[Intro]
I got a question
(What’s the answer?)
I got a notion
(It involves locomotion)
Round and round
The world keeps turning
We keep learning
All along
(Sing the song:)
[Verse 1]
I dunno where the river bends
I dunno where the weather ends
I dunno what tomorrow brings
Or when the next bell rings
But I know there’s something
Bigger than me
Something we share
Something we can be
[Refrain]
What?
(I dunno about that)
But one thing’s for sure
(Love can endure)
Love your neighbor
(Love your planet)
Yes! That’s it
(Love love… love.)
[Verse 2]
I dunno when the seasons will change
I dunno why we make the climate strange
I dunno every feedback loop
Or every molecule in the soup
[Chorus]
Love!
(Love!)
That’s what we’re talking about
Love!
(Love!)
That’s what it comes above
[Bridge]
Maybe I dunno
(That’s okay!)
Maybe you don’t know
(Not today!)
We can ask
We can learn
We can listen
We can turn
When the answers aren’t enough
There’s still one thing we know
You can give it
You can live it
Love can grow!
[Breakdown]
What?
(I dunno!)
Why?
(I dunno!)
When?
(I dunno!)
Where?
(I dunno!)
Who?
(All of us!)
What for?
(Love!)
What’s the answer?
(Put love above)
LOVE!
[Refrain]
What?
(I dunno about that)
But one thing’s for sure
(Love can endure)
Love the day
(Love the way)
Yes! Love some more
(Love love… love.)
(La-la-la!)
(Love love… love!)
(Love love… love!)
[Refrain]
What?
(I dunno about that)
But one thing’s for sure
(Love can endure)
Love the night
(Love the light)
Shining from above
(Love love… love.)
[Outro]
What?
(I dunno…)
But one thing’s for sure
(Love can endure)
Love your neighbor
(Love your planet)
Yes!
(That’s it!)
Love…
(Love…)
Love…
Lost and Found
[Intro]
I took a wrong turn
(Another bridge… burn)
Followed every road
(Just increasing my load)
Looking for an answer
I couldn’t quite explain
Chasing down a feeling
Through sunshine, storm, and rain
[Verse 1]
I was lost in the noise
Lost in the crowd
Lost in the questions
That shouted too loud
[Refrain]
I was lost
(And… at what cost?)
Now I’ve found
(The meanings in the sound)
[Verse 2]
I found a little rhythm
In the beating of the rain
Found a little harmony
On the other side of the pain
Found a voice in the distance
Found a hand reaching out
Wanting to learn all about
Moving beyond fear and doubt
[Chorus]
Lost and found
(Found and lost)
Turn it around
(What’s the cost?)
[Refrain]
I was lost
(And… at what cost?)
Now I’ve found
(The meanings in the sound)
[Bridge]
What if you don’t know?
(I don’t know!)
What if feel the flow?
(Say: That’s okay!)
We can learn together
We can search around
Is the “whether”
… hidden in the sound?
And if we lose our way
We don’t have to stay
We can turn around
And find another way
[Instrumental]
Listen to the sound…
(Found all around…)
[Refrain]
I was lost
(And… at what cost?)
Now I’ve found
(The meanings in the sound)
[Final Chorus]
Lost and found
(Found and lost)
Turn it around
(Troubles? Tossed.)
Loving others
(Like sisters… brothers)
Listen to the sound
(The meaning… of… love)
Of love!
[Outro]
I was lost…
(But now I’ve found)
I was lost…
(And now I hear)
It’s right here
(Hear?!?!)
The meaning…
(In the sound)
Found.
Fork in the Road
[Intro]
Midnight rides
(Through the mist)
Hooves pound hard
(What’s that I missed?)
A shadow crosses
The moonlit road
Something’s coming
(Heavy load)
[Verse 1]
Headless rider
On a midnight ride
Looking for something
He can’t find outside
He hears a voice
From somewhere near
Turns his horse
And disappears
A little farther
Down the way
Something strange
Begins to say:
[Pre-Chorus]
Who’s got the answer?
(Who knows?)
Where does the road go?
(Who knows?)
Left or right?
(Which one tonight?)
Pick your poison
(Hold on tight!)
[Refrain]
The headless horseman said:
“What’s that on the road…”
(A head)
Dread…
(If it is mine)
This hairless ape…
(Lookin’ for an escape)
… in the nick of time
[Verse 2]
I saw the horseman
I saw the head
I saw him looking
At what lay ahead
He said, “That’s funny
I know that face…”
Then his horse
Picked up the pace
“Is that my head?”
(He couldn’t tell)
“Maybe I’m dreaming…”
(What the hell?)
