The Nepal-Tibet glacial collapse is an example of fluidization.
[Intro]
Under strain…
(Will it remain?)
Everything is in place…
(Start the race!)
[Verse 1]
High above the valley floor
Potential waiting at the door
Frozen solid
Locked in place
Gravity is saving energy
For the moment it can break
What was solid
What was still
Starts to question
What it will
[Refrain]
Under strain
(Racks the brain)
Pure potential
(… the inevitable)
Fluidization
(Try to liquefy)
Realization
(It did… solid defy)
[Chorus]
Fluidization!
(Flow!)
Fluidization!
(Go!)
[Verse 2]
Gravity pulls
The mountain down
Fragments scatter
All around
Particles that held together
Lose a little of their tether
Effective stress
Begins to fall
And suddenly
The mass can crawl
Then it flows
(There it goes!)
Taking everything
It knows
[Bridge]
… the mountain…
(Becomes a flow)
Begin!
(Go!)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Potential!
(Potential!)
Waiting up high
Gravity!
(Gravity!)
Can’t quite fly
Pressure!
(That’s for sure!)
Changes the scene
(Know what I mean?)
Everything moving
With incredible ease
(Jeeze!)
What started small
Can multiply
As the moving mass
Carries the mountain by!
[Verse 3]
Entrainment!
(Entertainment?)
Pulling more in
Sediment
Joins the spin
Under strain…
[Whispered]
Racks the brain.
Pure potential…
[Pause]
Inevitable.
[Low Vocal]
Then…
Gravity.
[Percussion Enters]
Falls freely
[Drums Enter]
Then…
Flow.
(Watch it grow!)
FLUIDIZATION!
(Realization)
[Final Refrain]
Under strain
(Racks the brain)
Pure potential
(… the inevitable)
Fluidization
(Try to liquefy)
Realization
(It did… solid defy)
[Final Chorus]
Fluidization!
(Flow!)
Fluidization!
(Go!)
Solid starts to move
Watch the moving mass grow
Water in between the grooves
Changes what we know
Fluidization!
(Flow!)
Fluidization!
(Go!)
From the mountain
To the valley
Feel the energy flow!
The collapse releases the energy.
The impact transforms it.
Fluidization redistributes it.
Entrainment multiplies the moving mass.
And the flow…
Carries the consequences downstream.
(Whole new scene)
… hole knew seen
Like wet concrete…
(Not quite bitter sweet)
[Final Refrain]
Under strain
(Racks the brain)
Pure potential
(… the inevitable)
Fluidization
(Try to liquefy)
Realization
(It did… solid defy)
Potential…
Kinetic…
Pressure…
Flow…
[Spoken, fading]
Oh, no, no, no
(Realization)
Fluidization.
About the Song: How Is the Climate Energy Hitting You Nepal-Tibet?
Fluidization Physics
Like wet concrete.
The initial fall releases the energy → The impact transforms it → Fluidization redistributes it → Entrainment multiplies the moving mass.
And the resulting flow carries the consequences downstream.
The collapse itself is a gravitational event. Gravity supplies the immediate energy that drives the mass downward. The climate connection lies in how human-caused warming can alter the physical conditions under which that gravitational energy is released.
Heat can accelerate glacier melt. Meltwater can penetrate fractures and accumulate beneath ice. Rain and meltwater can increase pore-water pressure. Permafrost thaw can weaken previously frozen ground. Warming can therefore change the mechanical stability of ice, rock, soil, and sediment. Climate change does not need to physically push a mountain downhill. It can alter the conditions that determine when that mountain becomes capable of moving.
Then gravity does the rest.
Once the mass begins moving, another fascinating piece of physics takes over: water can actually make a moving granular system more mobile.
We generally think of water as something that slows things down. But water under pressure between particles can reduce the friction holding those particles together. In simplified form:
σ′ = σ − u
where σ′ is effective stress, σ is total stress, and u is pore-water pressure.
As pore-water pressure rises, effective stress falls. As effective stress falls, frictional resistance can decrease. That can make a slope or debris mass substantially more mobile.
This is one reason a wet, saturated mass can behave so differently from the dry rock, soil, and ice from which it originated. The material does not literally turn into water. Instead, water becomes part of a coupled solid-fluid system in which fluid pressure can support and mobilize solid particles.
Under sufficiently energetic and saturated conditions, a granular mass can become partially fluidized, allowing it to flow and transport enormous quantities of additional material.
That is the “wet concrete” effect.
