Ella Sylviana in A Minor

'Ella in A minor'

Your room was blue cause we thought you were a David,
Your hair changed from black to white, overnight.
You pulled out mine and cut the orange woollen plaits off my doll,
I pushed you over so you wouldn't fall yourself.
Slow down little girl, slow down.

The house on the street that was wide
Faced the orange trees on one side and the river out the back.
To the side of the shed was the red gum pile
I could climb it to hop into the neighbour's yard.
It's too high for you little girl, stay down.

And Pa had his lemons and we built a cubby out the back,
But we wouldn't let you in, no we wouldn't let you in.
It was tied together with wire and string,
The password we didn't tell you...
Was Priscilla-France.

We were five hundred Ks from home when you said it,
A story so wild I just had to believe it.
You said before I was born you were here all along,
Before our parents, before dinosaurs, before us all.
You made all the hills that we drove over.

Maybe you were here first.
I think you were here first.

You shaved your hair, you died it blue, it was all for a good cause.
You ran to Europe on your own without a word not of English.
You knew love before I met it,
And your body knew it too.
Slow down little girl, slow down.

I'm the calm and you're the storm, I thought,
Just keep you quiet, keep you still so the world does not explode.
But your rain on the tin roof and your lightning in the dark,
It keeps us warm when we're crying, it lights us up.
Keep rumbling little girl, make your noise.

Maybe you were here first.
I think you were here first.

You've done the groceries, washed the clothes,
Bought and wrapped all the Christmas presents.
You've sent me letters at the right time,
Told me off, perked me up, kept me safe.
Run as fast as you like little girl, we'll try to keep up.