This week, my program is a musical one. Here is a song by singer, songwriter, and environmentalist Sean Madden about the amazing and unexpected resilience of nature in the face of political turmoil and trouble.
Lyrics of Sean Madden’s song, “The Whale”:
There’s a sinister seed that’s been growing
in this country we once thought was great
A dangerous crop we are sowing
One of anger and fear and hate
And I can’t belittle their frustration
That festered ignored for so long
But what will be left of our nation/With all of the immigrants gone?
But did you hear what they saw in the Hudson?
Right there off the Manhattan shore
There’s a whale swimming round in the Hudson
That’s once for those keeping score, those keeping score,
A gracious, intelligent leader
Who just happens also to black
And we were poised for historic repeater
One step forward and two steps back
Now the white house feels a lot whiter
As the masculine masses applaud
And they swallowed his con just to spite her
Now we’re left with this crumbling façade.
But did you hear what they saw in the Hudson?
A creature of mysteries deep
There’s a whale swimming round in the Hudson
A site that could bring souls to weep, bring ‘em to weep.
And on that same little island of power
Sits a frightening, dangerous man
High up in his cheaply guilt tower
Built on pillars of lies and dark plans
And once his election was joked
Just like his impossible hair
But the fires of hate that he stoked
Now leave millions to fear and despair
But did you hear what they saw in the Hudson?
A river they once claimed was dead
There’s whale swimming round in the Hudson
Whose blood once painted seas red
So in this symbolic creature
May we find some meaning that’s true
We always have hope for the future
Hope cradled by me and by you
There’s a resiliency in nature
A struggle to live and to fight
And though we can’t make it perfect
We can still work to make things all right;
Make it all right, we can make it all right.
