Sarah Potenza

Host: Please give a very warm Mile welcome to Sarah Potenza.

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: Hey, hey, how y’all doing? Oh, my goodness! It’s amazing to be back here, you guys. I am so glad to be back with you guys. So I don’t even wanna waste any time. Let’s get down to it. I just—

[audience cheering]

Sarah Potenza: I just got one thing to say.

[“I Work for Me” by Sarah Potenza]

♪ I work for me ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

[audience member cheering]

♪ Said I work ♪

♪ For me ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ One, two, three, four ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh, oh ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh, oh ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh, oh ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh ♪

♪ They told me I was nothin’ ♪

♪ Told me I was trash, yes ♪

♪ Told me I was too young ♪

♪ To ever make it last ♪

♪ They said, you gotta earn a living ♪

♪ How are you gonna pay? ♪

[upbeat acoustic guitar music]

♪ I blew it off all around there ♪

♪ And then I did it anyway ♪

♪ I don’t need your job, I got my own ♪

♪ I got cat and nails and a glitter phone ♪

♪ Bills roll in, TCB ♪

♪ I got everything that works for me, yeah ♪

♪ I work for me ♪

♪ Oh, yes, I, yes, I do ♪

♪ I work for me, yeah ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh, oh ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh, oh ♪

♪ Whoah, ohh, oh ♪

♪ Whoah, yeah ♪

♪ Told me I was too much, babe ♪

♪ I shouldn’t even try it ♪

♪ Said that I was too big ♪

♪ Now that’s right, yeah, I’m a giant ♪

♪ They said to keep on dreaming, girl ♪

♪ That’s just what I did ♪

♪ I’ve been collecting water from my well ♪

♪ Ever since I was a kid, listen ♪

♪ Sticks and stones may break my bones ♪

♪ But names will hurt me more ♪

♪ I’ll turn your words into my swords ♪

♪ And then I go to war ♪

♪ I don’t need no ballpoint ♪

♪ I can run my own joint ♪

♪ I’ve been signing my checks ♪

♪ With my blood and my sweat ♪

♪ ‘Cause I work for me ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, yeah, yes, I do ♪

♪ I work for me ♪

♪ I work for me ♪

♪ I work for me ♪

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: This is called “Worthy.” Doing two things at once is more complicated than it used to be for me. [laughing]

[gentle acoustic guitar music]

Sarah Potenza: She got the “Worthy” tattoo right there.

[audience cheering]

Sarah Potenza: You came all the way from, like, D.C. area, didn’t you? See, I remember.

Audience Member: Whoo!

[“Worthy” by Mary Gauthier]

♪ It took a mighty blow ♪

♪ To crack me to the core ♪

♪ Finally come to know ♪

♪ That I could ask for more ♪

♪ I’ve wondered all my life ♪

♪ Why I felt so alone ♪

♪ Trying to survive ♪

♪ How could I ♪

♪ How could I have known ♪

♪ Worthy ♪

♪ Worthy ♪

♪ What a thing to claim ♪

♪ Worthy, baby, worthy ♪

♪ Ashes into flames ♪

♪ Worthy, baby ♪

♪ I left and I was stumblin’ in the dark ♪

♪ You see, I had to go within ♪

♪ So I traced my scars ♪

♪ Way on back to where I been ♪

♪ A diamond in the dirt ♪

♪ How was I so, how was I so perfectly concealed? ♪

♪ Down beneath all the hurt inside ♪

♪ It’s been so hard, and I didn’t know that I could feel ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Worthy ♪

