[Arrangement: Dark, driving piano-rock / organ-rock anthem. Starts with a sparse piano and bass pulse, builds into pounding drums, distorted guitar, and a huge call-and-response chorus.]
[Intro]
Cash register ringing…
(Cha-ching!)
Hear that sound?
(Going down!)
[Verse 1]
We put a price on everything
From the mountain to the sea
Put a dollar sign on tomorrow
And called it “free”
[Chorus]
Liquidation sale!
(Epic fail!)
Everything must go!
(What little we know!)
The mighty dollar
(Holler:)
Hail!
(Liquidation sale!)
Sell the future
(Sell it cheap!)
Dig it deeper
(While we sleep!)
… with the sheep
Liquidation sale!
(Going, going, gone!)
The sky is calling (falling)
We’ve been calling too long!
[Verse 2]
Heat waves in the marketplace
Floodwater through the door
Insurance walking out the back
Saying, “We don’t cover anymore”
[Chorus]
Liquidation sale!
(Moral of the tale?)
Everything must go!
(Everything we know!)
The mighty dollar
(Holler:)
Hail!
(Liquidation sale!)
Sell the future
(Sell it cheap!)
Dig it deeper (deep, deep, deep)
While we sleep…
(With fellow sheep)
Liquidation sale!
(Going, going, gone!)
The sky is calling
(We’ve been calling too long!)
… falling, calling, falling…
[Refrain]
The mighty dollar
(Holler:)
Hail!
(Liquidation sale)
Fear the atmosphere
(That you ignore)
Same ole song…
(Not for long)
No, no more!
[Bridge]
The mighty dollar
(Holler:)
Hail!
(Liquidation sale)
Fear the atmosphere
(That you ignore)
Same ole song…
(Not for long)
No, no more!
(Whoa-oh!)
The price is rising
(Not surprising!)
The cost no longer hidden
(The apple… bitten)
… the bill’s comes due…
[Breakdown]
For me n’ you
Going once!
(Once!)
Going twice!
(Twice!)
Sold to the highest bidder!
(Who?)
Sold the future!
(That’s you)
… for sure…
Going once!
(Going once!)
Going twice!
(Going twice!)
Sold!
(His story told)
[Instrumental]
[Pounding piano / organ riff]
Hail!
(Hail!)
Hail!
(Hail!)
The mighty dollar!
(The mighty dollar!)
But who will save us
(When the sale is over?)
… we’ll discover
[Final Chorus]
The mighty dollar
(Holler:)
Hail!
(Liquidation sale!)
No more hiding
(No more lies!)
No more selling
(Our demise!)
Liquidation sale!
(Going, going, gone!)
The sky is calling
(Hey! I’m falling!)
No more “same ole song”
(We’ve been calling too long!)
Liquidation sale!
(Liquidation sale!)
The final warning bell!
(The final warning bell!)
You can sell the future
(Still… you can’t escape the bill!)
[Final Refrain]
The mighty dollar
(Holler:)
Hail!
(Liquidation sale!)
[Silence]
[Instrumental, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Hammond Organ, Synth]
[Intro]
[Instrumental Intro: Heavy Guitar Riff, Deep Bass, Slow Building Drums, Hammond Organ and Dark Synth; Tension Increasing Like a Mountain About to Break Loose]
[Spoken Vocal]
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)
[Instrumental]
[Heavy Progressive-Rock Instrumental: Distorted Guitar, Tremolo Bass, Huge Drums, Hammond Organ and Metallic Percussion; Repeating Collision Motif]
[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!
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Piano, Low Bass and Distant Guitar Feedback]
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)
[Climactic Instrumental]
[Extended Guitar Solo: Crushing Progressive-Rock Lead Over Massive Drums, Hammond Organ, Bass and Synth; Rhythmic Impacts Mimic Cascading Collisions]
[Spoken Over Instrumental]
Humpty Dumpty
(Sat on a wall)
Humpty Dumpty
(Had a great fall)
[Final Hit]
HUMPTY DUMPTY!
[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Heavy Guitar Chord Repeats While Bass Descends; Drums Gradually Fade Into Distant Impact Sounds]
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.
