The Queer Joy in Otherhood

Based on the Quiet Joys of Brotherhood by Richard Fariña, set to broadly the same tune (My Lagan Love). I wrote this, about this idea of "otherhood", of shared kinship in being the odd ones out, for queer people everywhere, particularly queer people in the folk tradition, and for anyone who has ever felt that curious, heartbreaking joy of being different.
I also wrote it for my wonderful partner ‪@neryshamutal9628‬. They are a large part of the reason why I am brave enough to express such things, and were kind enough to accompany me here on gorgeous-sounding cello at super short notice.
With apologies for the slight lyrics error & the wobbliness of my voice post a weekend of singing at Sheffield Sessions Festival, at whose Queer Songs session, one of my favourite few hours in time for the past couple years, I was inspired and supported to sing this out for the first time. You folks are fantastic. 💖
Please feel very free to cover / remix / etc. as all things in the tradition are; I wrote this to be sung and shared.
Lyrics:
Where gentle pride is shared around,
Our quieter colour blooms
In clothes and games and changing names
Passed round in small back rooms.
And often do our limbs entwine,
And hold fast to the change,
The queer joy in otherhood
The love of all that's strange
The queer joy in otherhood
The love of all that's strange
Where soft and fierce together shine
Hand in enduring hand
The merfolk and the unicorns
Break free across the land
The rainbow sign, the call to love
Still find me in my change,
The queer joy in otherhood
The love of all that's strange
The queer joy in otherhood
The love of all that's strange
And when they try to dull our glow
Or drive us to the ground,
We stoke our fires for kinder times,
And share the strength we've found.
The rising wind may not be known,
For all that's known is change,
The queer joy in otherhood
The love of all that's strange
The queer joy in otherhood
The love of all that's strange