♪ Worthy ♪

♪ What a thing, what a thing to claim ♪

♪ Worthy, baby, so worthy ♪

♪ I said ashes into flames ♪

♪ I walked through a ring of fire ♪

♪ I left behind the only life I knew ♪

♪ Ain’t no way back, no place to hide ♪

♪ Then this little ol’ voice came through ♪

♪ It said, “Worthy” ♪

♪ Said, “You are worthy” ♪

♪ What a thing for anyone to claim ♪

♪ It said, “Worthy, baby” ♪

♪ It said, “Worthy” ♪

♪ I said, “Ashes into flames” ♪

♪ It said, “You are worthy, worthy” ♪

♪ What a thing to claim ♪

♪ It said, “Worthy, baby, so worthy” ♪

♪ Ashes into flames ♪

♪ Worthy ♪

♪ Worthy, baby, baby ♪

♪ It said “Worthy” ♪

♪ Worthy ♪

♪ What a thing to claim ♪

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: Oh, man, thank y’all so much. Thank you so, so very much, thank you. This is called “Their Loss,” and it’s one of the newer songs that I wrote. There’s a version of it out on Spotify with my friend, Melody Walker, who wrote this with me. We were just goofing around during the pandemic, and I was expressing my feelings about something. And, I don’t know, I was whining about something that… And she said, “Well, it’s their loss, you know.” And we just started shootin’ and talkin’ and we just, we sat down and we wrote this one. I really like the way it came out, so let’s hear how it sounds for the very first time here in Wisconsin on guitar.

[audience applauding and cheering]

[“Their Loss” by Sarah Potenza]

[steady acoustic guitar music]

♪ So, they didn’t wanna know ya ♪

♪ No, they never really could ♪

♪ So, they said that it was over ♪

♪ So what? ♪

♪ So good ♪

♪ Every day that goes by, it gets easier in time ♪

♪ Soon, you won’t remember why you even cried ♪

♪ Just tell yourself it’s their loss ♪

♪ Even if you don’t believe it yet ♪

♪ Their loss ♪

♪ A new beginning in each end ♪

♪ Their loss ♪

♪ If you’re thinkin’ ’bout what might have been ♪

♪ Just remember it was their loss and your win ♪

♪ Laid your heart out on the table ♪

♪ Loud for everyone to hear ♪

♪ Oh, you made them feel some kind of way, though ♪

♪ Well, too bad, ’cause you’re still here ♪

♪ When they’re so out of touch ♪

♪ They’ll tell you that you’re too much ♪

♪ But the truth always was ♪

♪ They’re not enough ♪

♪ Just tell yourself it’s their loss ♪

♪ Even if you don’t believe it yet ♪

♪ Their loss ♪

♪ A new beginning in each end ♪

♪ Their loss ♪

♪ If you’re thinkin’ ’bout what might have been ♪

♪ Just remember it was their loss and your win ♪

♪ Now if you could see what I see ♪

♪ If you’d been where I’ve been ♪

♪ Given the chance, you would do it all over again ♪

♪ So burn down the shame ♪

♪ And pop the champagne ♪

♪ And drink to the haters and failures ♪

♪ That paved your way ♪

♪ It’s their loss ♪

♪ Even if you don’t believe it yet ♪

♪ Their loss ♪

♪ A new beginning in each end ♪

♪ Their loss ♪

♪ If you’re thinkin’ ’bout what might have been ♪

♪ Just remember it was their loss and your win ♪

♪ Just remember it was their loss and your win ♪

♪ Just remember it was their loss and your win, baby ♪

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: This is called “High Enough,” and it’s not about drugs.

[audience laughing]

[“High Enough” by Sarah Potenza]

[steady acoustic guitar music]

♪ It was a Tuesday, I packed my things ♪

♪ Black bag, yellow strings ♪

♪ Left a letter on the kitchen floor ♪

♪ Hugged the dog and slammed the door ♪

♪ You called me, I felt bad ♪

♪ I love you, babe, what we had ♪

♪ Turns me into a crazy girl ♪

♪ Too heavy for this whole damn world ♪

♪ For your dark side, there was nothin’ I could do, yeah ♪

♪ I carry burdens over mountains just for you ♪

♪ Oh oh, your love don’t reach high enough ♪

♪ Your love don’t reach high enough ♪

♪ Your love don’t reach high enough ♪

♪ Your love don’t reach high enough, baby ♪

♪ Now frankly, babe, I’m not surprised ♪

♪ We’ve been livin’ separate lives for a long time ♪

♪ You’ve been stuck inside your head ♪

♪ And all the things I should’ve said ♪

♪ They’re just playin’ in my mind ♪

♪ For my dark side ♪

♪ There wasn’t nothin’, nothin’, nothin’ you could do ♪

♪ Carry burdens over mountains just for you ♪

♪ Oh, your love don’t reach high enough ♪

♪ Your love don’t reach high enough ♪

♪ Your love don’t reach high enough ♪

♪ I said your love, your love don’t reach high enough, no ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Your love, baby ♪

♪ It don’t reach high enough, mmm hmm hmm ♪

♪ Mmm hmm hmm ♪

♪ It don’t reach high enough ♪

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: Thank you so much.