A head in the roadway
A horse in the night
A man with no head
Trying to make things right
[Break]
Came to a fork
(In the road)
Feelin’ like a dork
(Heart might explode)
Left goes nowhere
(Right looks worse)
Choose your direction
(Or choose the curse!)
[Chorus]
Fork in the road!
(Fork in the road!)
Which way to go?
(Which way to go?)
A… Head on the road!
(Ahead on the road!)
What do you know?
When the choices split
And the signs don’t show
You gotta pick a path
And let the other go
[Verse 3]
The horseman points
To the left-hand lane
The ape says,
“Buddy, are you insane?”
The horse goes right
Without a word
The rider screams
(That’s absurd!)
Found the answer
First, make the choice
Head to the light
Hear your voice
[Bridge]
Fork!
(In the road!)
Fork!
(What’s the code?)
Ahead!
(Where’s your head?)
Dread!
(What he said!)
Left!
(Right!)
Wrong!
(Or right?)
[Breakdown]
The horseman rides
The road divides
The moon hangs low
The river flows
A head rolls left
A horse rolls right
The ape runs screaming
Into the night!
[Final Chorus]
Fork in the road!
(Fork in the road!)
Feelin’ like a dork!
(Heart might explode!)
Ahead in the road!
(A head in the road!)
[Final Refrain]
The headless horseman said:
“What’s that on the road…”
(A head)
Dread…
(If it is mine)
This hairless ape…
(Lookin’ for escape)
… in the nick of time
[Outro]
Fork in the road…
Pick a side…
Off with the pride!
Seek
[Intro]
What are you looking for?
(What do you seek?)
Something you can’t quite see?
(Or just a peek?)
Round and round
The questions go
Higher and higher
(Where they lead, the mind glows)
[Verse 1]
Sneaking through the shadows
Peeking through the door
Searching for a little truth
Then searching for some more
[Refrain]
Sneak
(A peek)
Seek
(A peak)
See… a glimpse
(Of reality)
[Verse 2]
Climb the mountain
See the view
Step back farther
See what’s true
Zoom in close
(Granular!)
Zoom back out
(To be sure)
[Chorus]
Seek!
(Seek!)
Don’t be afraid to look
Seek!
(Seek!)
Be the scribe for the book
[Refrain]
Sneak
(A peek)
Seek
(A peak)
See… a glimpse
(Of reality)
[Bridge]
Seek the signal
(Through the noise)
Seek the meaning
(Through the voice)
Seek the question
(Seek the why)
Seek the answer
(Don’t deny)
[Break]
Sneak!
(A peek!)
Seek!
(A peak!)
Look!
(Closer!)
Look!
(Farther!)
What do you see?
(Can you tell me?)
[Refrain]
Sneak
(A peek)
Seek
(A peak)
See… a glimpse
(Of reality)
[Outro]
What are you looking for?
(A little truth…)
What are you looking for?
(A little proof…)
Sneak…
(A peek…)
Seek…
And peak.
Eat n’ Stuff
[Intro]
Well, everybody’s gotta eat
(That’s right!)
Something goes in
(Something comes out)
That’s what this song…
(Is about!)
[Verse 1]
A little bit of breakfast
A little bit of lunch
A little bit of dinner
(And maybe just a bunch)
… right around brunch
[Pre-Chorus]
You can try to hold it
You can try to hide
But biology’s got a schedule
(And it’s coming from inside!)
[Refrain]
I had a bite to eat
(Once complete)
It passed right through
(How about you?)
In one end
(Out the other)
Alarms send
(Better save your mother)
At any rate…
(Can you accommodate)
All you ate…
(All that passes through you…)
… and your brother…
(And yet another….)
Son and daughter….
(Sister… and mother-n’-law, too?)
[Verse 2]
Food becomes energy
Energy becomes heat
Some becomes your body
Some runs… in fleet
[Chorus]
Eat n’ stuff!
(Stuff n’ eat!)
Life is messy
(Sweet, sweet, sweet!)
Eat n’ stuff!
(Stuff n’ eat!)
The ends compete
(With the means…)
… know what I mean?
(A mean scene)
[Bridge]
What goes in
Must come out!
(Usually!)
What goes up
Must come down!
(Eventually!)
[Break]
Eat!
(Chew!)
Swallow!
(Do!)
… as you do
(Do doo… do dee do doo… doo)
[Final Chorus]
Eat n’ stuff!
(Stuff n’ eat!)
Life keeps moving
(Down the street!)
In one end
(Out the other!)
[Refrain]
I had a bite to eat
(Once complete)
It passed right through
(How about you?)
In one end
(Out the other)
Alarms send
(Better save your mother)
At any rate…
(Can you accommodate)
All you ate…
(All that passes through you…)
… and your brother…
(And yet another….)
Son and daughter….
