Joe’s Fish Market: A 48-Hour Residency with Seaux Chill
“Joe’s Fish Market” original song by Seaux Chill
More than just good food, a beacon of light for the community.
Listen here.
For the past 48 hours, I’ve spent time learning about Joe & Rozzetta Cumberlander along with the impact they had on Indianapolis through Joe’s Fish Market. This particular residency was unique due to the inclement weather conditions, although it did allow interesting walks to and from Harrison Center. Those walks helped me process ideas and thoughts that would end up constructing this song. The main idea I wanted to present through the lyrics and production is how Joe’s Fish Market was more than just good food, it was a beacon of light for the community. Not only did people come in droves to have the fish, shrimp, the city’s best coleslaw, etc, people were impacted by the love and light that was shown and spread through the Cumberlanders. From family & community members receiving employment, to kids who couldn’t afford lunch getting fed, to sponsoring the Douglass Little League, and more, Joe & Rozzetta’s impact and influence had a wide reach.
I wanted the chorus to represent the idea of love and everyone welcome, the energy I felt from learning about Joe’s Fish Market. That lyric “sustenance” represents great eats along with a certain uplifted sense of self one feels after being loved on and encouraged, both of which give strength and energy on any journey one finds themselves on. While the chorus sets the mood and foundation for the song, the verses provide space for the details surrounding the Market, and the specifics on Joe and Rozzetta’s impact. Once the song gets to the vamp, the idea was to let the “love lifted me” phrase float on top of a production energy overflowing with exuberance and elation - the culminating result of Joe and Rozzetta’s impact captured in a feeling.
It was an honor to learn about Joe and Rozzetta’s story and seek to honor their legacy through song. I’m so thankful for yet another strong example of Black excellence to look back on for inspiration and blueprint, something Indianapolis has in abundance.
Lyrics
CHORUS
Pull up
If you feelin good, feelin bad, feelin down, feelin sad everybody
We gon cook up
Even with the struggles that we have we gon break bread together
Know we in this together
Sustenance for the weather
Makes the path all the better
Like our culture and essence
Know this love lasts forever forever
VERSE 1
Aye look we here to celebrate Rozzetta and celebrate Joe
And show how a restaurant could open up they doors
And give the people something for they stomachs and for they souls
Ain’t just talking fish I’m talking life
Ain’t just talking shrimp I’m talking light
There’s something bout love when you taste it in every bite
There’s something bout hugs when you down and in the dumps
and bout to give up the fight
Joe’s Fish Market was a beacon of light, it was a beacon of hope
An example for our people when the family close
and we committed to folks
That anything is possible with a vision ya know?
You can employ the fam, and feed all the kids
And help young adults to develop vision to win
Given the struggle and the power that we inherited
It’s beautiful to see us use our blessed God given gifts
and tell the people they can
CHORUS
Pull up
If you feelin good, feelin bad, feelin down, feelin sad everybody
We gon cook up
Even with the struggles that we have we gon break bread together
Know we in this together
Sustenance for the weather
Makes the path all the better
Like our culture and essence
Know this love lasts forever forever
VERSE 2
They cared about this so much that they barely took a vacation
Know the people were in need of feeding and some grace when
They ain’t always have the funds to make a proper payment
What you didn’t see was the hours at night
Making gallons after gallons of that coleslaw, right?
The whole city came thru the avenue for a bite
But even doper was the impact they had with their light
No kids, but so many in the neighborhood referred to them as mama and dad
Gave kids a job to help with the sweeping and trash
Sponsored Douglass Little League so they could swing them a bat
And learn camaraderie through building they stats
Not to mention what it meant to have a standard of truth
And to see Black love focused on how to build
What’s special is none of it was selfish pursuits
But it was all for the community, the realest of real that’s why we
CHORUS
Pull up
If you feelin good, feelin bad, feelin down, feelin sad everybody
We gon cook up
Even with the struggles that we have we gon break bread together
Know we in this together
Sustenance for the weather
Makes the path all the better
Like our culture and essence
Know this love lasts forever forever
VAMP
Love lifted me (It was the love yo)
Portia Jackson - 1962
Rozzetta Cumberlander - September 1935