You Did Not Know My Name

French Pays Basque chœur d’hommes, traditional Basque polyphonic male choir, 25–35 male singers, sung in plain English, Powerful folk-like call and response between a lead singer or small front group and a large male chorus, Rich four-part male harmony: tenor 1, tenor 2, baritone, bass, Full-bodied communal sound, not small ensemble, not barbershop, not Gregorian chant, not sea shanty, The chorus should answer in wide, emotional Basque-style harmonies with open fifths, warm thirds, strong bass foundation, suspended chords, and big cadential blooms, Feel like a village men’s choir singing in Bidarray, a stone church, or a rural festival, Minimal accompaniment only: acoustic guitar, soft frame drum, hand claps, or light percussion, No pop drums, synths, cinematic pads, military stomp, or macho chant, Voices dominate, Folk, solemn, proud, human, ancestral, harmonically rich

Title: “You Did Not Know My Name”

[Lead Solo]
You did not know my name.

[Two Voices]
Not my name.

[Lead Solo]
You did not know my face.

[Three Voices]
Not my face.

[Lead Solo]
You never saw the street I live on.

[Full Chorus]
Never saw this place.

[Lead Solo]
You did not know my hands.

[Two Voices]
Not my hands.

[Lead Solo]
Or what they’d learn to make.

[Three Voices]
Learn to make.

[Lead Solo]
But somewhere in the dark behind me

[Full Chorus]
you carried more than fate.

[Full Chorus]
I stand because you stood.
I breathe because you bore.
You gave what you could give,
then gave a little more.

I cannot know the sky.
I cannot prove the flame.
But I can bow my head
and speak your name.

[Lead Solo]
You did not ask for songs.

[Two Voices]
Ask for songs.

[Lead Solo]
You did not ask for praise.

[Three Voices]
Ask for praise.

[Lead Solo]
You had no dream of monuments

[Full Chorus]
or flowers on your graves.

[Lead Solo]
You did not know my hunger.

[Two Voices]
Not my hunger.

[Lead Solo]
You did not know my voice.

[Three Voices]
Not my voice.

[Lead Solo]
You did not choose me one by one,

[Full Chorus]
but you widened every choice.

[Full Chorus]
I stand because you stood.
I breathe because you bore.
You gave what you could give,
then gave a little more.

I cannot know the sky.
I cannot prove the flame.
But I can bow my head
and speak your name.

[Lead Solo]
Some of you crossed water.

[Two Voices]
Crossed water.

[Lead Solo]
Some of you crossed shame.

[Three Voices]
Crossed shame.

[Lead Solo]
Some of you crossed nothing

[Full Chorus]
but another ordinary day.

[Lead Solo]
Some of you were gentle.

[Two Voices]
Gentle.

[Lead Solo]
Some of you were hard.

[Three Voices]
Hard.

[Lead Solo]
Some left blessings.

[Full Chorus]
Some left scars.

[Lead Solo]
Still I take the life

[Two Voices]
the life,

[Lead Solo]
not clean, not whole,

[Three Voices]
not whole,

[Lead Solo]
and hold it up

[Full Chorus]
with both hands open.

[Lead Solo]
Not as debt.

[Full Chorus]
Not as debt.

[Lead Solo]
As thanks.

[Full Chorus]
As thanks.

[Full Chorus, fuller harmony]
I stand because you stood.
I breathe because you bore.
You gave what you could give,
then gave a little more.

I cannot know the sky.
I cannot prove the flame.
But I can bow my head
and speak your name.

[Overlapping Voices]
For the bread.
For the road.
For the work.
For the load.

For the fear.
For the chance.
For the blood
in these hands.

[Lead Solo]
If there is a heaven,

[Two Voices]
if there is,

[Lead Solo]
may this reach you there.

[Three Voices]
Reach you there.

[Lead Solo]
If there is only silence,

[Full Chorus]
let silence hear my prayer.

[Lead Solo]
If nothing of you listens,

[Two Voices]
nothing listens,

[Lead Solo]
still this life is proof.

[Three Voices]
This life is proof.

[Lead Solo]
I was carried forward

[Full Chorus]
by the weight of you.

[Final Full Chorus]
I stand because you stood.
I breathe because you bore.
You gave what you could give,
then gave a little more.

I cannot know the sky.
I cannot prove the flame.
But I can bow my head
and speak your name.

[Final Unison]
You did not know my name.

3153/7500

Title: “You Did Not Know My Name” [Lead Solo] You did not know my name. [Two Voices] Not my name. [Lead Solo] You did not know my face. [Three Voices] Not my face. [Lead Solo] You never saw the street I live on. [Full Chorus] Never saw this place. [Lead Solo] You did not know my hands. [Two Voices] Not my hands. [Lead Solo] Or what they’d learn to make. [Three Voices] Learn to make. [Lead Solo] But somewhere in the dark behind me [Full Chorus] you carried more than fate. [Full Chorus] I stand because you stood. I breathe because you bore. You gave what you could give, then gave a little more. I cannot know the sky. I cannot prove the flame. But I can bow my head and speak your name. [Lead Solo] You did not ask for songs. [Two Voices] Ask for songs. [Lead Solo] You did not ask for praise. [Three Voices] Ask for praise. [Lead Solo] You had no dream of monuments [Full Chorus] or flowers on your graves. [Lead Solo] You did not know my hunger. [Two Voices] Not my hunger. [Lead Solo] You did not know my voice. [Three Voices] Not my voice. [Lead Solo] You did not choose me one by one, [Full Chorus] but you widened every choice. [Full Chorus] I stand because you stood. I breathe because you bore. You gave what you could give, then gave a little more. I cannot know the sky. I cannot prove the flame. But I can bow my head and speak your name. [Lead Solo] Some of you crossed water. [Two Voices] Crossed water. [Lead Solo] Some of you crossed shame. [Three Voices] Crossed shame. [Lead Solo] Some of you crossed nothing [Full Chorus] but another ordinary day. [Lead Solo] Some of you were gentle. [Two Voices] Gentle. [Lead Solo] Some of you were hard. [Three Voices] Hard. [Lead Solo] Some left blessings. [Full Chorus] Some left scars. [Lead Solo] Still I take the life [Two Voices] the life, [Lead Solo] not clean, not whole, [Three Voices] not whole, [Lead Solo] and hold it up [Full Chorus] with both hands open. [Lead Solo] Not as debt. [Full Chorus] Not as debt. [Lead Solo] As thanks. [Full Chorus] As thanks. [Full Chorus, fuller harmony] I stand because you stood. I breathe because you bore. You gave what you could give, then gave a little more. I cannot know the sky. I cannot prove the flame. But I can bow my head and speak your name. [Overlapping Voices] For the bread. For the road. For the work. For the load. For the fear. For the chance. For the blood in these hands. [Lead Solo] If there is a heaven, [Two Voices] if there is, [Lead Solo] may this reach you there. [Three Voices] Reach you there. [Lead Solo] If there is only silence, [Full Chorus] let silence hear my prayer. [Lead Solo] If nothing of you listens, [Two Voices] nothing listens, [Lead Solo] still this life is proof. [Three Voices] This life is proof. [Lead Solo] I was carried forward [Full Chorus] by the weight of you. [Final Full Chorus] I stand because you stood. I breathe because you bore. You gave what you could give, then gave a little more. I cannot know the sky. I cannot prove the flame. But I can bow my head and speak your name. [Final Unison] You did not know my name.

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