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? 😉
[Instrumental, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Hammond Organ, Synth]
[Intro]
[Instrumental Intro: Deep Distorted Guitar, Heavy Bass Pulse, Slow Crushing Drums, Hammond Organ and Low Synth; Gradually Building Like a Mass Beginning to Move]
[Spoken Vocal]
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
[Instrumental]
[Heavy Progressive-Rock Groove: Distorted Guitar Riff, Tremolo Bass, Floor Toms, Hammond Organ and Metallic Percussion; Rhythm Becomes Increasingly Fluid and Syncopated]
[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!)
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Deep Bass, Sparse Guitar Harmonics and Water-Like Synth Pulses]
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…
[Full Band]
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)
[Climactic Instrumental]
[Extended Guitar Solo: Crushing Progressive-Rock Lead With Hammond Organ, Deep Bass and Massive Drums; Rhythmic Layers Accelerate and Then Suddenly Stop]
[Spoken Over Final Riff]
… what started as a mountain…
(No longer is certain)
[Final Hit]
WET CEMENT!
(Left a dent)
[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Low Guitar Feedback, Distant Thunderous Drums, Bass Pulse and Fading Water Texture]
[Silence]
[Instrumental, Electric Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Hammond Organ, Synth]
[Intro]
[Instrumental Intro: Slow, Dreamy Guitar Arpeggio, Warm Bass, Soft Drums, Hammond Organ Swells and Airy Synth]
[Spoken Vocal]
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!)
[Instrumental]
[Progressive-Rock Guitar Solo: Singing Lead Guitar Over Driving Bass, Rolling Drums, Hammond Organ and Rising Synth]
[Bridge]
Oh… oh can’t you see
(I’m falling for you)
Self-fulfilling destiny
(Heavy? Must be gravity)
[Rap Vocal Break]
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!)
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Piano, Acoustic Guitar and Soft Bass]
Oh…
Can’t you see?
[Whispered]
I’m falling for you.
[Pause]
Self-fulfilling destiny…
[Soft Response]
Heavy?
[Pause]
It’s gravity.
[Build]
[Drums enter gradually; Bass and Hammond Organ rise]
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!)
[Climactic Instrumental]
[Full Band Progressive-Rock Surge: Electric Guitar, Bass, Hammond Organ, Synth and Huge Drums; Guitar bends upward while the rhythm drives downward]
[Spoken Over Instrumental]
Potential (our energy)
Kinetic (strategy)
A little change…
… accelerates…
At amazing rates
(Our first and last dates)
[Final Hit]
GRAVITY!
(See?)
[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Guitar and Hammond Organ sustain over a descending bass line; final soft piano chord]
[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
[Instrumental]
[Heavy Progressive-Rock Instrumental: Distorted Guitar, Tremolo Synth, Deep Bass, Tom-Heavy Drums and Metallic Percussion; Rhythm Accelerates as the Mass Begins to Move]
[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
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops Suddenly to Deep Bass, Sparse Piano and Pulsing Low Synth]
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!)
[Full Band Explosion]
FLUIDIZATION!
(Realization)
[Final Refrain]
Under strain
(Racks the brain)
Pure potential
(… the inevitable)
Fluidization
(Try to liquefy)
Realization
(It did… solid defy)
From the mountain
To the valley
Feel the energy flow!
[Climactic Instrumental]
[Extended Electric Guitar and Synth Solo: Massive Progressive-Rock Build; Bass and Drums Accelerate; Layered Percussion Mimics Rockfall, Water and Debris]
[Spoken Over Instrumental]
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
[Final Refrain]
Under strain
(Racks the brain)
Pure potential
(… the inevitable)
Fluidization
(Try to liquefy)
Realization
(It did… solid defy)
[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Deep Bass Pulse, Slow Guitar Feedback, Hammond Organ and Fading Water-Like Synth Textures]
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.
[Final Refrain]
Busted
(But not broken)
Trusted
(Keep on stokin’)
[Final Chorus]
Busted!
(Busted!)
Still alive
Rusted!
(Rusted!)
Still got drive
Bent!
(Bent!)
Scars!
(Upon scars)
Still reaching
For the stars
Busted!
(Busted!)
But not broken!
[Outro]
Busted…
Rusted…
Still stokin’…
[Spoken, fading]
Not broken.
Raising the Bar
[Intro]
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
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]
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]
Raise…
The bar…
Push…
[Spoken, fading]
Accommodate…
The modern state.
It’s a Must
[Intro]
It’s a must…
(Find a way)
Not someday.
