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The cousins Lyrics by Jacqueline Woodson

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It's my mother's birthday and the music
is turned up loud.
Her cousins all around her-the way it was
before she left
The same cousins she played with as a girl.
Remember the time, they ask,
When we stole Miz Carter's peach pie off her windowsill,
got stuck in that ditch down below Todd's house,
climbed that fence and snuck into Greenville pool,
weren't scared about getting arrested either, shoot!
nobody telling us were we can and can't swim!
And she laughs, remembering it all.
On the radio, Sam Cooke is singing
"Twistin' the Night Away";
Let me tell you 'bout a place
Somewhere up-a New York way
The cousins have come from as far as Spartanburg
the boys dressed in skinny-legged pants,
the girls in flowy skirts that swirl out, when they spin
twisting the night away.
Cousin Dorothy's fiance, holding tight to her hand
as they twist
Cousin Sam dancing with Mama, ready to catch her
if she falls, he says
and my mother remembers being a little girl,
looking down
scared from a high-up tree
and seeing her cousin there-waiting.
Here they have a lot of fun
Puttin' trouble on the run
Twistin' the night away.
I knew you weren't staying up North, the cousins say,
You belong here with us.
My mother throws her head back,
her newly pressed and curled hair gleaming
her smile the same one she had
before she left for Columbus.
She's Mary Anne Irby again. Georgianna and Gunnar's
youngest daughter.
She's home.
Credits
Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson

About “The cousins” by Jacqueline Woodson

Read the complete lyrics to "The cousins" by Jacqueline Woodson. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"The cousins" is performed by Jacqueline Woodson. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The cousins", explore more songs by Jacqueline Woodson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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"The cousins" is credited to Jacqueline Woodson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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