Fallin’ by Alicia Keys was banned at school during my sixth grade year.

Because the entire school would not stop singing it. All productivity stopped when just one kid started with “I keep on fallin’…”

And then the rest of the class picked it up. Loudly. And then the class next door would hear it. And they picked it up. And then you heard it in the halls. During random points of the day this weird domino effect would take over, and the teachers weren’t able to teach, because they couldn’t be heard over the cacophony of Miss Key’s classic single.

Kids sang it on the bus. They sang it at games. They interrupted Band/Orchestra/Chorus concerts with it. The song interrupted staff assemblies.When that song came on at school dances, the DJ would quake in their shoes as they came to the realization that they unleashed a beast. A loud, unstoppable beast.

It got way the fuck out of hand.

That song caused so much destruction in just a few weeks. The announcements came that any kid caught singing that song, would get detention. And if they were the kid that started a Fallin’ Riot, they got suspended.

Any song was fine. Just not that song.

For months, there was quiet. Well, compared to the Fallin’ era. Finally, we came to the last week of school. It was a lax atmosphere - shorter classes, once testing was over. Kids being allowed to just hang out in the stadium and the gardens. We weren’t punished for having our portable CD players out.

And then, it was the day of the school’s Talent Show.

It was held at the end of the school day. Some of the usual stuff - magicians, singing, one kid made giant bubbles with hula hoops.

Suddenly, a piano was wheeled on stage. This little girl (really, a tiny thing, with her hair in long braids, and wearing golden hoop earrings that were almost the size of her face), took a seat.

I remember that she wore a black tux, with white gloves. Her feet barely touched the pedals.

And then, in a strong voice…

“I keep on fallin’…”

There was an eruption of joy. And then chaos. You couldn’t hear her over the roar. Not that it mattered. She smiled, her performance fueled by what she had done. And kept playing until she finished the song.