(Sister… and mother-n’-law, too?)
[Outro]
How about your neighbor
(How about a friend)
Can you handle more
(Then ever before)
Or will it be…
(The End?)
About the Song: How much land do I need for my own shit?
Tonight’s homework assignment: How much land do I need for my own shit? (AKA The Eat n’ Poop Experiment)
Both literally and figuratively. This is an experiment I’ve been working on for years. And when you actually try to do it—when you have to think about where your food comes from, where your water comes from, and what happens to everything that comes out of you—you gain a very different perspective. And yes, sometimes the experiment even comes down to a question like: Do I eat the worm, or don’t I?
Food and water are big problems. But getting rid of what comes out of you can be an even bigger problem.
I’ve been meeting quite a few other people who are “doing it”—trying to become more self-sufficient, reduce their dependence on centralized systems, and figure out what is actually required to sustain a human being. So I thought a good test for me would be to reevaluate the whole concept at two scales: Macro. And micro.
Tonight is micro night.
How many acres do you need for your own shit?
A commonly cited homesteading rule of thumb is roughly 2–5 acres per person for a fairly self-sufficient setup—but that’s not a universal number. It depends enormously on your diet, soil, climate, water supply, livestock, energy needs, and how much of your waste you can safely recycle.
And that’s where it gets interesting.
Food production: You might be able to produce a substantial amount of plant food on a fraction of an acre. Add grains, livestock, dairy, or meat, and the land requirement can increase dramatically.
Water: You need a reliable source of potable water—and potentially enough watershed, recharge area, storage, or infrastructure to keep that supply reliable.
Waste: This is the part people tend to overlook. Your sewage system doesn’t just need a place to put sewage. It needs soil, treatment capacity, separation from groundwater and drinking-water sources, and enough suitable land for the system to function safely.
In Pennsylvania, for example, wastewater land-treatment systems can require significant separation distances from private drinking-water wells. That means the geometry of the property can matter almost as much as the number of acres.
And then there’s the really interesting question:
What if the waste isn’t actually waste?
Humanure, composting systems, graywater, nutrient cycling, orchards, biomass… At the right scale—and with proper treatment—some things we call “waste” become inputs into another system.
So tonight I’m starting at the smallest possible unit: One human.
How much land does one human actually need to provide food, water, and a safe place to put—or recycle—everything that comes out of them?
How many acres do you need for your own shit?
Then we’ll scale it up. Because four people don’t necessarily require four times the land. And four people sharing a watershed, a food system, and a waste-treatment system creates an entirely different problem.
Tonight: micro. Next: macro.
Follow-Though
In New Zealand, Ganantchian Claire said: Human waste is a very easy “problem “. Composting is super easy, safe, and valuable. Water of course depends where you are. Stream, or roof water are easy gravity fed, groundwater requires energy to bring it up. Food, acreage… as you say, depends entirely on your soil and climate. My opinion is a cow or a couple of goats are the easiest quickest way to get food security as milk covers all your needs. My experience is plants are great, but unreliable as crops can be devastated in a flash by pests or weather events. To avoid starvation, I would never give up my milking cow. One could actually survive with no land at all just walking a cow along the roadsides. A bit extreme, but why not?
In Pennsylvania, USA, I replied: Nice! Thanks. “Real food” is the hardest thing in my environment as well, especially in the winter. When I say real food, I mean exactly what you said—food security. Eating vegetation is not something I can do for any extended period, and winter makes that particularly difficult.
Though your winters get cooler, I assume they aren’t quite as extreme as Pennsylvania’s, are they?
This becomes particularly relevant when we get to the “macro” experiment.
You also raise another important point with your example of “walking a cow along the roadsides.” In our experiment, we set it up as a game. One of the rules is that you can’t use other people’s land.
That, too, depends on where you live—and on what is considered public property versus private property. Ultimately, I think this is a debate that is likely to intensify as climate migration itself intensifies.
As for waste management, this also appears to be heavily dependent upon location.
In Pennsylvania, the largest long-term problem is waste management, followed by food, then water. But if you don’t manage waste properly, water quickly becomes your biggest problem. Contamination of drinking-water supplies from inadequate or poorly located waste management has been a long-term issue.
Traditionally, you needed at least 10 acres if you could not “perc” your lot.
Collecting rainwater isn’t necessarily a viable solution either. There simply isn’t enough precipitation in many locations across the continental U.S. And in several states, there are legal restrictions on collecting or impeding the flow of water unless you specifically own the water rights.
That’s what makes this experiment so interesting. The answer isn’t just “How much land do I need?” It’s where is the land, what can it produce, where does the water come from, and where does the poo go?
Who Fends for Themselves?
[Intro]
How much is enough?
(Enough for who?)
