Ani DiFranco - The Thing at Hand (Official Audio)

"The Thing at Hand" by Ani DiFranco from the double single "The Thing at Hand / New Bible" out now on Righteous Babe Records. The double single is from the forthcoming album Unprecedented Sh!t out 5/17.
Listen to the double single here: righteousbabe....
Pre-save the album here: righteousbabe....
Lyrics:
thanks to the bullfrogs and the crickets and the cicadas
thanks to the loons and the songbirds too
thanks to all my music teachers
and the beauty they exude
they remind me, i don’t need to be anything
i don’t need a look, i don’t need a brand
they remind me, i don’t need to be anything
i don’t need to know what to say
i don’t need to know where i stand
i just need to show up
for the thing at hand
yes, i just need to show up
for the thing at hand
i’m not black or white or grey
i’m not he or she or they
i’m not gay or bi or straight
i’m just me and maybe
that’s just another thing to say
i just wanna show up
for the thing at hand
yeah, i’m just trying to show up
for the thing at hand
thanks to the pine trees in the tall breeze
thanks to the ocean
thanks to the heartbeat and the spring leaves
springing into motion
thanks to the big spinning cosmos and it’s do-see-do
thanks to the emptiness and the energy
that teaches me how to flow
i just wanna show up
for the thing at hand
yes, i’m just trying to show up
for the thing at hand
i defy
being defined
i am not my body
i am not my mind
you can point right at me
and still, there’s nothing there
and whatever you call me
i don’t care
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[@candicemartin1198]

Came across the live version on YT at the perfect time when my dad was in the hospital, I was so stressed asking the docs questions, comforting my dad, over analyzing everything.. and this song was such a grounder- reminding me to just be there and do my best! Thank you Ani for all you do

[@luispiano9691]

Was it the Stern Grove one? Good medicine…

[@loganswiss6903]

Thank you, Ani, for always wrapping your poetry in new, haunting and perfect musical colors ❤❤❤

[@willbuzz8813]

❤❤❤

[@ManCalledMif]

Minimal instrumentation and focussed message. Very relatable feeling

[@thoreau7106]

Yup, this will be on repeat for a while. Probs to the sound engineers / mixing people who used all the Frequencies!

[@luispiano9691]

Thank you Ani…

[@folly5girl]

❤

[@julia_l_257]

Like them lyrics. Always pushing people's preconceptions

[@belllabean]

very unusual/unique style of this tune recorded... from hearing the live performances, you coulda gone many ways with it ani ;) this album cut intrigued me right away and is growing on me with each listen... both your voice and guitar sound awesome

[@luispiano9691]

Yep, once again it is just as much what’s being played as what isn’t.
So many messages. So many dimensions.
Undefinable. But then that is also a definition :)
Tears flow almost every time…
Sometimes music seems to merely call for the response, Om.
Your fan since ‘97🎉🎉🎉

[@Kelescope]

Been waiting for this one! So good! 🫰🙌👏👏👏

[@markinpdx7345]

Beautiful ❤

[@Squidquake]

Awesome Ani!

[@elmoblatch9787]

I loved the live acoustic guitar version, but I'm not a fan of this arrangement. I appreciate it. I just don't like it.
"I'm not he or she or they..." I have a feeling that Ani is not a fan of the idiotic pronoun roulette. "They" is plural and makes no sense. We atheists know that sex is binary. Male or female. Without real females, there can be no real feminism. When Ani supported that women's music festival's policy of "woman-born attendees" -- she was supporting the basic concept of safe spaces for real women. Without that, decades of feminism go down the drain.

[@ErinWeblover]

"I'm just me, and maybe that's just another thing to say," that lyric got me. I'm really enjoying the instrumental transitions in this song.

[@lucyfuir6386]

Oh ani, uve dun it again

[@GenXLes]

Niiice! ❤

[@trustinsynchronicity]

Would be fun if you were to collaborate with Gnarls Barkley. That song Does that make me Crazy. and you would be fireworks girl

[@booberfragil]

Beautiful, wise, and ethereal. Love it!