{"id":43451,"date":"2025-05-04T13:02:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T13:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idea.membrane.com\/songwriter\/?p=43451"},"modified":"2025-05-04T13:02:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T13:02:43","slug":"wet-your-finger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/2025\/05\/04\/wet-your-finger\/","title":{"rendered":"Wet Your Finger"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Wet-Your-Finger-0.mp3\">Wet-Your-Finger-0.mp3<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Wet-Your-Finger-0.mp4\">Wet-Your-Finger-0.mp4<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Wet-Your-Finger-1.mp3\">Wet-Your-Finger-1.mp3<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Wet-Your-Finger-1.mp4\">Wet-Your-Finger-1.mp4<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/kingarthur.com\/MegaEpix-Enormous\/multimedia\/XIII\/Wet-Your-Finger-intro.mp3\">Wet-Your-Finger-intro.mp3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>[Verse 1]<br \/>\nWet your finger<br \/>\nStick it in the air<br \/>\nLet it linger<br \/>\nFind direction there<\/p>\n<p>[Bridge]<br \/>\nThen you&#8217;ll know<\/p>\n<p>[Chorus]<br \/>\nWhich way the wind blows<br \/>\n(How it goes)<br \/>\nIf it grows dark<br \/>\n(Looking stark)<br \/>\nOr if the skies clear<br \/>\n(And the light shines here)<\/p>\n<p>[Bridge]<br \/>\nMay the rays (fill your days)<br \/>\nAlong our way we know&#8230;<br \/>\n(Which way the winds blow)<\/p>\n<p>[Verse 2]<br \/>\nSee our flag waver blowing<br \/>\nKnowing which way he blows<br \/>\nListening carefully<br \/>\nWe&#8217;ll see what floats free<\/p>\n<p>[Bridge]<br \/>\nThen we&#8217;ll know<\/p>\n<p>[Chorus]<br \/>\nWhich way the wind blows<br \/>\n(How it goes)<br \/>\nIf it grows dark<br \/>\n(Looking stark)<br \/>\nOr if the skies clear<br \/>\n(And the light shines here)<\/p>\n<p>[Bridge]<br \/>\nMay the rays (fill your days)<br \/>\nAlong our way we know&#8230;<br \/>\n(Which way the winds blow)<br \/>\nHappiness flows<br \/>\n(Any way the wind blows)<\/p>\n<p>[Outro]<br \/>\n(Yes!) Happiness flows<br \/>\n(Any way the wind blows)<br \/>\nHere goes&#8230;.<\/p>\n<p>A SCIENCE NOTE<\/p>\n<p><em data-start=\"142\" data-end=\"161\">&#8220;Wet Your Finger&#8221;<\/em> is a metaphorical song that urges listeners to tune into the subtle, everyday signs around them\u2014just like the old trick of wetting your finger to sense the wind direction. In a world overwhelmed by noise, data, and denial, the song calls for a return to common sense and observation. It\u2019s about recognizing the clear and present signals nature is giving us\u2014signals of imbalance, disruption, and change. By using a simple gesture as a symbol, the song draws attention to the fact that the evidence of the climate crisis is already all around us: in the hotter days, stronger storms, shifting seasons, and rising seas. All we have to do is look, feel, and acknowledge what the Earth is plainly telling us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"127\" data-end=\"144\"><strong data-start=\"127\" data-end=\"144\">About Verse 2<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"146\" data-end=\"848\">The second verse features a layered play on words, blending literal and figurative meanings. The \u201cflag waver\u201d refers not only to someone holding an actual flag\u2014used to detect wind direction\u2014but also to political figures or pundits who shift their positions based on prevailing opinion. The line \u201cknowing which way he blows\u201d is a nod to opportunism, echoing how some politicians or influencers adjust their stance with the political wind, especially on climate issues. The verse critiques this performative behavior while suggesting that if we &#8220;listen carefully,&#8221; we can discern what&#8217;s genuine and what simply &#8220;floats free&#8221;\u2014a metaphor for misinformation or empty rhetoric drifting untethered from truth and whether you are truly free when you deny science.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"0\" data-end=\"66\">Here are several basic, low-tech ways to determine wind direction:<\/p>\n<ol data-start=\"68\" data-end=\"1217\">\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"68\" data-end=\"248\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"71\" data-end=\"248\"><strong data-start=\"71\" data-end=\"94\">Wetting your finger<\/strong>: As you mentioned, wet your finger and hold it up in the air. The side that feels cooler is the side facing into the wind, as evaporation causes cooling.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"250\" data-end=\"382\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"253\" data-end=\"382\"><strong data-start=\"253\" data-end=\"280\">Watching smoke or steam<\/strong>: Observe the direction that smoke from a fire or steam from a kettle drifts. It will follow the wind.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"384\" data-end=\"604\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"387\" data-end=\"604\"><strong data-start=\"387\" data-end=\"416\">Observing flags or leaves<\/strong>: Look at the way flags, leaves, or grass are blowing. The direction they are being pushed <em data-start=\"507\" data-end=\"515\">toward<\/em> is the direction the wind is blowing <em data-start=\"553\" data-end=\"557\" data-is-only-node=\"\">to<\/em>; the wind comes <em data-start=\"574\" data-end=\"580\">from<\/em> the opposite direction.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"606\" data-end=\"789\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"609\" data-end=\"789\"><strong data-start=\"609\" data-end=\"635\">Using a blade of grass<\/strong>: Hold a thin blade of grass lightly between your fingers and let it go\u2014it will blow away with the wind. The direction it travels is the wind&#8217;s direction.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"791\" data-end=\"925\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"794\" data-end=\"925\"><strong data-start=\"794\" data-end=\"830\">Floating dust or dandelion seeds<\/strong>: Toss some dust, grass clippings, or dandelion seeds into the air. Watch which way they drift.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"927\" data-end=\"1061\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"930\" data-end=\"1061\"><strong data-start=\"930\" data-end=\"963\">Licking the back of your hand<\/strong>: Similar to the finger trick, but the back of your hand is more sensitive to temperature changes.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"\" data-start=\"1063\" data-end=\"1217\">\n<p class=\"\" data-start=\"1066\" data-end=\"1217\"><strong data-start=\"1066\" data-end=\"1089\">Listening carefully<\/strong>: Sometimes, especially in wooded or grassy areas, you can hear the wind before you feel it and use sound to estimate direction.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/everything.membrane.com\/trumpenomics-the-decline-of-the-us\/\">Trumpenomics: The Decline of the US<\/a><\/h2>\n<h3>From the album &#8220;<a href=\"\/songwriter\/tag\/tumultuous-times\/\">Tumultuous Times<\/a>&#8220;<\/h3>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/membrane.com\/global_warming\/\">The Human Induced Climate Change Experiment<\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wet-Your-Finger-0.mp3 Wet-Your-Finger-0.mp4 Wet-Your-Finger-1.mp3 Wet-Your-Finger-1.mp4 Wet-Your-Finger-intro.mp3 [Verse 1] Wet your finger Stick it in the air Let it linger Find direction there [Bridge] Then you&#8217;ll know [Chorus] Which way the wind blows (How it goes) If it grows dark (Looking stark) Or if the skies clear (And the light shines here) [Bridge] May the rays (fill [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9,14],"tags":[163,4125],"class_list":["post-43451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-4d-music","category-daniel","category-lyrics","tag-climate-change","tag-tumultuous-times"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43451"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43480,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43451\/revisions\/43480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kingarthur.com\/songwriter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}