[Silence]
[Instrumental, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Hammond Organ, Synth]
[Intro]
[Instrumental Intro: Low Atmospheric Synth, Distant Guitar Harmonics, Deep Bass Pulse and Sparse Drums; Gradually Building Tension]
[Spoken Vocal]
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)
[Instrumental]
[Progressive-Rock Instrumental: Driving Guitar Riff, Heavy Bass, Rolling Drums, Hammond Organ and Rising Synth; Increasingly Complex Rhythmic Layers]
[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!)
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Deep Bass, Soft Piano and Distant Guitar Feedback]
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?
[Climactic Instrumental]
[Extended Progressive-Rock Finale: Massive Guitar, Hammond Organ, Synth, Bass and Drums; Rising Harmonic Tension Resolves Into a Descending Guitar Figure Mimicking a Mountain Collapse]
[Spoken Over Instrumental]
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]
[Instrumental Outro: Guitar Feedback and Low Synth Fade Into Wind and Distant Rumble]
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? 😉
From the album “Fluidization“