[“Road to Rome” by Sarah Potenza]

♪ I don’t know how I forgot you ♪

[gentle piano music]

♪ I don’t know why I was gone so long ♪

♪ Fear is a liar ♪

♪ And I’ve been a fool ♪

♪ But I’m free now and I can hear my song ♪

♪ I know I was wrong not to trust you ♪

♪ But right here, right now I’ve got to move on ♪

♪ Shame is a drug and I was a user ♪

♪ But I’m free now and I can hear my song, baby ♪

♪ Ain’t no cryin’, ain’t no worry ♪

♪ Can’t nobody do me harm ♪

♪ I’m gonna rise up ♪

♪ I’ll be singing on ♪

♪ On this road I walk to Rome ♪

♪ All of this time, I didn’t know you were waiting ♪

♪ So quietly now, under the war ♪

♪ I’m ready, baby, I wanna be with you ♪

♪ They just can’t mess with me no more ♪

♪ Ain’t no cryin’, ain’t no worry ♪

♪ Can’t nobody do me any harm ♪

♪ Watch me rise up ♪

♪ Watch me singing, baby ♪

♪ On this road I walk to Rome ♪

♪ They almost had me completely fooled ♪

♪ I almost lost my faith in you ♪

♪ All these people were so damn loud ♪

♪ I could not hear my own self ♪

♪ So quietly I waited ♪

♪ All the noise had faded ♪

♪ And I don’t know how I forgot you ♪

♪ I don’t know why I was gone so long ♪

♪ ‘Cause there ain’t no cryin’, ain’t no worry ♪

♪ Can’t nobody do me any harm ♪

♪ Watch me rise up ♪

♪ I’ll be singing, singing ♪

♪ On this road I walk to Rome ♪

♪ On this road I walk to Rome ♪

♪ On this road I walk to Rome ♪

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: A little piano action. Thank you guys so much. This is, this is called “Keep on Holdin’.” And thank you all so much for being here, supporting Mile of Music. You know how much we love you. The artists are crazy for this town. Cuckoo bananas for it. And I’ll see you guys over at the merch table after the set.

[audience applauding and cheering]

[“Keep on Holdin'” by Sarah Potenza]

[gentle acoustic guitar music]

♪ I’ve been runnin’ down these roads ♪

♪ For decades at a time, baby ♪

♪ Like a misfit, a runaway ♪

♪ I thought I might find ♪

♪ Path that led me to my dreams ♪

♪ But I was wrong again ♪

♪ These roads go in circles ♪

♪ The beginning is the end ♪

♪ Stickers on the soundboard ♪

♪ Some bands you recognize ♪

♪ Some you never heard of ♪

♪ And some you idolize ♪

♪ Makes you think, maybe ♪

♪ If they played here, too ♪

♪ Maybe there’s a chance ♪

♪ That they were once like you ♪

♪ So keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road ♪

♪ Honey, it’s a long shot ♪

♪ Keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road, but we got a good start ♪

♪ Start the show a little late ♪

♪ Let the place fill in ♪

♪ The way the waitress looks at you ♪

♪ You know the crowd is thin ♪

♪ There’s a couple in the front row ♪

♪ They know all your songs ♪

♪ They don’t know how much it means ♪

♪ Just to watch ’em sing along ♪

♪ So keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road ♪

♪ Honey, it’s a long shot ♪

♪ Keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road, but we got a good start ♪

♪ There were nights I sang so hot ♪

♪ I thought, “Lord, am I on fire?” ♪

♪ Felt so good, I said, “Oh, my God ♪

♪ I might never die” ♪

♪ There were nights I want to give up ♪

♪ Unplug this mic and walk away ♪

♪ Lord, this life is like a tattoo ♪

♪ I’ll wear until my dying day ♪

♪ So keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road ♪

♪ Honey, it’s a long shot ♪

♪ Keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road, but we got a good start ♪

♪ Keep on holdin’ on to your heart ♪

♪ It’s a long road ♪

♪ Honey, it’s a long shot ♪

♪ Mm mm, yeah ♪

[audience applauding and cheering]

Sarah Potenza: Thank you so much, I’m Sarah Potenza. Thank you so much, this is Mr. David Robert King. Y’all are so kind. Thank you so much, you guys, thank you.