(Justice or bust)
[Verse 1]
We bent the frame
We pushed too far
Forgot how fragile
Systems are
Took what worked
And took some more
Till the warning
Reached the door
[Refrain]
It’s a must
(Find our way back to robust)
It’s a must
(Making justice just)
[Chorus]
It’s a must!
(Kick of the dust)
Find our way back
To robust
It’s a must!
(Forego lust!)
Make the future
More just
(… for sure)
[Verse 2]
Justice isn’t
Taking more
Justice isn’t
Blood and gore
[Bridge]
Robust!
(Essence of resilience)
Justice!
(Forget vengeance)
[Rap Vocal Break]
It’s a must
Not a threat
It’s a must
Not a regret
Change the signal
Send it out to all
Put the power
In your hand
(… to understand)
Break the cycle
Break the spell
(Make ill well)
[Breakdown]
It’s a must…
(Pick up the slack)
Find our way back…
To robust.
[Whispered]
Making…
Justice…
Just.
[Final Refrain]
It’s a must
(Find our way back to robust)
It’s a must
(Making justice just)
[Final Chorus]
It’s a must!
(It’s a must!)
Just…
(Justice!)
It’s a must!
(It’s a must!)
Find our way
Back to robust
[Outro]
Continues Underneath]
Robust…
Just…
Justice…
[Spoken, fading]
It’s not enough
to survive.
We must…
Thrive.
Vigorous
[Intro]
You got vigor?
I got vigor.
You got vigor?
Let us… (get vigorous!)
[Verse 1]
Wake it up
Shake it loose
Find the spark
Find the juice
Heart beats
Feet move
Find a rhythm
Find your groove
Don’t wait
For the perfect time
Don’t wait
For the perfect sign
Life is moving
Can’t you see?
Get up
And come with me!
[Pre-Chorus]
Kick!
(Kick!)
Move!
(Move!)
Push!
(Push!)
Prove!
Feel!
(Feel!)
The groove!
[Refrain]
Kick the vigor
(In all of us)
Get vigorous
(Are you serious?)
Get vigorous
(Simultaneous)
Seriously
(Simultaneously)
… the vigorous in all of us
[Verse 2]
Strong isn’t
Just muscle and bone
It’s the will
To make it known
[Bridge]
Seriously!
(Seriously!)
Simultaneously!
(Simultaneously!)
Not just one
(Won’t be won)
But all of us
(All of us)
(Vigor… us)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Kick the vigor
Kick it harder
Turn the spark
Into a starter
Don’t confuse
The word “vigorous”
With pretending
Nothing’s dangerous
Vigor means
You’re ready
Ready to adapt
Ready to move
Ready to act
Health
(Strength)
Life
(Length)
Kick the vigor
(In all of us)
Get vigorous
(Are you serious?)
Get vigorous
(Simultaneous)
Seriously
(Simultaneously)
… the vigorous in all of us
[Breakdown]
Get vigorous…
Are you serious?
Seriously…
Simultaneously…
[Whispered]
The vigorous…
In all of us.
[Final Refrain]
Kick the vigor
(In all of us)
Get vigorous
(Are you serious?)
Get vigorous
(Simultaneous)
Seriously
(Simultaneously)
… the vigorous in all of us
Heart!
(Heart!)
Mind!
(Mind!)
Body!
(Body!)
All aligned!
Get vigorous!
(Get vigorous!)
Seriously!
Simultaneously!
(Simultaneously!)
The vigorous
(In all of us)
[Outro]
Vigor!
Vigorous!
Seriously…
[Spoken, fading]
(Unaware?)
It’s in there.
(We can choose)
… to kick it loose.
Feeling Good
[Intro]
Do you wish we could?
Feel good…
You know we should.
(… if we would…)
[Verse 1]
Wake up in the morning
Open up the door
Feel the air around you
Like you never did before
Sunlight on the window
Feet upon the floor
Singin’ “ray, me, doe”
Doesn’t have to cost any more
[Pre-Chorus]
Breathe!
(Breathe!)
Move!
(Move!)
Smile!
(Smile!)
Stay awhile!
[Refrain]
Do you wish we could
(Feel good)
You know we should
(Feel good)
Feelin’ good
(Feelin’ good)
Feelin’ good
… like ya know we could
[Verse 2]
Less stuff in the closet
Less clutter in the mind
Less running after something
You were never gonna find
[Bridge]
Do you need it?