How much can the land provide?
(And who gets to stay inside?)
Count the acres
(Count the mouths)
Count the water
(Count the house)
Count the children
(Count the kin)
Then ask the question…
(Who’s out? Who’s in?)
[Verse 1]
A hundred acres
Twenty souls
That’s the number
That’s the goal
Food and water
Wood and heat
Enough to keep
The whole thing neat
… add another
And another
Pretty soon
You’re counting cousins
(Who’s in?)
[Pre-Chorus]
The spreadsheet grows
(The numbers climb)
The land stays put
(It’s still the same size)
You can’t create
Another acre
Just because
You need it later
[Refrain]
Where to begin?
(Who’s out… who’s in?)
Once it’s thought about…
(Who’s in… who’s out?)
[Verse 2]
Mom and Dad
(Bring them in)
Fourteen people
(Here we begin)
Sister, brother
(Bring them too)
Partners, children
(What do we do?)
Twenty-five
(And counting!)
The gate is closed
(The clock is sounding)
There comes a moment
You have to decide
Who gets a place
On the inside
[Chorus]
Who fends for themselves?
(Who fends for themselves?)
When there’s nowhere else
(And nobody helps)
Who gets the water?
(Who gets the food?)
Who gets the shelter?
(Who’s in the mood?)
It’s easy to say
(Everybody comes!)
When everything’s plentiful
(And there’s plenty for everyone)
But when the limits
Finally show…
(Who gets to stay?)
… I dunno just ain’t gonna go
[Bridge]
Do you choose
The oldest first?
(The youngest first?)
The ones who work?
(The ones who hurt?)
Do you choose
The strongest hand?
(The smartest mind?)
The ones you love?
(Or leave the choice behind?)
What does “family” mean
When resources run thin?
Is there an outside?
(Is there an in?)
[Break]
Who’s in?
(Who’s out?)
Who’s staying?
(Who’s going?)
Who’s got some?
(Who’s got none?)
Who’s got tomorrow?
(Who gets one?)
[Final Chorus]
Who fends for themselves?
(Who fends for themselves?)
That’s the question we ask
(When the numbers don’t match)
Twenty people
(Then twenty-five)
How many can we sustain?
(How many survive?)
And when the capacity
Finally ends…
(Who’s family do we send?)
[Final Refrain]
Where to begin?
(Who’s out… who’s in?)
Once it’s thought about…
(Who’s in… who’s out?)
Where to begin?
(Who’s out… who’s in?)
The hardest calculation…
(Is who gets civilization.)
[Outro]
[Instrumental, Whistle Solo]
Count the future…
(Are you sure?)
And, what comes above?
(Count the love…)
About the Song
Tonight’s homework assignment: How much land do we need for all our shit?
AKA: The “Who Will Fend for Themselves?” Experiment
Last night was micro: How much land do I need for just me?
Tonight is macro: How much land do we need for me, my family, and company?
In two different experiments—one in New Zealand and one in Pennsylvania—families have been trying to find the answer.
Interestingly, both case studies arrived at a remarkably similar result: if you can optimize the use of roughly 100 acres, you can support about 20 people, although toward the lower end of what we would consider a modern standard of living.
And that’s when the bigger problem became evident.
As part of our long-term planning, we had to determine who would be allowed to come live with us in a crisis such as climate change.
There were eight of us. We figured our parents would need to be among the first to come. That added six, bringing us to 14. Then we started adding siblings, their partners, and their children. We quickly exceeded 25.
So the real question became:
Who gets invited?
And who is left to fend for themselves?
That sounds like an abstract thought experiment when you have plenty of land, food, water, and energy. It becomes a very different question when those resources have a hard limit. And as climate change accelerates—and the number of grandchildren continues to grow—these questions are no longer really about “future generations.”
They are about our own descendants.
They are the people who may actually have to confront the new realities we are leaving them.
That’s the part of the experiment I find hardest to calculate.
Not how many people the land can sustain.
But who gets to be one of them.
Multiple Choice?
[Intro]
A, B, C, or D
(Which one will it be?)
Circle one answer
(That’s the key!)
But what if none
Of the choices fit?
What if the answer
Isn’t written in it?
[Verse 1]
I got a question
But the question’s strange
The choices are changing
As I rearrange
[Refrain]
Is this multiple choice?
(Do I get to pick and choose)
Do I get to raise a voice
(Determine win or lose?)
[Verse 2]
Do I get to question
The question itself?
Put the answer back
Upon the shelf
[Chorus]
Multiple choice!
(Pick and choose!)
Raise your voice!
(You can’t lose!)
Ain’t it funny
How we know
Only after
Where we go?
[Bridge]
Choose!
(Win or lose!)
Suggestion…
(Question!)