The distinction is important. We are not talking about a solid block of ice simply sliding down a mountain. We are talking about a material system whose physical properties can change dramatically as it accelerates, fragments, mixes with water, and incorporates sediment and other debris.
Uh-oh…
Something gleaming’s leaning.
A little bit unfit…
Tipsy.
(Hard to see?)
[Verse 1]
Standing straight
Or so I thought
Didn’t notice
What I’d lost
One little tilt
One little sway
And suddenly
I’m on my way
Push too far
And you may find
Gravity
… made up my mind
[Pre-Chorus]
Leaning!
(The meaning…)
Teeter!
(Totter!)
Getting closer
To the meter!
Tilt!
(Tilt!)
Slip!
(Slip!)
There goes
The grip!
[Refrain]
I’m feeling…
(A little tipsy)
Gone reeling
(Oopsie daisy)
Gone crazy
(Jostling)
From the top
(Toppling)
To the bottom
(Never again)
To begin
[Verse 2]
One small movement
Starts another
Sends me hellbent
Hate to have to smother
[Bridge]
The world suddenly
Turns upside down.
(No… still spinning round n’ round)
Tipsy!
(Tipsy!)
Teeter!
(Totter!)
Don’t ignore
The little meter
Jostle!
(Hustle!)
Rock!
(Rocked!)
Watch the balance
Start to unlock
Toppling!
(Tippling!)
Down!
(Down, down, down!)
One change
(Two!)
Two change
(Three!)
Watch the cascades
(Come to be)
Never again?
(Won’t happen!)
Can’t put Humpty
(Back together again)
Can’t you see…
(Don’t know where to begin)
I’m feeling…
[Whispered]
A little tipsy.
Gone reeling…
[Soft Response]
Oopsie daisy.
[Pause]
Gone crazy.
[Jostling]
From the top…
[Low Response]
Toppling…
[Silence]
To the bottom.
(Watch it happen)
[Whispered]
Never again…
[Pause]
To begin.
(Fell down, down down)
Broke his crown
Round…
And round…
And round…
[Full Band]
We go!
[Final Refrain]
I’m feeling…
(A little tipsy)
Gone reeling
(Oopsie daisy)
Gone crazy
(Jostling)
From the top
(Toppling)
To the bottom
(Never again)
To begin
[Spoken Over Instrumental]
Can’t you see
(You can’t begin)
No, can’t put Humpty
(Back together again)
A little tipsy…
A little jostling…
A little change…
[Spoken, fading]
Then…
That’s when
You can see
(You can’t begin)
No, can’t you can’t begin
(To put Humpty back together again)
[Intro]
Oh…
Can’t you see?
I’m falling.
[Pause]
Falling for you.
Or maybe…
It’s just gravity.
[Verse 1]
Started with a little tilt
Barely noticed, hardly felt
One small move
One little sway
And suddenly
I’m on my way
Could’ve stopped
Could’ve stayed
Could’ve chosen
Another way
But once you start
To lose your ground
There’s nothing quite like
Coming down
[Pre-Chorus]
Higher!
(Lower!)
Dire
(Pull me closer!)
[Refrain]
Oh… oh can’t you see
(I’m falling for you)
Self-fulfilling destiny
(Heavy? Must be gravity)
[Verse 2]
Potential waiting
Way up high
Anticipating
If I can fly….
Then something changes
Something breaks
And all that energy
Awakes
Down we go
(oh, no, no, no!)
Picking up speed
(Yes indeed!)
[Bridge]
Oh… oh can’t you see
(I’m falling for you)
Self-fulfilling destiny
(Heavy? Must be gravity)
Hear me calling?
(Falling!)
For you!
(It’s true!)
Can’t deny
(Won’t even try)
Heavy!
(Gravity!)
Something here
Is very real
Potential!
(Essential!)
Turns kinetic!
(Kinda like magnetic)
Pullin’ me down
(All around!)
Pull me through
(On top of you!)
Rock n’ rollin’ bowlin’
(’cause I’m falling for you!)
Oh…
Can’t you see?
[Whispered]
I’m falling for you.
[Pause]
Self-fulfilling destiny…
[Soft Response]
Heavy?
[Pause]
It’s gravity.
Gravity…
Gravity…
Gravity!
[Final Refrain]
Oh… oh can’t you see
(I’m falling for you)
Self-fulfilling destiny
(Heavy? It’s gravity)
[Final Chorus]
Falling for you!
