How Will We Know by Mama O and the Joeys

This heartwarming song, which grapples with everything from finding good ticks and trash to eat, hissing at humans, and to the loss of a great grand possum, was composed and performed by Shea Witzo for The Royal Frog Ballet’s 2019 Surrealist Cabaret. It was originally performed in sequence (and, often, sequins) with many other pieces, set in the landscape of a beautiful apple orchard at dusk in October in what is often called New England. Many parents asked if I would record it for their families to listen to, so I finally did. For this show, the artists in our company made performance pieces around the theme of extinction. May this fun and fact filled song help carry all of you possums and joeys into unknown futures with love, curiosity, and connection.
Lyrics added for accessibility here!
Jonah, Josephine, Josiah, Jolene, Jonas, Joanna, come on, it’s time for bed! It’s almost light out now come on, time for bed! (Joeys complain) I don’t want to hear it I don’t want to hear it! I did not carry you around in my pouch for two and a half months so that you could walk around in the daylight like a domesticated dog! Now hop on, time for our bedtime song!
Music begins!
Joeys, oooooo
Mama, Mama, Mama, oooooooooo
Mama ooooo
How will we know where to make our beds out in the big world when you’re not around?
Joeys, oooooo
I asked your grandpossum the very same question
How do we know where it’s safe to be restin’?
She said put your head down, down low or on high, but it’s safest to sleep where you’re hidden out of sight, and never in one place for longer than a couple nights.
Possums are born to be ramblin’ on,
You’ll get good at goodbyes and at rollin’ along
Mama, Mama, Mama, oooooooooo
Mama ooooo
How will we know what we’ll find to eat out in the big world when you’re not around?
Joeys, oooooo
I asked your grandpossum about this idea
When I was a Joey and she said to me-uh
Trash was a gift possums did not expect and
Ticks are a new gift, who knows what’s next and
Bugs and leaves and ticks and trash, right now that’s our niche,
So for now my little Joeys eat trash and be free, right now my little possums eat trash and be free
Mama, Mama, Mama, oooooooooo
Mama ooooo
How will we know oh where we should go out in the big world when you’re not around?
Joeys, oooooo
Think of your great grandpossum
May she Rest In Peace
Splayed out in the road by a terrible machine
Stay out of the road and don’t go into buildings,
If you see a human coming square up on ‘em and start hissing,
Follow your nose and your eyes and your instincts,
You’ll find the world is full of bugs and leaves and other delights
You’ll find the world is full of ticks and trash and other delights!
Mama, Mama, Mama, oooooooooo
Mama ooooo
How will we know what the future holds out in the big world when you’re not around?
Joeys, oooooo
Who knows what dangers lie on up ahead?
Heat wind rain or fire, they could all take your head,
Keep your ears up, your eyes peeled, be ready to play dead
(Mama O interjects: PLAY DEAD DRILL 3,2,1, PLAY DEAD! Oh I’m so proud of you, you look totally dead, completely lifeless, like you’re not even real possums. This is a really big parenting win for me, I needed this right now)
Danger is the only thing I think that we can expect and
If you blink your beady eyes you’ll miss all of the best things, but now it’s time for all my little Joeys to be sleeping. Now it’s time for all my little possums to be sleeping. Lada da da da da da dada lada da da dada da dada lada dada da da da da da da
All snore
Lyrics!