underwater
Carlsbad, CA
2021, Senior, Performing Arts
Global warming’s like a puppeteer with strings
Tugging at the centuries
In which the glaciers cease to cool
It leaves us polluting
Finite resources used loosely
Things we talk about refusing
With our plastic bottles full
We don’t have too long until we’re drowned and in flames
And that realization hits me like a tidal wave
Animals are dying
As sea levels are rising
Oceans are acidifying
But no one seems to care
The silence is killing me
And I’m trying to scream
But you can’t breathe underwater
Yeah, the silence is killing me
Economic status is the status quo these days
Fueled by money in a daze
When there are more important issues with our land
Environmental policies
The Green New Deal and AOC
Crisis fueled politically
Dividing is over the risks that are at hand
We don’t have too long until were drowned out and in flames
And that realization hits me like a tidal wave
The noise just keeps rising
As problems don’t stop piling
And officials start lying
Saying no need to fear
Oh, why can’t they just say something
Take a look at reality
Can they see underwater?
Cuz they’re not saying anything
I see my footprint in the sand
Like the carbon footprint I leave on land
I’m working to reduce it, and you should, too
I might only have one life to live
But this planet only has so much to give
So if you wish for a future, then join the crew
Yeah, the voices they’re filling me
As we rise from beneath the sea
We’re no longer underwater
Yeah, the voices they’re filling me
This is risking our lives forever and forever
Look to our future or it won’t get better
Reflection
Reflection
While creating this piece, I wanted to highlight the many aspects of global warming: the political strife that comes with it, the environmental effects themselves, the feeling of being alone as you speak out about the issues, and then the realization of the immense support you actually have. Through advocating for climate change, one faces disparities. A feeling of hopelessness, a feeling of being silenced. I tried to emulate these emotions within the composition by creating a stripped down, simple ballad that leaves one feeling more desolate, a representation of how I can feel when speaking up about these issues. However, by the end of the song, the energy rises with more harmony and emphasis. We are not alone as we push for justice, as the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest and other programs prove to us. Global warming is something that we must bring light to and speak about.