(Our love must be true?)
Feel the pull tonight
(Insight into incite)
Falling for you!
(It’s all I can do!)
Potential (our energy)
Kinetic (strategy)
A little change…
… accelerates…
At amazing rates
(Our first and last dates)
[Final Hit]
GRAVITY!
(See?)
Oh…
Can’t you see?
(The reality)
[Whispered]
I’m falling for you, too
[Intro]
You think it’s solid?
Wait.
(I care to debate)
Add water.
Add pressure.
(New future)
The motion…
(Gives ya the notion)
[Verse 1]
Standing there
It looked so still
Frozen there unaware
Waiting for the thrill
[Pre-Chorus]
Break it!
(Break it!)
Shake it!
(Shake it!)
Add a little water
And accelerate it!
[Refrain]
Hit me like a ton
(Of wet cement)
She wasn’t done…
(Is what’s meant)
She kept flowing
(… kept going)
Not too discrete…
(Raging like wet concrete)
[Chorus]
Wet cement!
(Wet cement!)
Rolling down the mountain
Wet cement!
(Wet cement!)
Like a raging fountain
Solid pieces
In a fluid dance
Pressure gives them
A second chance
(Wet concrete)
Nothing stays discrete!
[Verse 2]
Water doesn’t have to push
The mountain from above
… all it has to do
Substitute for a shove
[Verse 3]
She wasn’t done
When she hit the floor
She gathered more
Then she had before
Entrainment!
(Entertainment!)
Not too discrete
(Not too discrete!)
Pieces lose
Their separate beat
[Bridge]
Wet cement…
(Hellbent)
Saturated
(Underated)
Pressurized
(Pulverized)
Hit!
(Hit!)
Like a ton!
(And then some)
Down!
(Smiles frown)
And she’s not done
More!
(More!)
Coming in
(Like never before)
Rock and roll
(Took their toll)
Break apart
(Stops the heart)
Come together
(Weather the whether)
[Breakdown]
Hit me…
[Whispered]
Like a ton…
Of wet cement.
[Pause]
She wasn’t done.
[Low Response]
No, no deterrent
[Drums Slowly Enter]
She kept flowing…
[Response]
Kept going…
RAGING LIKE WET CONCRETE!
(Better wear a helmet)
[Final Refrain]
Hit me like a ton
(Of wet cement)
She wasn’t done…
(Is what’s meant)
She kept flowing
(… kept going)
Not too discrete…
(Raging like wet concrete)
[Final Chorus]
Wet cement!
(Put a dent!)
Flowing through the valley
(Rollin’ up the scenery)
Wet cement!
(Hellbent!)
Nothing’s gonna stop it
Pressure!
(That’s for sure)
… what can endure
Entrainment!
(Entertainment!)
Pull the whole thing into one!
(Till the whole things… undone)
Wet cement!
(Wet cement!)
Raging like wet concrete!
(Landscape’s in defeat)
… what started as a mountain…
(No longer is certain)
[Final Hit]
WET CEMENT!
(Left a dent)
Still?
[Pause]
… until
(Ill)
[Intro]
Step right this way…
Come see the show.
Not a movie.
Not a simulation.
The Earth system…
In action.
The feature:
(Our future)
[Verse 1]
For thousands of years
There she stood
No worries… no fears
Holding on good
[Pre-Chorus]
Step right this way
(See 1.5°C in Action)
It’s your lucky day
(We’re the main attraction)
[Chorus]
What to do
(When the glue)
Comes unstuck
(Out of luck)
But hey
(Say)
You get to see
(Manmade destiny)
See it move
(See it move)
See it slide
(See it slide)
No place to hide
(No, no place to run)
… ain’t that fun
[Verse 2]
Freeze and thaw
No sound ground found
Fractures open
All around
[Pre-Chorus]
Step right this way
(See 1.5°C in Action)
It’s your lucky day
(We’re the main attraction)
[Chorus]
What to do
(When the glue)
Comes unstuck
(Out of luck)
But hey
(Say)
You get to see
(Manmade destiny)
See our grip
(Drip, drip, drip)
… behold!
(Lost our hold)
See the crack
(Hear the wack)
See it grow
(Now you know)
[Bridge]
The interesting part…
Isn’t simply
one tipping point.
It’s what happens
when systems
begin talking to each other.
And you know…
(Albedo.)
Oh dear!
(The atmosphere.)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Glue!
(Flew!)
Comes unstuck!