If you don’t like
The choices you see
Don’t just complain
(Think differently!)
[Break]
A!
(B!)
C!
(D!)
None of the above!
(Put love above!)
Pick and choose!
(Pick or lose!)
Raise your voice!
(Make a choice!)
[Final Refrain]
Is this multiple choice?
(Do I get to pick and choose)
Do I get to raise a voice
(Determine win or lose?)
[Outro]
A, B, C, or D…
(Or maybe E?)
The choice is yours
(To see)
To be
(Set yourself free)
Widgette
[Intro]
What’s that thing
(Over there?)
Fancy little widget
(Becoming scarce… rare!)
Is it useful?
(Is it not?)
Does it matter
(What you’ve got?)
[Verse 1]
A widget is a wonder
A doodad with a name
A gizmo with a purpose
(For just a bit of game)
But add a little fashion
And suddenly you bet
You’ve got a brand-new creature…
(What’s a widgette?)
[Refrain]
What’s a widgette?
(A female thingamabob)
As in a Rockette?
(A placeholder…)
(… for an economic job)
With fashion… bolder!
[Verse 2]
Could be supply and demand
Could be something on the shelf
Could be something you invented
(Just to entertain yourself)
[Pre-Chorus]
Put a price upon it
(Make it form a habit!)
Give it color and style
(So you’ll wear it for a while)
Call it what you want to
But when the money’s due…
(That little widgette
Might be looking back at you!)
[Chorus]
Widgette!
(What’s she got?)
Widgette!
(Quite a lot!)
Fashion, function
Price and pose
Who decides
(Who really knows?)
Widgette!
(Strut your stuff!)
Widgette!
(That’s enough!)
[Verse 3]
Maybe she’s a Rocket
Maybe she’s a Rockette
Maybe she’s a market
That hasn’t happened yet
She’s dancing through the data
She’s stepping through the stats
… pure accounting at the roots…
(In high-heeled combat boots!)
Look around
(What do you see?)
Ask again
(What could it be?)
[Verse 1]
I want to know
(I want to know)
Before I go
(Before I go)
What’s underneath
(The surface?)
What’s beneath…
[Chorus]
Are you…
(Inquisitive)
Or is your brain
(Like a sieve)
Do you…
(Think)
Or refrain
To sustain…
(Be inquisitive)
[Verse 2]
A little curiosity
Can open up a door
A little more attention
Can show you something more
Connect one dot
(Then another)
Look for the pattern
(Stealth… undercover)
[Chorus]
Are you…
(Inquisitive)
Or is your brain
(Like a sieve)
Do you…
(Think)
Or refrain
To sustain…
(Be inquisitive)
[Bridge]
Question!
(What?)
Wonder!
(Why?)
Suggestion:
(Kiss the sky!)
You don’t have to know
To start the quest
You just have to wonder:
(What’s next?)
[Break]
Think!
(Wink!)
Seek!
(Peak!)
Peek!
(Tweak!)
What’s the cause?
(What’s the effect?)
Not “because”
(What’s the heck?)
[Final Chorus]
Are you…
(Inquisitive)
Or is your brain
(Like a sieve)
Do you…
(Think)
Or refrain
To sustain…
(Be inquisitive)
Are you…
(Inquisitive)
Ready to perceive?
Don’t just hear the answer…
(Question what you believe!)
[Outro]
What’s that?
(I dunno.)
Why?
(I wanna know.)
How?
(Let’s find out…)
… all about…
Be…
(Inquisitive!)
Live (inquisitive)
What I Know
[Intro]
I’ve learned a thing or two
(Along the way)
Some things that were true
(Are different today)
I don’t know everything
(Who could?)
But I know a little something
(That is pretty good)
[Verse 1]
You can have a pocket full
Of dollars and gold
But there’s one kind of treasure
That can’t be bought or sold
You can build a castle
With a wall ten miles wide
But hope needs a doorway
(For love to get inside)
You can measure your fortune
You can count every dime
But money can’t purchase
(A moment in time)
[Pre-Chorus]
So when the numbers don’t add up
And the road gets rough
Look around you
(You may already have enough)
[Refrain]
This is what I know:
(Money can’t buy you hope)
Nope!
Come on… give ‘er a go!
(Love helps hope grow)
So…
Don’t be proud
(Love out loud)
Go on… live!
(Love! Give, give, give)
[Verse 2]
Give a little kindness
(Give a little more)
Open up your heart
(Open up the door)
[Refrain]
This is what I know:
(Money can’t buy you hope)
Nope!
Come on… give ‘er a go!
(Love helps hope grow)
So…
Don’t be proud
(Love out loud)
Go on… live!
