On the Playground

TW: physical/emotional bullying and kids being super heckin mean!

When I was in the second grade I asked this group of kids if I could play house with them. They said "sure! You can be the stairs!" and proceeded to push me over and walk on my back into the playhouse. I, in my infinite seven-year-old wisdom, thought to myself, "incredible! This must be what it's like to be included!" It wasn't until embarrassingly recently that I learned no, somebody doesn't have to play "the stairs" in a game of house: I was just being bullied. So I wrote a song, this song, about how experiences like that shaped me into the person I am today. My mom cries every time she hears this song but honestly hearing it just makes me feel proud: I’m so happy with how it turned out. It’s the third track of my album Songs to the Monster Under My Bed.

Credits

Mirabai Kukathas - lyrics, melody, vocals
Grafton Downs - bass
Matt "Sabyu" Sablan - ukulele, electric guitar, cajón, production