Be Your Own Person

Songwriter: Tori Obermeier

Senior: Vanessa Jones

Written by Tori Obermeier as part of Roots of American Music’s “Hough is My Home” series, a songwriting collaboration between ROAM teaching artists/musicians and senior adults who regularly attend the Fatima Family Center in Cleveland’s Hough community. Tori collaborated with Vanessa Jones, mother of 3, grandmother of 4. Vanessa’s core values are trust and family closeness. Growing up, her parents and grandfather taught her several life lessons that she has since clung to as an adult. Now, as a mother and grandmother, she finds herself passing these life lessons on to future generations. This song was inspired by Vanessa’s love for reggae music.

Vanessa Jones

Lyrics

Born and raised right here in Cleveland
A brother and sister close by my side
Always together through thick and thin
Supportive and loving, caring and kind

Trials and tribulation, we cannot escape
Raised a child at just 14 years old
Lost several loved ones at a young age
With each obstacle, my parents would say:

“Be your own person.
Get an education.
Respect your elders.
Depend on no one else.”

Now I’m grown and got a family of my own
There’s Marvin and Ronnie and Latisha too
I told them as they get older, they’d understand
Now my kids have kids and I tell them to:

“Be your own person.
Go above.
Depend on no one else.
Be better than I was.”

“Be your own person.
Be safe in life.
Be a leader not a follower.
Do the right thing in life.”