(Love! Give, give, give)
[Bridge]
Pride wails:
“I’m the legend of the tales”
(Love sings:
“Look what the heart brings”)
Fear cries:
“All hope dies!”
(Hope replies:
“Open your eyes”)
[Break]
Give!
(Live!)
Give!
(Live!)
Give a little hope
(Give a little love)
Live!
(Strive to come alive)
Live!
(Live!)
Love out loud
(Part the clouds)
What do you know?
(Love!)
What do you need?
(Hope!)
What can you give?
(Love!)
How do you live?
(Thrive alive)
[Final Chorus]
This is what I know:
(Money can’t buy you hope)
Nope!
Come on… give ‘er a go!
(Love helps hope grow)
So…
Don’t be proud
(Love out loud)
Go on… live!
(Love! Give, give, give)
[Final Refrain]
This is what I know:
(Money can’t buy you hope)
Nope!
This is what I know:
(Love helps hope grow)
So…
Don’t be proud
(Love out loud)
Go on… live!
(Love! Give, give, give)
[Outro]
Give a little hope…
(Give!)
Give a little love…
(Live!)
Give what you can…
(Give, give, give!)
And when you don’t know
What tomorrow brings…
(The heart sings)
Love
That’s the show…
(What I know)
Unfathomable
[Intro]
How far below?
(How far?)
Do you know?
(How bizarre?)
[Verse 1]
You think you’ve seen the bottom
(But there’s another floor)
You think you’ve found the answer
(Then you discover more)
[Pre-Chorus]
Don’t close the door
(Don’t shut it tight)
Leave room for wonder
(And a little light)
[Refrain]
Consider
(If you’re able)
Not a quitter
(Unfathomable)
… imaginable….
[Verse 2]
The ocean has its mysteries
The atmosphere has some more
The universe keeps asking
(What is this all for?)
[Chorus]
Unfathomable!
(But not impossible)
Unimaginable!
(Still conceivable)
[Refrain]
Consider
(If you’re able)
Not a quitter
(Unfathomable)
… imaginable….
[Bridge]
What if?
(What if?)
Why not?
(Why not?)
Could it be?
(It could be)
Look and see!
[Break]
Wonder!
(Wander!)
Explore!
(Some more!)
Unfathomable?
Imaginable?
[Final Chorus]
Unfathomable!
(But here we are)
Unimaginable!
(And reaching far)
[Final Refrain]
Consider
(If you’re able)
Not a quitter
(Unfathomable)
… imaginable….
[Outro]
How deep?
(Go deeper.)
How far?
(Go farther.)
What’s next?
(Beyond perplexed)
So…
(Go to know)
Approximately
[Intro]
Give or take
(Take or give)
Make or break?
(We choose to live)
[Verse 1]
You can measure the number
You can count it to the end
But the world keeps moving
(No, the numbers will not bend)
[Pre-Chorus]
What’s the margin?
(What’s the range?)
What’s the difference?
(What’s the change?)
[Refrain]
Approximately
(Give or take)
Relative
(Relatively)
… take or give
(How to live?)
[Verse 2]
Relative to what?
(That’s the question)
Relative to when?
(Consider the direction)
[Refrain]
Approximately
(Give or take)
Relative
(Relatively)
… take or give
(How to live?)
[Bridge]
Give!
(Live!)
Take!
(No! Make!)
Measure!
(The pleasure!)
Love over hate!
[Break]
No need to approximate…
(Love will gravitate)
Yes, love over hate
(Love will rise above)
[Final Refrain]
Approximately
(Give or take)
Relative
(Relatively)
… take or give
(How to live?)
Give! Give! Give!
[Outro]
Give or take…
(Take or give…)
When it’s make or break…
(Give to live)
Nonsense
[Intro]
Maybe yes
(Maybe no)
Perhaps neither
(Or even either?)
Round and round
The arguments go
Everyone’s certain
(But do they know?)
[Verse 1]
There’s a line in the middle
(Where nobody stands)
One foot in reason
(One foot in the sands)
You can balance forever
(And call it a stance)
But sooner or later
(You still gotta dance)
[Refrain]
No, not on the fence
(Nonsense)
Consider the scope
(Walking a tightrope)
When after all…
(You fall)
[Verse 2]
The bigger the picture
The smaller the claim
The more that you measure
The harder the game
One little number
Can tell you a lot
But one little number
(Is all that you’ve got?)
[Refrain]
No, not on the fence
(Nonsense)
Consider the scope
(Walking a tightrope)
When after all…
(You fall)
[Bridge]
Left!
(Right!)
Dark!
(Light!)
Up!
(Down!)
In!
(Out!)
What are we talking about?
Near!
(Far!)
Oh, dear…
(Bizarre)
[Break]
On the fence?