(What the phfff…)
Awe…
(Thaw!)
What the heck?
Feedback finds
Other kinds
Loop dee loop
(That’s the scoop)
Watch the story
Now unfold!
Rock!
(On!)
… on…
Rock!
(On!)
… on…
Slide!
(Slide!)
Flow!
(Now you know!)
See…
1.5°C…
In action.
[Pause]
No satisfaction
[Pause]
No retraction
[Whispered]
And that’s the facts.
[Build]
[Low Drums Enter]
Permafrost… lost
(At what cost)
[Response]
The glue…
… flew
[Response]
(Oh no!)
[Response]
Oh no, no, no
[Response]
(Oh, no know)
[Full Band]
See…
(When the mountains crumble to the sea!)
[Final Pre-Chorus]
Step right this way
(See 1.5°C in Action)
It’s your lucky day
(We’re the main attraction)
[Final Chorus]
What to do
(When the glue)
Comes unstuck
(Out of luck)
But hey
(Say)
You get to see
(Manmade destiny)
See it move
(See it slide)
See it flow
(See it ride)
And the mountains crumble
To the sea…
See?
Destabilizes
(Fluidizes)
Died…
(By liquefied)
The mass begins to move.
(Physics will prove)
And the feedbacks…
Keep walking the walk.
[Final Hit]
No talk, talk, talk
[Outro]
The glue comes unstuck…
[Pause]
What the phhfff…
(Heck!)
[Whispered]
(Introspect)
And the mountains…
Crumble to the sea.
See?
About the Song
See 1.5°C in Action: The Nepal–Tibet Glacial Collapse
The permafrost tipping point—and its feedbacks with other tipping points—is the most interesting part to me. Permafrost was kind of the glue holding everything together… until 1.5°C. Then the coupled feedbacks start feeding each other, and the whole system begins to unravel. And the mountains crumble to the sea… see? 😉
[Intro]
Humpty Dumpty…
Had a great fall.
But here’s the thing…
The fall…
Was the beginning of it all
[Verse 1]
Sitting high upon the wall
Didn’t think he’d ever fall
Solid mass
And standing tall
Till gravity
Would have it all
[Refrain]
Humpty Dumpty
(Had a great fall)
Can’t put ’em back together
(After all)
Not a matter of “whether”
Oh, can’t you see
(Humpty Dumpty)
[Verse 2]
Well…
First the shell
Hits the floor
Then comes more
Splattered yoke
Ain’t no joke
[Physics Breakdown]
[Music briefly strips to bass pulse and percussion]
Momentum…
[Spoken]
Mass times velocity.
(Ends in tragedy)
[Instrumental Hit]
[Refrain]
Humpty Dumpty
(Had a great fall)
Can’t put ’em back together
(After all)
Not a matter of “whether”
Oh, can’t you see
(Humpty Dumpty)
[Bridge]
A stationary egg
(On it’s last leg)
[Pause]
Into the valley.
Onto the ground.
Splat!
(Imagine that)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Mass!
(Mass!)
Velocity!
(Velocity!)
Put ’em together
That’s momentum, see!
I meant…
(Movement!)
Coming down!
(All around!)
Impact!
(Not intact!)
And of course…
(Force!)
Stop it!
(Stop it!)
Turn it!
(Turn it!)
Shake it
(Break it)
Moving mass!
(Moving fast!)
Nothing like
A stationary past!
Humpty…
[Whispered]
Had a great fall.
[Pause]
But…
[Low Response]
The fall wasn’t all.
[Pause]
The impact…
[Soft Response]
Splat!
[Build]
Collision…
Collision…
Collision…
[Full Band]
COLLISION!
[Final Refrain]
Humpty Dumpty
(Had a great fall)
Can’t put ’em back together
(After all)
Not a matter of “whether”
Oh, can’t you see
(Humpty Dumpty)
Humpty Dumpty
(Sat on a wall)
Humpty Dumpty
(Had a great fall)
[Final Hit]
HUMPTY DUMPTY!
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
[Pause]
Couldn’t put Humpty together again
(No, nowhere to begin)
Never together
(Again)
About the Song: The Fall Is Only the Beginning
The fluidization of the mass on the way down is remarkable physics. But the energy transfer at the bottom may be even more consequential.
The material did not strike the valley floor all at once.
The leading edge arrived first.
It collided with the valley floor and surrounding terrain, fractured, compressed, deformed, and began spreading. Behind it, enormous quantities of ice, rock, water, and sediment were still moving downhill.
