Legacy of the Priest, selected music
All lyrics and music:
Copyright © 1990 to 1997 Francis L. Fitzpatrick
All Rights Reserved

 

 Legacy is a multimedia performance piece still in progress, although much of the music has been completed. It portrays the emotional battle fought by Frank Fitzpatrick and many other former victims of ex-priest James Robert Porter (date of birth 2 January 1935) to expose Porter's 40 years of sexual crimes against children. "Legacy of the Priest" is also the title of an instrumental music piece within that drama.
Immediately below are other selected songs and lyrics from the performance piece. Frank already uses these in his speeches and presentations. The music and lyrics depict institutional and societal denial about sexual crimes, and the powerful internal obstacles faced by victims who must overcome their own shame, fear of ostracism, and years of emotional pain and inertia to bring themselves to one day take action.
  "Leave It in the Hands of the Lord" (last chorus) mp3s
   

Leave it in the hands of the Lord,
Leave it in the hands of the Lord,
Now do what you've been told, good sheep within our loyal fold . . .
Just forgive and forget, for the good of all it would be best . . .
Though you were held down in bed, and sodomized until you bled . . .
Leave it in the hands, just leave it in the hands of the Lord.
  "L.P.S." (excerpts -first verse, chorus)
   

Doctor, won't you help me?
Tell me what can it be,
My perpetrator's saying,
That I've got "false memories."
But I know that he raped me,
Terrorized me day or night,
What can we call this ploy from hell,
To keep the truth from sight?

Lying Perpetrator Syndrome, L.P.S.,
Lying Perpetrator Syndrome, that's what it is,
Lying Perpetrator Syndrome.
  "Imperial Robes" (excerpts -first verse, chorus)
   

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, priest,
Doctor, lawyer, chief of police,
Upon the ocean of blind devotion,
Floats human misery.

Imperial robes, imperial robes,
Take off the blinders for their fashion show,
Imperial robes, imperial robes,
They're just the emperor's new clothes.

  
  "It Didn't Really Bother Me" (excerpts - 2 verses)
   

I've shrugged it off and carried on.
What's past is past; what's gone is gone.
His children should be safe, I'd say.
Just let it go; put it away.

Just so, I've family myself,
A little prestige and some wealth.
I can't just throw it all away.
You're just so angry, I must say!

It didn't really bother me. . . . It didn't really bother me. . . .