(Need it?)
Or wanna feed it?
(Why not concede it?)
… finding balance
Every chance
Sing our song
… do the dance
Not just money
(Not just cash)
But the things
That truly last
And, before you depart…
Start!
From the heart!
Do you wish we could
(Feel good)
You know we should
(Feel good)
Feelin’ good
(Feelin’ good)
Feelin’ good
… like ya know we could
[Breakdown]
Do you wish we could…
Feel good?
[Whispered]
You know we should…
Feel good.
[Final Refrain]
Do you wish we could
(Feel good)
You know we should
(Feel good)
Feelin’ good
(Feelin’ good)
Feelin’ good
… like ya know we could
[Outro]
Feeling good…
Feelin’ good…
Like ya knew we could.
[Spoken, fading]
And, man…
We still can.
Blow Off the Dust
[Intro]
Been sitting around?
Missing the sound?
Well…
Blow it off!
[Verse 1]
Cobwebs on the ceiling
Dust upon the floor
Been waiting for a reason
To open up the door
Stretch your arms
Move your feet
Find yourself
A different beat
[Pre-Chorus]
Up!
(Up!)
Get out!
(Get out!)
Move!
(Move!)
About!
[Refrain]
Blow off the dust
(Shake off the rust)
Get up and move about
(Shout!)
Dance at the chance
[Chorus]
Blow off the dust!
(Blow it off!)
Shake off the rust!
(Shake it off!)
Get your body moving
Get your spirit grooving
Dance!
(Dance!)
At the chance!
Life is waiting
Don’t sit still
Find your rhythm
Find your will
[Verse 2]
Maybe you’ve been waiting
For the world to change
Maybe you’ve been thinking
Life should rearrange
Walk outside
Feel the air
Turn around
There’s life out there
[Bridge]
Rust isn’t destiny
(Dust isn’t home)
Stillness isn’t energy
(Get up and roam)
You don’t have to run
(You don’t have to race)
Just put a little motion
Back into the place
[Rap Vocal Break]
Shake it
(Don’t break it)
Move it
(Improve it)
Stand up
(Speak up)
Turn the volume
Way up!
More movement
More light
A lot more laughter
Feels alright
Don’t wait
For motivation
Motion can create
The inspiration
Blow off the dust
(Shake off the rust)
Get up and move about
(Shout!)
Dance at the chance
[Breakdown]
Blow off…
The dust.
Shake off…
The rust.
[Whispered]
Get up…
Move about…
OK (play)
… and shout!
(Shout)
[Final Refrain]
Blow off the dust
(Shake off the rust)
Get up and move about
(Shout!)
Dance at the chance
[Final Chorus]
Blow off the dust!
(Blow it off!)
Shake off the rust!
(Shake it off!)
Get up!
(Get up!)
Move about!
(Move about!)
Shout!
(Shout!)
Dance!
(Dance!)
Dance at the chance!
[Outro]
Blow it off!
Shake it off!
Get up!
Move about!
[Spoken, fading]
Dance at the chance.
Roundabout Way
[Intro]
Round and round…
We go.
But I swear…
(… are we getting anywhere?)
[Verse 1]
Take the long way
Take the short
Make a turn
Change of course
(Of course…)
Left at the corner
Right at the light
Going around
Blind in the night
[Pre-Chorus]
Turn!
(Turn!)
Back!
(Back!)
Left!
(Left!)
Right!
Where does the road
Lead tonight?
[Refrain]
In a roundabout way
(Or come on… head on?)
What would you say
(Is in the way?)
[Chorus]
Roundabout way!
(Round and round!)
Are we lost
Or are we found?
Roundabout way!
(Leave or stay?)
… or maybe another day
Going around
(’round n’ ’round)
[Verse 2]
We chase the shortcut
We chase the prize
Run in circles
And wonder why
[Refrain]
In a roundabout way
(Or come on… head on?)
What would you say
(Is in the way?)
[Bridge]
Head on!
(Head on!)
Or turn away?
(Roundabout!)
What would you say
(or are you still in doubt?)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Roundabout
(Roundabout)
Turn it around
(Without a doubt)
Look at the problem
From the other side now
(Roundabout)
Left lane
(Right lane)
Slow down
(Change lane)
Is the smartest move
(What you cannot prove)
Don’t confuse
Going fast
With getting there
Don’t confuse
More pressure
With better care
In a roundabout way
(Come on… head on?)