That means the impact was not a single collision.
It was a cascading sequence of collisions.
The first material to arrive effectively became an impact surface for the material immediately behind it. The incoming mass continued transferring momentum into material that had already slowed, while the valley floor resisted the movement from below.
The basic relationship is:
p = mv
where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity.
Changing the momentum of an enormous mass requires an enormous force. The rate at which that momentum is transferred matters as well:
F = Δp / Δt
The shorter the time over which momentum is transferred, the greater the instantaneous force.
This is why the impact of a massive debris flow is fundamentally different from simply placing the same amount of material on the ground. A stationary mountain weighs an enormous amount, but its weight is distributed through relatively stable structures. A mountain in motion has momentum. When that momentum is suddenly redirected, compressed, fragmented, or stopped, enormous forces are generated.
[Verse 1]
Where does it go
When the fire dies?
Can you follow the flow
To where the energy rides?
[Pre-Chorus]
Heat in the pavement
Wind in the trees
Water keeps moving
Across the seas
The world keeps turning
Round and around
Energy shifting
As thoughts keep drifting
[Refrain]
Oh can’t you see…
(The energy)
Can’t be created
(Or destroyed)
Exasperated
Annoyed
(… or…)
Revitalization
Deployed
[Verse 2]
A mountain holds it
High in the air
Gravity’s waiting
Potential there
Then comes the falling
Down comes the stone
Potential transforms
Into motion alone
Heat from the friction
Sound from the crash
Light from the lightning
Energy in a flash
[Pre-Chorus]
Exasperation
Can turn into drive
Annoyance can signal
That something’s alive
A setback can become
A reason to try
A spark can become
A fire in the sky
[Refrain]
Oh can’t you see…
(The energy)
Can’t be created
(Or destroyed)
Exasperated
Annoyed
(… or…)
Revitalization
Deployed
[Bridge]
You can’t make it
Out of nothing
You can’t make it
Disappear
Can you redirect it
Transform it a bit
Just to be clear…
Can you make it useful here?
[Spoken]
Anger…
Into action.
Frustration…
Let it become invention.
Exhaustion…
A beacon… a signal
that something needs to change.
(Rearrange)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Energy!
(Transforming me!)
Moving through the system!
(Yes, “I am”)
Heat!
(To the beat!)
Motion!
(Notion!)
Potential waiting
For promotion!
Stored!
(Roared!)
Released!
Changed!
(Rearranged!)
Reconfigured!
(Go figure)
Nothing lost!
(Nothing gained!)
Just not… quite the same!
… keeps
Moving on!
(And on and on and on)
Exasperated!
(Annoyed!)
Turn it into motion!
Revitalization!
(Deployed!)
Set the energy
In a new direction!
Change the form!
(Change the norm!)
Change the direction!
(Change the introspection!)
Take the frustration…
And make it…
REVITALIZATION!
[Final Refrain]
Oh can’t you see…
(The energy)
Can’t be created
(Or destroyed)
Exasperated
Annoyed
(… or…)
Revitalization
Deployed
The question isn’t…
Where did the energy go?
The question is…
What form did it take?
(What impression did it make)
And what will we do…
(I’m asking you)
[Final Hit]
THE ENERGY!
(Certainty)
Can’t be created…
Can’t be destroyed…
Only transformed…
Redirected…
And…
Deployed.
About the Song
🌎⚡ ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATED OR DESTROYED
So where does all that extra energy in the climate system go?
It doesn’t disappear.
It moves. 🌊💨💧🌀🧊🌱
The oceans absorb enormous amounts of heat. The atmosphere transports energy and moisture. Evaporation moves latent heat. Storms redistribute energy through intense precipitation. Ocean currents carry heat across the planet. Ice melts. Land heats and dries. Ecosystems respond.
And the greenhouse effect changes the planet’s energy balance—leaving more energy within the Earth system before it can ultimately escape to space.
450–500+ ZJ
🌡️ Accumulated excess energy
14–16 ZJ / YEAR
⚡ Approximate additional energy absorbed annually
The important question isn’t simply “How much has the temperature risen?”
It is: How is the increase in energy hitting you with extreme weather events?
When energy moves through steep temperature, pressure, and moisture gradients, the climate system can unleash:
But the underlying story is the same: energy is moving, transforming, and being redistributed through the Earth system.
The energy doesn’t disappear — IT MOVES.