(Circumstance stance)
Tightrope?
(Nope.)
Scope?
(Wide!)
Decide.
[Final Chorus]
No, not on the fence
(Nonsense)
Consider the scope
(Walking a tightrope)
When after all…
(You fall)
Go look!
(Go learn!)
Go ask!
(Go turn!)
[Outro]
Maybe yes…
(Maybe no…)
But if you’re going to balance…
(Watch where you go!)
No nonsense.
Secret Ingredient
[Intro]
What’s in the mix?
(Rock n’ hard place betwixt)
Not too thin… not too thick
(It’s sure to do the trick)
A little bit of this
A little bit of that
Stir it all together
(And see where we’re at)
[Verse 1]
… somewhere in the mixture
Something changes in the blend
A little bit of magic
(That you can’t quite comprehend)
[Refrain]
What’s the secret ingredient
(Can ya give me a hint)
What is it made of…
(Is it made of love?)
[Verse 2]
Could it be the courage
To prove what we know?
Could it be the willingness
(To let the new thing grow?)
Take a little knowledge
Add a little doubt
Mix it with imagination
(And see what comes out)
[Refrain]
What’s the secret ingredient
(Can ya give me a hint)
What is it made of…
(Is it made of love?)
[Bridge]
Hope?
(Maybe!)
Love?
(Surely!)
A little inspiration
A little perspiration
A little experimentation
(That’s a tasty combination!)
[Break]
Stir it!
(Mix it!)
Try it!
(Taste it!)
With a flavor
(You can savor)
Oh, no! Know…
(It just won’t quit)
[Final Chorus]
What’s the secret ingredient?
(Can ya give me a hint)
What is it made of…
(Is it made of love?)
Love! Lots of love
(Not just a pinch)
More than an inch…
(Fill till topped…)
… above with love
[Final Refrain]
What’s the secret ingredient?
(What makes it go?)
What is it made of…
(How would we know?)
Add a little kindness
Add a little love
Add a little wonder
(And see what you’re made of!)
[Outro]
Love! Lots of love
(Not just a sprinkle)
Till the eyes twinkle…
(Fill to the top…)
(Don’t stop!)
… fill it above…
(… with love!)
Zap
[Intro]
There’s a spark in the air
(Can you feel it?)
Are you aware
(Even a little bit?)
A little connection
A little reaction
One tiny flash
(Can start an interaction)
[Verse 1]
From point to point
The signal flies
Across the space
Before your eyes
You touch a wire
The current runs
A little charge
(And then it comes!)
A sudden jolt
A little surprise
The world lights up
(Before you realize)
[Refrain]
Zap!
(What was that?)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Reflection on connection)
Zap!
(There it goes!)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Everybody knows!)
[Verse 2]
Energy travels
Across the line
Changing its form
(Time after time)
A flash of lightning
Across the sky
A spark jumps over
(You and I)
[Chorus]
Zap!
(Feel the reaction!)
Clap!
(Clap, clap!)
(Interaction!)
One little spark
Can start a chain
One little change
(Can change the game)
Zap!
(What was that?)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Reflection on connection)
Zap!
(There it goes!)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Everybody knows!)
[Bridge]
Zap!
(From here to there)
Zap!
(Stop and stare)
[Break]
Clap!
(Zap!)
Clap!
(Zap!)
Clap, clap, clap!
Connection!
(Reaction!)
Reflection!
(Interaction!)
Zap!
[Final Chorus]
Zap!
(What was that?)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Reflection on connection)
Zap!
(What was that?)
Feel the reaction
(Interaction!)
Clap!
(Clap, clap!)
Think!
(Think, think!)
Connection!
[Outro]
Zap!
(What was that?)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Reflection on connection)
Zap!
(There it goes!)
[Handclaps]
Clap, clap, clap
(Everybody knows!)
Wax Museum
[Intro]
Step inside
(Don’t be afraid)
Everybody’s smiling
(Everybody’s made)
Standing still
(Standing still)
Waiting for the room to turn
(Waiting for the thrill)
[Verse 1]
I walked through the doorway
And something felt strange
A face not familiar
Yet nobody changed
Eyes looking forward
A smile painted on
I wondered for a moment
(Where had everybody gone?)
A hand on the shoulder
A pose frozen tight
You could swear they were breathing
(But they never moved right)
[Pre-Chorus]
Is this a reflection
(Is this reality?)
Am I just observing
(What I’m supposed to see?)
If everybody’s certain
(But nobody knows)
How do you tell the difference
(When nobody shows?)
[Refrain]
Do you feel
(Like I am…)
… in a wax museum?
Are you real
(The real deal)
… or muse-dumb?