What would you say
(Come on! Come on!)
Then change direction
Change the flow
Give the future
Room to grow
[Breakdown]
In a roundabout way…
In a roundabout way
(Come on… head on!)
Hear what we say
(Come on! Come on!)
[Whispered]
What would you say…
Is in the way?
[Final Refrain]
In a roundabout way
(Or come on… head on?)
What would you say
(Is in the way?)
Round…
About…
Way…
[Spoken, fading]
In a roundabout way
(Been there and back today)
Wouldn’t you say
(Come on! Come on!)
Sing along…
(Come on! Come on!)
Mountains Crumble to the Sea
[Intro]
They look permanent…
They aren’t.
Stone remembers.
Ice forgets.
Tumbling… (our regrets)
[Verse 1]
High above the water
Where the frozen mountains stand
Ice has held the pieces
… a giant steady hand
Rock begins to wander
Snow begins to slide
Gravity is waiting
On the mountain’s other side
[Refrain]
Can you see…
(When mountains crumble to the sea)
A giant tsunami
(Can come to be)
[Chorus]
Mountains crumble
Mountains fall
Gravity can move it all
Mountains crumble
To the sea
What was solid
Moves suddenly
Energy!
(Energy!)
Hitting you
(Hitting me)
[Verse 2]
Rock and ice came crashing
From the mountain to the bay
Water rose six hundred feet
And violently gave way
Nine days of oscillation
Nine days of water’s sway
A mountain’s fall became a signal
That the whole Earth could display
[Instrumental]
[Bridge]
One thing moves
Then another
Ice!
(Ice!)
Rock!
(Rock!)
Water!
(Water!)
Wave!
(Wave!)
Gravity!
(Gravity!)
Energy!
(Energy!)
[Spoken Vocal]
Can you see…
(When mountains crumble to the sea)
A giant tsunami
(Can come to be)
Seiche.
[Rap Vocal Break]
That’s the cascade
That’s the chain
Freeze the mountain
Melt the frame
Water enters
Fractures grow
Gravity says
“Let it go”
Stored energy
Waiting there
Twenty-five million cubic meters
In the air
Then the mountain
Isn’t there
And the sea
Comes back at me
Wave goes up
Wave comes down
Fjord becomes
A shaking ground
Nine days
Nine nights
Global instruments
See the lights
Not a myth
Not a tale
A mountain fell
And left a trail
[Breakdown]
Can you see?
When mountains crumble…
To the sea?
[Soft Response]
A giant tsunami…
Can come to be.
[Final Refrain]
Can you see…
(When mountains crumble to the sea)
A giant tsunami
(Can come to be)
[Final Chorus]
Mountains crumble
Mountains fall
Gravity can move it all
Mountains crumble
To the sea
What looks permanent
Can suddenly flee
Can you see?
(Can you see?)
[Final Bridge]
Cryosphere!
(Hydrosphere!)
Lithosphere!
(All together!)
Ice to water
Water to wave
Mountain to ocean
Grave to grave
A giant…
[Pause]
…wave.
[Final Refrain]
Can you see…
(When mountains crumble to the sea)
A giant tsunami
(Can come to be)
[Outro]
Mountains crumble…
To the sea…
Gravity waits…
Patiently.
[Spoken, fading]
The mountain doesn’t have to prove…
(It only has to move.)
About the Song
Mountains may look permanent. They are not.
Across Alaska, Greenland, Norway, Chile, New Zealand, and the European Alps, glaciers are retreating, permafrost is thawing, and mountain slopes that were stabilized by ice for centuries or millennia are becoming increasingly unstable.
The result is a dangerous transformation of the high mountains: rockfalls, landslides, glacier collapses, debris flows, and landslide-generated tsunamis.
These are not simply isolated geological curiosities. They are examples of a larger climate-driven interaction among the cryosphere—the frozen part of the Earth system—the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere. As ice disappears, water enters places where it previously could not. As frozen ground thaws, fractures that were once reinforced by ice can weaken. As glaciers retreat, steep slopes can lose part of the support and confinement that helped stabilize them.
The mountains can begin to crumble.
And when they do, enormous amounts of stored gravitational energy can suddenly become kinetic energy.