Backyard Experiments
How Is the Climate Energy Hitting You? is a collection of backyard experiments conducted in conjunction with you—the reader. The goal is simple: to look at how the increased energy in the climate system is showing up in our everyday lives.
Is it becoming more extreme, more frequent, and more persistent? Are the changes becoming stranger—or even disturbing?
See: 🌎⚡How Is Climate Energy Hitting You? The Backyard Experiments
[Verse 1]
Started at the top
Didn’t think we’d move
Just a little push
Just a little groove
Gravity was waiting
Patient as can be
One little nudge
And suddenly…
We’re moving faster
Down the line
Picking up momentum
One step at a time
What looked so small
At the start of the ride
Has become something
You can’t push aside
[Pre-Chorus]
Round and round
Down we go
Faster now
Than we know
What begins
As all alone
Can become
A force of its own
[Refrain]
Gonna hit ya…
(Like a rolling stone)
Ya…
(Too late to moan)
Yes, indeed…
(As it gathers speed)
The momentum…
(Is really somethin’)
Roll…
(Roll, baby, roll)
Still…
(Rolling down the hill)
[Verse 2]
All that energy
Waiting on high
Stored in the scenery
Under the sky
Then gravity says
“Let it go”
And suddenly
Watch ‘er flow
[Pre-Chorus]
Round and round
Down we go
Faster now
Than we know
Mass in motion
Changes things
Momentum has
Its own set of wings
[Refrain]
Gonna hit ya…
(Like a rolling stone)
Ya…
(Too late to moan)
Yes, indeed…
(As it gathers speed)
The momentum…
(Is really somethin’)
Roll…
(Roll, baby, roll)
Still…
(Rolling down the hill)
[Bridge]
… falling
(A moving mass)
Calling…
(Better move out fast)
While the choices last…
And when the time
Gets smaller and smaller
It’s time you’ll find…
The pitfalls of “taller”
[Spoken]
Mass times velocity.
(Oh the simplicity)
Of course…
(An enormous force)
Gonna hit ya…
Like a rolling stone.
You saw it coming…
[Response]
You’re not along
[Pause]
But once it starts…
[Low Response]
It’s moving.
One stone…
(Grooving)
Rock…
(Moving)
Rock…
(Proving)
A new grooving.
[Final Refrain]
Gonna hit ya…
(Like a rolling stone)
Ya…
(Too late to moan)
Yes, indeed…
(As it gathers speed)
The momentum…
(Is really somethin’)
Roll…
(Roll, baby, roll)
Still…
(Rolling down the hill)
[Final Hit]
ROLL!
Roll, baby, roll…
Still rolling down the hill…
Like a rolling stone.
(Loss of freewill?)
[Verse 1]
We had the moment
We had the chance
A door was open
We could’ve advanced
We saw the warning
But looked away
Thinking tomorrow
Would be another day
Time kept moving
We let it pass
Held onto shadows
And watched them last
The future whispered
But we didn’t hear
Now looking backward
The message is clear
[Refrain]
The thought still lingers
(Has the opportunity…)
Slipped through our fingers
(Should’ve thought prudently)
[Verse 2]
We measured the cost
But forgot the price
Mistook convenience
For something called nice
We waited for certainty
Before we’d decide
While uncertainty
Was standing outside
Then suddenly
Years disappear
And what seemed distant
Is already here
[Refrain]
The thought still lingers
(Has the opportunity…)
Slipped through our fingers
(Should’ve thought prudently)
[Bridge]
Prudence isn’t fear
It’s seeing what may come near
… knowing that tomorrow
Is built on what we’ve done
You don’t have to know
Exactly where you’ll go
You only have to recognize
The direction that you know
Opportunity!
(See reality!)
Knocking at the door!
Yesterday!
(Fades away!)
Think ahead!
(Instead)
Look around!
What we lose
May not be found!
Wait!
(Wait!)
Too late!
That’s the price
Of tempting fate!
Reach!
(Reach!)
Hold tight!
Do what’s prudent
While we’ve got the light!
The thought still lingers…
What if?
We would’ve moved?
Improved…
Changed our groove
A moment…
A chance…
A warning…
A glance…
[Final Refrain]
The thought still lingers
(Has the opportunity…)
Slipped through our fingers
(Should’ve thought prudently)
The lesson isn’t
that we lost the opportunity.
The lesson…
Is recognizing
the next one
before another day slips away.
HOLD ON!
The thought still lingers…
The opportunity…
Slipped through our fingers
Clearly.