[Verse 2]
Am I the statue
And you’re the guide
… we’re both pretending
(There’s nothing here to hide)
A little bit of vanity
A little bit of fame
A frozen little likeness
(And somebody’s given it a name)
But outside the museum
The real world carries on
The river keeps on flowing
(Even when the lights are gone)
[Chorus]
Wax museum
(Wax museum)
I’m supposing…
(Everybody’s posing)
Real deal
(Real deal)
Or just another copy
(That doesn’t feel?)
Muse-dumb
(Muse-dumb)
Lost inside the room
When you’re staring at the statue
(Who’s the statue… me or you?)
[Bridge]
Move!
(Prove!)
Blink!
(Think!)
Feel!
(Real!)
[Final Chorus]
Wax museum
(Or muse gone numb)
Do you feel frozen
(Or ready to move?)
Prove…
(The real deal)
Are you awake
(Know what’s at stake?)
Muse-dumb
(Muse-dumb)
Don’t let your mind become
A monument to yesterday
(When tomorrow’s just begun)
… to begin again
[Outro]
Blink!
(If you’re alive)
Think!
(Strive to thrive)
Dawning on Me
[Intro]
Something’s changing
(What could it be?)
A little light
(Is dawning on me)
I looked away
(But couldn’t flee)
The thing I sought
(Was looking at me)
[Verse 1]
Woke up this morning
With a thought in my head
Something I’d heard
(Something somebody said)
Could be coincidence
Could be a sign
Could be the future
(Catching up with time)
I took a step
Then another one
Didn’t know exactly
Where I was going
But looking back
I can finally see
The road I traveled
Was becoming me
[Refrain]
Reality…
(It’s dawning on me)
I’m starting to see
(Self-fulfilling destiny)
… or…
(A knew trajectory)
[Verse 2]
I thought the future
Was waiting somewhere
Hidden in the distance
(Floating in the air)
Turns out the future
Isn’t somewhere to find
Here it is forming
(One choice at a time)
[Refrain]
Reality…
(It’s dawning on me)
I’m starting to see
(Self-fulfilling destiny)
… or…
(A knew trajectory)
[Bridge]
… if the question
Is part of the clue…
Look at the answer
Staring at you
See!
(See more clearly)
Think!
(Think differently!)
Choose!
(Choose carefully!)
[Break]
For sure?
(Not quite!)
Certain?
(Nope!)
Written in stone?
(Not likely!)
Open for suggestion?
(Absolutely!)
Reality!
(Reality!)
What’s dawning on me?
(The way that we see “we”…)
Can change what it will be!
Dawn…
(Dawn…)
Dawn…
(Dawning on me…)
[Final Chorus]
Dawning on me
(Dawning on me)
I’m starting to see
(Self-fulfilling destiny)
… the future
Isn’t destiny
… our choices
Become reality
Dawning on me
(What will it be?)
Something is changing
Inside of me
… getting a clue
… about “we”
Starts with what we do
[Final Refrain]
Reality…
(It’s dawning on me)
I’m starting to see
(Self-fulfilling destiny)
… or…
(A knew trajectory)
Reality…
(It’s dawning on me)
Now I’m beginning to see
What I thought was destiny
(Is becoming “we”)
[Outro]
Dawning…
(Dawning…)
On me…
(On me…)
I can see…
(I can see…)
Win or lose…
What we choose
(… what we choose “to be.”)
Dawning on me…
Enlightenment
[Intro]
Turn on the light
(What do you see?)
Open your mind
(Come enlighten me)
A spark in the dark
(A flash in the brain)
One simple question
(Can start a new chain)
[Verse 1]
I thought I knew
(But I didn’t know)
I thought I’d seen
(But I had to grow)
[Pre-Chorus]
Illumination
(Revelation)
Imagination
(Change in destination)
[Refrain]
Such excitement
(In enlightenment)
Insight into insight
(Insight in sight)
Incite insight
[Verse 2]
… suddenly the pieces
(Start falling into place)
What once looked impossible
(Has a very different face)
[Refrain]
Such excitement
(In enlightenment)
Insight into insight
(Insight in sight)
Incite insight
[Bridge]
See!
(In sight!)
Be!
(Insight)
A spark becomes a flame
(A flame becomes a light)
A thought becomes a question
(A question takes to flight)
[Final Refrain]
Papa always said:
(Son, don’t forget…)
Be true… pay what’s due
(No debt. No regret.)
From the first day
(Of my birth on Earth)
My mama would say
(Son, ’till you’re dead)
Be true… pay what’s due
(No debt. No regret.)
[Outro]
[Instrumental, Harmonica Solo, Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar]
I won’t forget… (wont regret)
(Oh, no, no, no)
I due know
(Sooo….)
You bet… (won’t forget)
(Do what’s due)
Will you…
