Nur Ein XVII Round Two - Floating in the Water

[thelowestbitter]

Liner

Spoiler

I'm off to Barcelona tomorrow for a week so I woke up this morning knowing I'd have to get a song out in a day. Luckily inspiration came pretty quickly for this challenge. My two narratives are 4 billion years apart. The chorus (in italics) is from the perspective of LUCA, aka the last universal common ancestor, the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. I've personified this bacterial lifeform and given it a sense of hope and expectation for the future of life on earth. And then the other narrator is a modern day human lamenting just how badly we've fucked everything up and let LUCA down.

As I say I was VERY time limited here and there are things about this I already want to change (I'm not sure the autotune on the chorus was a good idea but I wanted something to distinguish the two voices), but I'm not too upset with this for a quick write.

oh LUCA, look at how far we've swum
oh LUCA, look at all that we've done
oh LUCA, look at what we've become
what we've become

"safe in cytoplasm,
in some hydrothermal chasm
I await actualisation
as a trillion things,
four billion years away
I'm so excited to see what my children make
go forth and procreate!"

oh LUCA, did we do it right?
... feels like we fucked it up
my species of boiling frog
swims in water slowly killing us
apex discreditors,
scum rises to the top
floating in the stagnant water
soon enough, we'll all be sunk

oh LUCA, look at how far we've swum
oh LUCA, look at all that we've done
oh LUCA, look at what we've become
what we've become

"safe in cytoplasm,
in some hydrothermal chasm
I await actualisation
as a trillion things,
four billion years away
I'm so excited to see what my children make
go forth and procreate!"

oh LUCA, did we do it right?
... feels like we fucked it up

[gizo]

Floating in the Water - Stacking Theory

Liner:

Spoiler

This is a song about my island home - Australia

In the first narrative, I am telling the story of the Rainbow Serpent - a recurring indigenous Australian creation story.
In the second narrative, I am referencing Captain Cook and the First Fleet, who arrived on this land in 1770.
I think you'll be able to spot who is who in the song.

A few lyric-specific notes:

• "Toorali-oorali-ay" is a reference to the Australian Folk song 'Botany Bay', which is associated with the deportation of convicts to Australia

• The Red, Black, and Yellow that the Serpent leaves behind in this song are the colours of the Australian Aboriginal Flag

• "Always was, always will be" is an important statement in our nation. The first footprints on this land belonged to our First Nations people, and sovereignty was never ceded.

in the beginning there was nothing
only me
the land was flat
and it was lonely
and empty.

this island floating in the water

I travelled everywhere
just looking
for my friends
I travelled north and south
I travelled east and west
(my body made the valleys)

on this island floating in the water

Today
Is the day
That I sail
‘round the cape
To stake
My claim
On this island floating in the water

I brought the frogs up from the earth
and kissed their bellies
(and they made the rivers run)
I turned the animals to women & men
and gave them their ease
(they were my precious ones)

On this island floating in the water

I came
And I saw
And I stayed
On this shore
I invade
Toorali-oolari-ay

this island floating in the water

I am the rainbow
and I’m living in the sky
(and if you look you’ll see me)
Red, black, and yellow
are the colours left behind
(always was and always will be)

this island floating in the water

always was and always will be
always was and always will be
always was and always will be
always was and always will be

[vowlvom]

Floating in the Water by Vom Vorton

Liner Notes

In the early 1500s, a family joins the rush from Europe to the recently discovered Americas to start a new life. After their ship is wrecked, they resort to the classic Message-in-a-Bottle scenario in the hope that somebody will find their remote island. 500 years later, the bottle is discovered miraculously intact and put up for auction as a historical artefact.

Electric guitars and synthesizer come in to signal the move to the present day.

we set out for the new world
fertile land and rivers full of gold
the storm hit around midnight
and we woke up on a beach, freezing cold

don’t worry, my love
the water’s good, and fruit grows from the trees
I will bottle up a message
and I will cast it out into the sea

they’ll find it floating in the water
they’ll find it floating in the water
they’ll save our sons and our daughters
and with God on our side, they’ll save us too

the next item up for auction
dates from the early sixteenth century
pulled out of the ocean by a fisherman, unopened
its contents still remain a mystery

quiet please, and I will start the bidding
some lucky soul will win a prize today
a treasure map, or a piece of history?
raise your hand if you’re prepared to pay

we found it floating in the water
we found it floating in the water
we don’t know the fate of the author
but make a bid, and this could belong to you

we found it floating in the water
we found it floating in the water
if you’re curious, maybe you oughtta
make a bid, and make your dream come true

they followed the map
found bobbing on the waves
it led to stones
marking perfect graves
and the dust of bones
that had fallen nearby
because nobody was left
to bury the last to die

[glennny]

Floating in the Water
By glennny
Music and words by glennny

Spoiler

Stories by Geoffrey Chaucer(1392) and Louis C.K. (2017)
1st narrative- One of the Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Tale
2nd narrative- The fall of Louis C.K. back in 2017

A rapist would be put to death
His life spared per the Queen’s request
A correct response to what she inquired
“What do women most desire?”

