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The Oakland Girl

from The Oakland Girl by Valerie Troutt

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about

The Oakland Girl
this is a two part recording the song was created in New York during my college days in the late 1990's. Shout out to Ave Carrillo. The remix version, what you'll hear as the second half, I arranged after returning home from New York 2004.

Part 1 Original arrangement
Part 2 Remix

The song is about belonging
or at least wanting to belong to something bigger than just yourself

lyrics

Oakland Girl
written for and by Valerie Troutt and Robert Glasper
V1
She walked into the club dressed in her finest gear
sat down at the bar cigarette smoke was everywhere
though she could hardly breathe a man ask her name
she said Shawana he ask
"May I buy you a drink"
oh little did he know
she was a ball a pain
waiting to unwind
while he spit his game
She lost a dear friend some years ago
now all she knows is pain
who can see through her eyes?
who can heal her pain?

Hook:
She's an Oakland Girl
Trying to survive
She's an Oakland Girl
Trying to survive

V2
We played in the park
until it was dark
trying to soak up all sun
teasing the boys and having fun
oh how she hated to go
back to her home
to take care of her mother's children
when could she ever be alone
never had the chance to be a child
never had the chance to read a good book
rushing to embrace
she found a man who wasn't worth what he took
Now she feels trapped like a bird in a cage who was born to fly
who can release her
who can see through her eyes

HooK:
She's an Oakland Girl
Trying to survive
She's an Oakland Girl
Trying to survive

(Piano)

Bridge:
One day she's gonna get up
pack her bags and go
one day she's gonna stand up and tell her troubles
No More
then she'll dream into the night
and when she wakes
everything will be alright

One day she'll fly away
fly away
fly away

(Part two has the same lyric)

credits

from The Oakland Girl, released October 2, 2020
Oakland Girl:
Written for and by Valerie Troutt and Robert Glasper

Piano: Maya Kronfeld, Emanuel Ruffler
Bass: John Ormod
Drums: Darian Gray
Vocals: Valerie Troutt, Solas B. Lalgee, Paulynn Brown
Recorded at Bird and Egg Studios Richmond, CA
Produced and mixed by: Emanuel Ruffler of Rufftone Records, NY,NY
Mastered by: Blackler Mastering NY,NY
Publishing: Pheebadee Publishing Sesac
Label: Slow & Steady Records

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Valerie Troutt Oakland, California

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