Fight from Foxhole Prayers by Vanessa Peters

I feared failure for a long time
I suppose that I still do
I just ran out of armor, got tired of being poked and examined
submitted for approval but always found wanting
and I'm tired of always selling myself
of putting my best foot forward all the time
the rabbit I've been chasing is still farther away,
my shoes have come loose and I am tired.

but I never seem to remember
why I'm cut down by their words
I don't know how to keep my defenses up
I should be braver and I know that it's absurd

and lately I've just been in the corner
licking my wounds every night

get out there and fight girl, don't be afraid to bleed

crawl back towards the light
don't be afraid to show you need

smile less and show more bared teeth

get out there and fight girl
bring ‘em to their knees.

and I always had a hard time making leaps
even as a kid I'd spend hours with my toes
curled around the edge, terrified of being pushed,
and screwing up all my courage

and only when the others had grown bored and tired of waiting
the fear of being left alone

would push me towards the water, screaming all the way down
but it was never that bad in the end.

but I never seem to remember
that part of the lesson never quite sunk in
and I don't know what I'm so afraid of now
I don't know what I was so afraid of then.

and lately I've just been in the corner
licking my wounds every night

get out there and fight girl, don't be afraid to bleed

crawl back towards the light
don't be afraid to show you need

smile less and show more bared teeth

get out there and fight girl
bring ‘em to their knees.

get out there and fight girl
bring ‘em to their knees

• Folk
• folk rock
• indie folk
• pop folk
• roots
• singer-songwriter
• Austin