🌈 Gospel-choir finale

    The finish at the museum: the whole crew, the sooklings, and SOOK in full rainbow.

    Lyrics

    Verse 1, soloistI came in blue, I came in cold, with nothing to prove and a heart on hold. Then the water came and the steam rose high, and I blushed so orange I could have cried. Pre-chorusBut fifteen miles will change a crab! (Change a crab!) Cobbles, sand and mud and all! (Mud and all!) Chorus, full choirShow your true colors! (Rainbow!) Shine 'em on Key Highway! (Rainbow!) From the harbor to the museum, let the whole town see, we were rainbow all along, and now we're finally free! Verse 2Now the sooklings shuffle, little feet in a row, the crew peeled off the orange and they're stealing the show, the pilots are wobbly, they gave every pedal, and Lil' Jimmy in his tin is wearing a medal! Bridge, call and responseCan I get a blue? (Blue!) Can I get an orange? (Orange!) Can I get a rainbow? (Rainbow!) Can I get a hon? (Hon!) Final chorus, key change, with childrenShow your true colors! (Rainbow!) Shine 'em on Key Highway! (Rainbow!) From the harbor to the museum, let the whole town see, we were rainbow all along, and now we're finally free! Ending, choir, heldSOOK... has found herself! Ahhh... hon!
13. ▶
    13. Hon0:32
    🤘 30-second punk

    Bonus track. The lyrics are "hon".

    Lyrics

    Count-inOne, two, three, four! VerseHon! Hon! Hon! Hon! Hon, hon, hon, hon, hon! Hon! (Hon!) Hon! (Hon!) Hon, hon, hon, hon, HON! BridgeHon? ...Hon. EndingHON!