Raising the Bar

[Silence]
[Instrumental, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Organ, Synth]

[Intro]
[Instrumental Intro: Bright Garage-Rock Guitar, Driving Bass, Punchy Drums, Hammond Organ Stabs and Rising Analog Synth]
[Spoken Vocal]
Raise it…
(Why?)
Raise the bar.
(But how high…)
Can we go?
(Do you know?)

[Verse 1]
One more step
One more climb
Move the marker
One more time

Set the standard
Set the pace
Push the limit
Change the race

Yesterday
Was yesterday
Tomorrow
Moves away

What we thought
Was far enough
Suddenly
Is gettin’ tough

[Refrain]
Raising the bar
(Sound bizarre)
Gonna see how far
(We push, push, push)

Gotta raise the bar
(To accommodate the state)
… the state we’re in…
(Begin!)

[Verse 2]
Heat goes up
Water climbs
Storms arrive
At different times

Old assumptions
Lose their grip
When the system
Starts to shift

What was rare
Becomes routine
What was distant
Now is seen

Adaptation
Isn’t fear
It’s responding
To what’s already here

[Instrumental]
[Electric Guitar Solo: Energetic Blues-Rock Lead With Wah-Wah, Hammond Organ, Synth Arpeggios and Driving Drums]
[Bridge]
The bar was built
For yesterday

Yesterday
Is gone

If the baseline
Moves beneath us

Then the baseline
Must move on

[Rap Vocal Break]
Raise the standard
Raise the floor
Measure more
Of what’s in store
Don’t pretend
The old scale
Still explains
Your fairytale

New data
(New day)
New limits
(New way)

New conditions
Need knew vision

Don’t wait
Until the water
Reaches the door
(No, we can’t wait any more!)

[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Bass, Sparse Piano and Percussion]
Raising the bar…

Sound bizarre…

How far?

[Whispered]
The state we’re in…

Begin.

[Final Refrain]
Raising the bar
(Sound bizarre)
Gonna see just how far
(We can push, push, push)
… push the lush

Gotta raise the bar
(To accommodate the state)
… the state we’re in…
(Begin!)

[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Full Band Crescendo With Electric Guitar, Bass, Hammond Organ, Synth and Heavy Drums; Sudden Stop]
Raise…

The bar…

Push…

[Spoken, fading]
Accommodate…

The modern state.

From the album Robust