A Mountain Can Become a Climate Hazard
One of the clearest examples occurred in East Greenland in September 2023.
A massive rock-and-ice avalanche, involving approximately 25 million cubic meters of material, plunged into Dickson Fjord. The impact generated an initial tsunami with a runup of approximately 200 meters—about 650 feet. The confined fjord then acted like a gigantic bathtub, allowing the water to oscillate back and forth as a seiche.
That oscillation continued for nine days.
The movement was powerful enough to generate seismic waves detectable around the world. Scientists eventually determined that the mysterious nine-day signal recorded by seismometers globally was produced by the fjord’s oscillating water.
In other words, a climate-related change in a glacierized mountain landscape produced a chain reaction:
Glacial thinning → slope destabilization → rock-and-ice avalanche → tsunami → seiche → global seismic signal
[Verse 1]
Out along the fence line
Growing where it can
Roots down in the rocky soil
Standing where it stands
Didn’t need permission
Didn’t need a plan
Wind blew from the direction
Of where man made a stand
[Refrain]
The locust
(Is robust)
A thorn
(Thrust)
A torn born
[Chorus]
Black locust!
(… into me you thrust!)
Thorn upon the stem
Tough enough to weather
What is thrown at them
The locust
(Is robust)
A thorn
(Thrust)
A torn born
[Verse 2]
Maple in the garden
Oak beside the way
Sycamore and walnut
Growing day by day
Tulip poplar reaching
Toward the open sky
Evergreen beside it
Take a breath… sigh (Sigh)
[Bridge]
One may struggle
One may thrive
Together
We can keep ourselves alive
[Rap Vocal Break]
The locust
(Is robust)
A thorn
(Thrust)
A torn born
Poplar!
(Is popular)
Watch it grow
(Watch it go, go, go)
All ya need to know
(Watch it grow)
Watch it go, go, go
(go, go, go)
[Breakdown]
The locust
(Is robust)
A thorn
(Thrust)
A torn born
The locust…
… robust.
[Whispered]
A thorn…
Thrust…
A torn born.
[Final Refrain]
The locust
(Is robust)
A thorn
(Thrust)
A torn born
[Outro]
The locust…
for life lust…
A thorn…
Thrust…
[Spoken, fading]
Lush… (with the locust)
About the Song: Selecting Trees
A diverse mixture of trees provides the greatest resilience.
Both deciduous and evergreen (conifer) species should be included whenever practical.
Whenever possible, native species should be prioritized because they support local wildlife, require less maintenance, and are naturally adapted to regional conditions.
Nature often contributes to the experiment as well. Birds, squirrels, and the wind frequently plant volunteer seedlings that can be transplanted into containers.
During the Pennsylvania experiment, naturally occurring species included:
Black locust
Red and Japanese maples
Oak
Sycamore
Black walnut
Tulip poplar
The Black Locust
One of the most promising candidates for future forests is the black locust. Reaching heights of up to 100 feet and lifespans of 75-90 years, black locusts combine durability, rapid growth, and climate resilience. Their wood is exceptionally strong — with a Janka hardness of approximately 1,700 lbf, rivaling or exceeding that of white oak and golden teak. Their natural resistance to rot, ability to recover from damage, and tolerance of heat and drought make them remarkably suited for 21st-century conditions. Black locust sprouts vigorously from stumps and roots after cutting or damage. As hardwoods that also fix nitrogen, locusts help rebuild soils damaged by erosion and extreme rainfall.
[Instrumental Intro: Mysterious Electric Guitar Arpeggio, Warm Bass, Light Drums, Hammond Organ and Atmospheric Synth]
[Spoken Vocal]
Where about?
Where are we going?
(With no one knowning)
Where have we been?
(Tell me again)
And where…
Are we now?
(Wow!)
[Verse 1]
Lost somewhere between the lines
Looking for a place to stand
Following a trail of signs
Trying hard to understand
North is south
And up is down
Signals flying all around
[Refrain]
Where about
(Are your whereabouts)
Oh, don’t cry n’ pout
(We’ll figure it out)
Everyone shouts:
(Beyond a doubt!)
