Bess and Becca, Rebecca and Bess
Once upon a time

There once were two women
Who fought and they bickered
Up on the hill or behind that grey wall
And the whole village knew by the way the wind blew
Of the fury, the powerful squall

One woman stronger, the other one faster
One women more clever, the other more wise
They carried on, so with vigor and passion
And this way the years went by

Bess and Becca, Rebecca and Bess
Once upon a time

'Till one day with regret
Becca killed Bess
One fit of terrible rage
Shocked and grieving she buried her
There in the garden
And a tree grew up from the grave

And fast, it grew taller and stronger
And the silence surrounding the village grew thicker
Becca alone, Becca alone
Once upon a time

There once was woman
Who came to spend time
Reading and crying and passing the days
At the base of the tree that curved as it grew
The tree that curved up from the grave

But the tree was cut down
And milled in the town
And Becca was crushed by the weight of the wood
And wood disappeared
Until year later found
By a luthier skillful and good

So supple and sweet
Were the curve in the grain
And hands were compelled to carve it that way
And the instrument grew from the memory
And a cello was drawn in to play

And the elders looked up from their days
And the silence surrounding the village was broke

There was this song, once there still is this song
The women are singing
Do you hear?