Big Blue
Los Angeles, CA
2020, Senior, Performing Arts
Verse 1
Water’s tasting sour and sweet
Oil in burning patches on the sea
Sinking plastic bottles not CO2
Seems like they don’t know how they need you
Chorus
How long ‘till we get tired of this
Inland living in ignorance?
How long can this go on?
Big blue, baby we’ve done you wrong
Verse 2
But I’ve seen it with my own eyes know it’s true
We’re waking up to the love we have for you
Picking plastic from the sand that lines the beach
Posting and calling, petitioning if you’re out of reach
Braiding shells and seaweed in our hair
Writing songs to show how much we care
It’s showing up that indicates the motion
Oh, you know it’s strong now, the movement to save our oceans!
Chorus
How long ‘till we get tired of this
Inland living in ignorance?
How long can this go on?
Big blue, baby we’ve done you wrong
We’ve got to save our oceans, before what we know and love is gone.
Reflection
When I started writing my song, I was just finishing up with my Environmental Science class, and had some initial knowledge from a year spent studying, among other environmental issues, threats to our oceans. I knew I wanted to find a way to address them head on in the song, while still making something someone might enjoy singing or listening to. Music is powerful, I think, for the way it can convey important messages in beautiful, small packages. So instead of saying, “ocean acidification is happening,” I tried to be a bit more subtle and approachable with “water’s tasting sour and sweet.” Instead of saying, “a lot of plastic is winding up in the sea” and “the ocean is a crucial blue carbon sink,” I tried “sinking plastic bottles, not CO2.” Keeping the theme of “hope” in mind, I took the opportunity to talk about little moments of unity and investment that to me are what make the future hopeful. People doing whatever they can to advocate for our oceans whether it be through petitioning, making art, taking meaningful tangible steps in their own communities, connecting to nature, recognizing past mistakes, or sharing information on social media.