Song lyrics with discussion questions
Marble Floor
A song in Hannah’s voice, by Alicia Jo Rabins/Girls in Trouble
I opened my mouth but no words came
I lay down to sleep but I did not dream
I looked up at the stars but the sky was dark like a mirror held up to my heart
A B C, D E F
Take away this alphabet it’s heavy on my tongue
You can want a thing so bad it seems
That you lose yourself and everybody else
So I got down on my knees on the marble floor And I cried until my throat was sore
A B C D, E F G
Tell me what you want from me I’ll do it all I swear
I was not drunk, I was awake
I could not open so I had to break to let the light come in
A B C D, E F G
Take this alphabet from me it’s heavy on my tongue
Questions
- What is your initial response to this song? How is it similar or different from your imagination of Hannah’s character and experience?
- What parts of this song can you find in the original story? Which parts did the songwriter add as part of the midrashic process?
