Nature’s Equation

This is a submission for the Harmonic Verses challenge. It is divided into three parts: the lyrics, an actual recording of the song (with yours truly on vocals), and, for the truly musically minded, the song script detailing the musical structure.

The Lyrics:

I have laid out the lyrics as if it were a transcript for a vocalist. Where there is a '-', it signifies to elongate that word. Where there is a '/', it means a pause or a stop.

Comments in italics and square brackets give a sense of the musical accompaniment.

[Musical prologue of lead guitar only 8 bars]

Verse 1:

Looking out on a cold grey morn-ing/

Yes-ter-day the sun was shining/

Our lives like the weather goes up and down/

So get your feet firm-ly/ plan-ted /on the/ ground./

[Pause 1 bar - full band (lead and rhythm guitar, bass and drums) joins.]

Verse 2:

I looked inside the minds of people play-ing devil/

Cleaned up/ all the ugliness that I found/

Too many peo-ple think about daily bus-i-ness/

Too many people don’t care/ at /all./

Chorus: (First two lines with backing vocal)

Get your feet firmly planted/ on the/ ground/

Just like the sun we’re goin’ round/ and/ round/

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

[Music bridge to second verse; 8 bars]

Verse 3:

A man just left Chi-cago in his Lear jet/

Won it last week/ in a poker game bet/

And he aint’ got no worries/ he ain’t got no cares/

Wouldn’t you know it/ he’s a mill-ion-aire./

Verse 4:

Across the sea in China ther-e’s a boy so thin/

Poke him with a stick/ and you can see the oth-er end/

He ain’t got no food/ no roof on his head/

Wouldn’t you know it/ he’s / a beggar instead./

Chorus:

Get your feet firmly planted/ on the/ ground/

Just like the sun we’re goin’ round/ and/ round/

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

[Music bridge to fifth verse, 8 bars]

Verse 5: (Backing vocal emphasizes the last words of each line, as shown in italic in song script)

Man prides himself on knowledge/ pretending he’s so co-ol/

Thinks about the world/ like some power-hungry fo-ol/

High in the mountains/ the birds fly round and round/

Anyone would think we’re at peace with the world./

Verse 6:

Rivers runn-ing slow-ly until they reach the sea/

Doesn’t matter where they start/ they end up in eternity/

Life is like a river/ running through the ground/

Ends up in a place/ where/no bottom/can be found./

Chorus: [Lead and backing vocal, drums only]

Get your feet firmly planted/ on the/ ground/

Just like the sun we’re goin’ round/ and round/

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

[Repeated with full musical accompaniment]

Get your feet firmly planted/ on the/ ground/

Just like the sun we’re goin’ round/ and round/

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

[Epilogue - Music only, six bars, tight finish]

***

Listen to how it sounds:

This is a ‘rough’ recording of the song performed by my band ('Trade Secrets') from the 80's, live at the Grovener Hotel in Melbourne. The story behind the song is provided in the author's notes at the end of the story.

Song Script

The song is 80BPM, moving a little up-tempo to 90BPM in the chorus. The song features a definitive beat, controlled by the bass drum and bass, which is highlighted in the verses but is softened in the chorus due to the rhythm guitar's contribution. The song has an Indie (rock/ folk) feel to it.

The letters in bold above the lyrics are the guitar chords.

[Slow single guitar-picking prologue]

Verse 1 and 2 (run on without a chorus):

[Single guitar only, finger picking - E]

E

Looking out on a cold grey morn-ing/

D E

Yes-ter-day the sun was shining/

E

Our lives like the weather goes up and down/

D E

So get your feet firm-ly/ plan-ted /on the/ ground./

[Pause 1 bar]

E

I looked inside the minds of people play-ing devil/

D E

Cleaned up/ all the ugliness that I found/

E

Too many peo-ple think about daily bus-i-ness/

D E

Too many people don’t care/ at /all./

Chorus: [First two lines with backing vocal]

A D E

Get your feet firmly planted /on the/ ground/

A D E

Just like the sun, we’re goin’ round/ and/ round/

A D E

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

A D E

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

[Music bridge to Verse 3, 8 bars]

Verses 3 & 4 (as for verse 1 & 2)

Chorus

[Music bridge to Verses 5 & 6, 8 bars]

Verse 5 & 6:

[Backing vocal emphasize the last words of each line, as shown in italic]

Man prides himself on knowledge/ pretending he’s so co-ol/

(he-s s-o c-o-o---------l)

Thinks about the world/ like some po-wer-hungry-fo-ol/

High in the mountains/ the birds fly round and round/

(bir-d-s f-l-y r-o—u—n—d)

Anyone would think we’re at peace with the world./

Rivers running slowly until they reach the sea/

(un-t-i-l th-e-y r-e-e-a-c-h )

Doesn’t matter where they start/ they end up in eternity/

(t-h-e- se-----a)

Life is like a river/ running through the ground/

(r-u-n-n—i-n-g thr-o---u-g-h)

Ends up in a place/ where/no bottom/can/be found./

t(he -g—r—o—u---n—d)

Final Chorus: [lead and backing vocal, drums only]

Get your feet firmly planted/ on the/ ground/

Just like the sun, we’re goin’ round/ and round/

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

[Repeated with full musical accompaniment]

Get your feet firmly planted/ on the/ ground/

Just like the sun we’re goin’ round/ and/ round/

And we’re sinkin’ for the third time around/

Sinkin’/ for the third time around./

******

[Music epilogue for the finish, 6 bars, tight finish]

[Author's note: This is one of the deepest songs I have written. The lyrics reflect the imbalance between nature and the world as we see it.

The first two verses show how hectic our lives can be. They highlight the constant changes we face every day. Sometimes, it feels pointless to try to change this chaos.

Verses 3 and 4 highlight the unfairness of wealth. Some people are rich, but others have nothing—not even a place to live.

The last two verses highlight how blind mankind is. They show that people often don’t see the harm they cause to the environment. Despite all the chaos, nature endures. Rivers and seas flow from the mountains, continuing their steady journey to the ocean.

The lyrics in the chorus plead for a sense of stability in the face of the realization that we are part of a larger world. Unfortunately, we are not doing a good job of protecting it.

Till next time,

Calvin

{Copyright © 25/3/25 Calvin London. All rights reserved.}