A Song She Won't Let Me Sing

From the very first few days in China, I started to write Mia a song called "Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'". It was inspired by a prayer my friend Joe said at one of our prayer gatherings for her. He prayed that our waiting for Mia felt like we had been digging through the earth's core and were finally coming out the other side to get her.

That always stuck with me.


So I began to put a silly little melody and words to it. And Mia and I would sing it together during bathtime and whatnot. I really developed it when we got home and, for a while, she would love to sit on my lap and rock back and forth to the tune.


But no longer.


The minute I even as much as hum the sucker, she adamently shakes her head and curtly says, "No!" I honestly don't know how much to read into that - wondering if it's just a typical phase or if I'm supposed to go all pyschoanalytical about it all. Something I suspect that I'll wonder a thousand times over with 4 women in my house.


Well, until I can figure that out, I thought I'd document the song before it's lost forever. Here goes (be forewarned, it's long):

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Well, I got me a girl

She lived far away

In the land of China

And Mia is her name

I wanted to go get her

But I didn't know how

So I wrote a long letter

To CHAIRMAN MAO!

I said, "Give me my baby!

And don't delay

Wherever her castle

The dragon I will slay

I'll sneak past your guards

And I'll jump your mote

I'll lower 'er down the window

And INTO MY BOAT!

BUUUUUTT......THHHEEEE.....

Boat was too slow,

the plane wouldn't fly

The car wouldn't make it

and the train wouldn't try

I thought about a camel

but it would hurt my back

Tried to hail a cab

but the tire went flat

SOOOO....IIII....WENNNNNTTT....

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the earth and the tundra

I went diggin' past Texas

and beyond down under

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the rock, past the pearl

I went diggin' to China

To get my baby girl

Well I got out my shovel

And I picked up my rake

I swung a pick axe

And I didn't hesitate

I got on my knees

and I crawled all around

I dug a long tunnel,

I went UNDERGROUND!

IIIII.....WEEENNNTT.....

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the rock and the quartz

I went diggin' through the desert

and beyond the rain forest

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the mud and the ice

I went diggin' for my Treasure

To get my Asian Spice

WELLL....IIIIIII.....

Thought about a space ship

'Cause it goes really fast

But it's not environmental

And it wastes a lot of gas

I jumped from a plane

Cause I want to sky dive

I hopped on a horse

But it CHAPPED MY HIDE!

SOOOO....IIIIII....WEEEENTTT...

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the mud and the clay

I went diggin' through the jungle

and beyond Caneel Bay

Diggin' Diggin' Diggin'

Through the dead of winter

I went Diggin' to Nanchung

'Cause I HAD TO GET HER!

WELLL....IIIIII......

Thought about swimming

Couldn't put you on my back

I tried to snorkel

But feared a shark attack

I got halfway

on a long high wire

got shot from a cannon

when I YELLED "FIRE!"

SOOO...IIII....WEENNNNT...

Diggin’ diggin’ diggin’
Through the mud and the ore
I went diggin’ past Haiti
And beyond the seafloor

Diggin’ diggin’ diggin’
Through roots and the water
I went diggin’ to China
To LOVE MY BABY DAUGHTER!