The Saddest Things
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
2020, Senior, Performing Arts
One life, one world, we’re rife
Look at all the things we’ve pushed aside
Epistemology untied
As I thought we were wising up
Seas meet deadly degrees
Everything too beautiful to keep
Rid out, filled with plastic heaps
It’s easy for us to say “oh what a shame”
And it’s even easier for us to throw the blame
But that’s just more of the same
Can’t just stand still in our lifetime
We have to fight
Because the saddest things are the ones we hardly see
We’d rather be in bed, but instead, I think we
should beat the heat and keep the people in the street
to stop the saddest things which no one likes to see.
One shot, one world, we’re taught
Use your hands to use your heart tonight.
Make a sign, save the seas, make it rhyme
Protest justice for the ocean, rebel with a vote
I live by the ocean, I live in the country
It affects us all, it’s just one of those sad things
Might just be me, but I’d rather see Pacific halibut than polyethylene
I know it’s hard when no one seems to hear
So grab a friend and a pitchfork, Acidify that fear
Time to interfere
Can’t just stand still in our lifetime
We have to fight
Because the saddest things are the ones we hardly see
We’d rather be in bed, but instead, I think we
should beat the heat and keep the people in the street
to stop the saddest things which no one likes to see.
The saddest things, the saddest things
The ones we like to shield
Have been crying out, begging
Begging to be healed
Carpool
Emission rules
Substituting fossil fuels
Systematic cruelty
Cut the continuity
Can’t just play the part while the men in charge
say they’ll play their cards
‘Cause time’s running out
But there’s still plenty left
So much to do, but so much we’ve done
It may seem bad, but turn that to glad
when you see that the saddest things can turn to be
The saddest things, the saddest things
Can be the brightest things, the brightest things
But that’s up to you and me
Reflection
"The Saddest Things" is a beacon of hope in all the rubble. It's convoluted yet promising. The climate crisis has shown to be progressing even more aggressively than once previously thought, yet hope and activism have also hit new heights. This song, relying mainly on piano, guitar, and modular synthesizers, aimed to highlight how even despite the gloomy days that have come and gone, there is always light, highlighted by the grand instrumental passages that connect the verses. To viewers, we wanted it to inspire activism, change, and a greater commitment to becoming involved in the worlds' injustices. Lisa and I, both being strong climate activists, wanted to utilize our shared interest for songwriting to help move those who may feel like they have a little voice in the grand scheme of the crisis. This is of course a lie. The saddest things, moved by the many voices, can turn to be the brightest blessings in disguise.