— AN OFFICIAL PATRON-SUPPORTED RELEASE, AUGUST 31st, 2017 —

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force, taken by Staff Sgt. Oscar M. Sanchez-Alvarez/Released. This has been modified from the original. Creative Commons.

this song was written as a two-day songwriting exercise on august 29th and 30th, 2017, using input/inspiration/comments from over 600 patrons (you can read those here). it wound up being a response to the insanity of internet politics melded with the recent total eclipse and the devastation of hurricane harvey….and, y’know…other stuff.

if you love this song, please consider joining my patreon to support me, my team & collaborators make MORE THINGS.

-THE LYRICS-

you worship the sun and you’re aching for change

but you keep starving your heart

you used to have sisters

you don’t anymore

you worship the sun….

but you keep feeding the dark

and i’m out in the yard

with my son and daughter

and the sky is all black and i think we should start running…..

running from the water

and everybody’s yelling

yelling that they’re coming

but i don’t see a single soul

they’re all so busy yelling

not one of them is hearing

the hissing from the bottom of the boat

i got some feelings up my sleeve

i got a compass in my arm

i got a needle in my heart

it’s gonna tell us where we are

south by south west

two miles from town

i can’t get out

i can’t look down

if you can hear

if you’re around

i’m over here

i’m over here

i’m watching everyone i love

drowning in the sound

you worship the sun

but the moons in the way

so get your armaments out

she’s always looking for trouble

she’s gonna get what’s been coming to her

she’s switching the tide and we can’t have that shit around

the television they’re blaring out the warning:

that our natural state is drowning

that our natural state is burning

and you’re trying to help

and you’re clicking for change

and you’re calling it out

and you’re adding your name

and you’re marching for peace

but you’re lynching the bitch

that got up in your face

how else they gonna to take you seriously?

south by south west

two miles from town

i can’t get out

i can’t look down

if you can hear

if you’re around

i’m over here

i’m over here

i’m watching

everyone i love

drowning in the sound

and your body is a temple

but the temple is a prison

and the prison’s overcrowded

and they know about the flooding

and the body politic is getting sicker by the minute

and the media’s not fake

it’s just very

inconvenient

do you ever feel that this should be officially the end?

and that you should be the one to do the ending but you can’t?

and do you ever feel that everyone is slowly letting go

do you ever feel that…incredibly alone?

and they’re saying not to panic

and it’s like a broken record

not like anybody know what that is

and they’re saying that they’ll manage

its the the hottest one on record

and they’re saying that it’s just the way it is

and now i can taste it coming

i can taste it with my tongue

and my children are so heavy

but i pick them up and run

and i know i’ll have to swim soon

when the water gets too high

i’ll keep on holding them above me

i’ll keep on holding them and crying

south by south west

two miles from town

i can’t get out

i can’t look down

if you can hear

if you’re around

i’m over here

i’m watching

everyone i love

everyone i love

everyone on earth

drowning in the sound.

you worship the sun and you’re aching for change

but you keep starving your heart

you used to have sisters

you don’t anymore

you worship the sun….

but you keep feeding the dark

-THE CREDITS-

music, lyrics, piano, vocals: amanda palmer

engineer: eli winograd @ lone pine studio in kingston, NY

special thanks to ben folds for texting with me before his show in little rock, arkansas, and making me change one rhythm and cut two useless repetitions before the first chorus

all photos by amanda palmer unless credited otherwise

photo by Hayley Rosenblum