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.