Opening Ceremonies: Lorraine Segato

Canadian musician, Lorraine Segato, opens her set at Celebration ’90 Opening Ceremonies  at B.C. Place Stadium by addressing her feelings on the evening, leading into her song, “Good Medicine.”

Lorraine Segato (speaking to the audience): I was just moved. I didn’t know what to do. I had been invisible for so long. And as I was watching you all move by, I started to feel this sense of pride that I hadn’t felt for a long time. I want you to know that for me these events are not so much just about celebration and playing together but they are about community, and they’re about visibility, and they’re about learning how to love each other, and the differences between all of us. And they’re about healing the wounds that we have sustained and recovering from all these tragedies. So to you, my sweet brothers and sisters, I give you good medicine to take with you.

(Music swells and she starts to sing her song, “Good Medicine”)

It’s like a full moon that’s risin’, on a lonely, lonely, cold, desert sky. There’s nowhere far enough we can run to.
There’s no where big enough we can hide. Yeah.
Well, when we hit the bottom, we’ll get up again.
Day by day, recover all the strength we have within.

Cus’ what we need is good, good, medicine.
It’s what we need, yeah, oh, alright.
I’m talkin’ ‘bout good, sweet medicine.
What we need, when we need…

(sound fades)