[Verse 2]
A map can show the road ahead
A compass points the way
But neither tells you what to do
With choices made today
You can wander
(You can wonder)
You can wait
(Hesitate)
You can change
(Rearrange)
Your destination
Before it’s too late
(At any rate)
[Instrumental]
[Electric Guitar Solo: Atmospheric Progressive-Rock Lead With Delay, Hammond Organ Swells, Warm Bass and Rolling Drums]
[Saxophone Solo]
[Bridge]
Where are we?
[Pause]
Right here.
Where do we go?
(Do you know)
[Pause]
That’s the question.
(Up for suggestion)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Whereabouts!
(Whereabouts!)
Check it out
(Check it out!)
Don’t mistake
A shout for doubt
Find the facts
(Find the facts!)
Find the track
(Find the track!)
If you lose your way
Then circle back
Left?
(Left!)
Right?
(Right!)
Which direction
Feels right?
(Into the light)
Stop!
(Stop!)
Think!
(Think!)
Before you jump
To the brink
Everybody shouting
(Beyond a doubt!)
But certainty
Can still be wrong
Figure out
(Work it out!)
What the evidence
Is about
Then move along!
(And join in song)
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Acoustic Guitar, Bass and Sparse Piano]
Where about…
[Whispered]
Are your whereabouts?
Oh, don’t cry…
[Soft Response]
Don’t pout.
[Lead Vocal]
We’ll figure…
[Response]
… out why!
[Build]
Everyone shouts…
[Big Vocal]
Beyond a doubt!
[Final Refrain]
Where about
(Are your whereabouts)
Oh, don’t cry n’ pout
(We’ll figure it out)
Everyone shouts:
(Beyond a doubt!)
[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Full Band Builds Into a Driving Groove; Guitar and Hammond Organ Trade Short Phrases Before the Music Fades]
[Instrumental, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano, Organ, Synth]
[Intro]
[Instrumental Intro: Quirky Electric Guitar, Bouncy Bass, Tight Drums, Hammond Organ Stabs and Curious Synth Motif]
[Spoken Vocal]
Bewildered?
(Good.)
That means
there’s something
(… you could)
[Verse 1]
When the answers don’t come easy
And the picture isn’t clear
Don’t run away from questions
Let curiosity appear
A puzzle on the table
A riddle in the air
The stranger something seems to be
The more you want to stare
Don’t settle for the simple
Don’t settle for the sure
The question keeps you moving
Mystery is to explore
[Refrain]
Bewildered
(Seek the answers)
Be wildered
(Mind dancers)
… find the answers…
(See curiosity)
Be wildered!
[Chorus]
Be wildered!
(Be bewildered!)
Let your mind run free
Be wildered!
(Be bewildered!)
[Verse 2]
The Earth can keep you guessing
The weather changes fast
A pattern may look certain
Until the pattern doesn’t last
So when the pieces shift
And the old ideas collide
Don’t close your eyes and call it noise
Go see what rises with the tide
[Instrumental]
[Electric Guitar Solo: Playful Progressive-Rock Lead With Hammond Organ, Syncopated Bass, Drums and Synth Countermelody]
[Bridge]
(Set the pace)
… the space
Between the question…
(The suggestion)
[Rap Vocal Break]
Be wildered!
(Be bewildered!)
Wild your mind
(Wild your mind!)
Leave the easy answers
Far behind
Find why!
(Go… try!)
Ask when!
(… then…)
Ask what happens
If we try again
Curious!
(Curious!)
Serious!
(Serious!)
Maybe being puzzled
Makes us wiser
Turn it round
(Turn it round!)
Begin
(Look again!)
New game
(New name)
Let the knowing…
(Get growing)
[Breakdown]
[Music Drops to Acoustic Guitar, Bass and Soft Piano]
Bewildered…
[Whispered]
Seek the answers.
Be wildered…
(One with the mind dancers)
[Soft Response]
Mind dancers.
[Pause]
Find the answers…
[Whispered]
See curiosity.
[Build]
Be wildered!
[Final Refrain]
Bewildered
(Seek the answers)
Be wildered
(Mind dancers)
… find the answers…
(See curiosity)
Be wildered!
[Outro]
[Instrumental Outro: Full Band Groove With Guitar, Hammond Organ, Bass, Drums and Playful Synth; Gradually Stripping Down to a Single Repeating Guitar Note]
What’s the answer?
(Find the dancer)
[Pause]
Inside of you
[Spoken, fading]
(Knew point of view)
About to find out.
