“What?” is by Tom Bruce from his CD, “Free for All”. Available – absolutly for free.
Words and music by Tom Bruce
Vocals: Tom Bruce and Stacy Dulan
Copyright (c) T. Bruce, 2013. All rights reserved.
This mp3 is a special feature provided to our readers. Download it for free on Tom Bruce’s website.
CJMT: Why did you write this song?
The song caused me to write it. I was in the middle of another one and this song just wanted to happen. It emerged from recent travel observations.
CJMT: Why would you like to share this song with our readers at this time?
Seemed appropriate to the theme of the issue.
I came away from a trip to Alaska in June 2013 with two songs. The first was Fish Story. Once that was done, this one came in a rush. Sometimes that happens. The Andes observations came during a visit in 2011.
My friend Stacy Dulan adds her sweet voice here. Thanks, Stacy.
What?
Words and music by Tom Bruce
Lyrics
Whacha gonna do when the wells run dry
And the smoke and poison fill the sky?
Whacha gonna do when there’s nothing left to burn?
When the ice sheets melt and the oceans rise
The lowlands flood and nations die
Whacha gonna do if we don’t learn?
Walkin’ on the trail today some thoughts occurred to me.
I’d been up in the Andes and it was clear for all to see.
The rivers there were running green, the lakes they were so blue.
The colors were so brilliant–much too brilliant to be true.
The glaciers there are melting sending minerals from their ice
Down into the rivers and that makes them look so nice.
The change is everywhere you look, but you have to look to see.
And even then it’s still just as pretty as can be.
Then up here in Alaska I could see it all once more.
The mountains that are barren rock where there’d been ice before.
The glaciers still are beautiful, but may not be for long.
At the rate that they’re receding won’t be long before they’re gone.
Whacha gonna do when the wells run dry
And the smoke and poison fill the sky?
Whacha gonna do when there’s nothing left to burn?
We just might hope to slow it down
And maybe if we’re lucky, turn it ’round
But whacha gonna do if we don’t learn?
Now we want to make a pipeline to move lots of shale oil
From somewhere up in Canada across the Midwest soil.
More and more and more and more, we can never get enough
Of the energy we need to run all our important stuff.
We’re burning oil, we’re burning coal and we’re burning bio fuel
And charging up big batteries because we think that’s cool.
We think we’re doing something right by buying something green
But it’s all hallucination where we’re happy with our dream.
It’s using less, and sharing more, could maybe show the way
But a surging population sure won’t help to save the day.
There’s nothing that can help us but an ever growing voice.
The tipping point is here and we no longer have a choice.
Whacha gonna do when the wells run dry
And the smoke and poison fill the sky?
Whacha gonna do when there’s nothing left to burn?
When the ice sheets melt and the oceans rise
And half the population dies?
Whacha gonna do if we don’t learn?
Whacha gonna do when the wells run dry
And the smoke and poison fill the sky?
Whacha gonna do when there’s nothing left to burn?
When the crops all fail ’cause the water’s gone
You know that we wont last for long.
Whacha gonna do if we don’t learn?
Copyright (c) T. Bruce, 2013. All rights reserved.