A homely lady gave him the right answer
A devil’s deal, he’d have to romance her
Wedding night, want he a faithful hag
or would he prefer a cuckolding slag?

It was floating in the water
And you’d never have to bother
with the whereabouts or wherewithals again
The wife of Bath’s aftermath
floats away, but made a splash
With the mercy deed and inquiry of Gwen

The jester Louis Szekeley
expected sex fecklessly
a gormless and enormous mistake
abused his power to fall from grace

Divorced from shows like Better Things
He’s ostracized and suffering
Unforgiven and unforgotten
His ripe career is now rotten

It was floating in the water
And you’d never have to bother
with the whereabouts or wherewithals again
The problematic writer
Was a comedy insider
But he couldn’t write the scene to get himself back in

The water flows
We take a drink
Food for thought
And drink to think
Floats along
The sails are drawn
It might be long
To again belong

It was floating in the water
And you’d never have to bother
with the whereabouts or wherewithals again
It was floating in the water
And a lamb went to the slaughter
And the course of recourse might now begin
It was floating in the water
And you’ll never have to bother
with their whereabouts or wherewithals again
They were floating in the water
‘Til the water hit a waterfall
They fell
The folly of men

[adamadamant]

Liner:

Spoiler

This is a song about robots in the future who look after the remains of human society. The date is unknown but it is at least 500 years from the time of recording.

I found a chat room to the future
I asked them do you still use computers
A voice said "it's all much simpler now
They're all just heads floating in water

We are robots that clean the filters
And deliver lessons to children
We cook meals and wipe their faces
But the people don't know our names"

== chorus
I am Brian
I am Wendy
I am Hugo
I am Mandy

We are robots that clean the filters
==

They are the robots that clean the filters
I just logged off then I had to kill it
Close the screen and turn away
I couldn't find the words to say

Then two years later I met a German
Who found the chat room and had to tell me
He saw my name in the logs
And he spoke with the future bots

== chorus

He told me their names and asked my help
We have to change the future ourselves
You've heard the robots, you understand
We can't allow this future plan

We must bring the people together
Bring them out of their computers
We will stage an epic show
And we will tell the names we know

== chorus

They are robots from the future
They asked me "do you still use computers?"
I said it's all much simpler now
I shut it down

== chorus

verse: C E B G
chorus: E F G A (rising)

[Lunkhead]

Floating In The Water
by Lunkhead

Spoiler

Song by a vampire trapped between the emptiness of a life without love and the heartbreak of loving short lived humans. His compromise is to fall for someone only once every 500 years.

"Floating in The Water"
By Lunkhead

I am cursed to live forever
But it’s not living without love
Or if my heart is broken down
To a pile of bitter dust
So twice in a millennium
I let myself fall for someone
And bear the loss and the pain
So their memory can sustain me

I remember it was springtime
The smell of jasmine in the air
Wandering the night market
You were alone but didn’t care
We talked till dawn, planned to meet again
Falling in love was so simple then
Hand in hand underneath the moon
On the river floating in the water
I broke my vow and made one with you

Then I watched as your hair turned gray
Read the lines written on your face
Our time was coming to an end
And soon I’d be alone again

Oh I am cursed to live forever
But it’s not living without love
Or if my heart is broken down
To a pile of bitter dust
So twice in a millennium
I let myself fall for someone
And bear the loss and the pain
For their memories to sustain me

I was dreaming of the dead
On a cold All Hallow’s Eve
You emerged like a vision
From among the falling leaves
Was it pity or empathy
That put you on that path to me?
We walked to the lake underneath the moon
Floating in the water I knew that soon
I’d break my vow and make one with you

Then I watched as your hair turned gray
Read the lines written on your face
Our time was coming to an end
And soon I’d be alone again

Oh I am cursed to live forever
But it’s not living without love
Or if my heart is broken down
To a pile of bitter dust
So twice in a millennium
I let myself fall for someone
And bear the loss and the pain
For their memory to sustain me

[governingdynamics]

Floating In The Water
The Alleviators

(Narrative points: biblical story of Noah's Ark and a colony ship searching for a new habitable planet in the future)

Well it’s too late now
Guess we learned the hard way
There’s no easy way out
The rain falls down
And it won’t stop for days
Until the whole world drown

I wish I could say that we tried
But now we’re out of time

Two by two
We are floating in the water
If you ask him where we're going
He says anywhere but sin
Says we've gone too far
And we've displeased our father
Pray we haven't squandered grace
Wasted a second shot again

Well it’s over now
Before we were even born
A lesson too late to learn
Through our telescopes
Riding in on the airwaves
You can watch home burn

I wish I could say that we tried
We’ll get it right this time

Me and you
We are floating in the water
In a bed just like a coffin
Breathing water just like air
Burning hopes turned to embers
And the oceans got hotter
If the black holds a new home
Maybe we'll find some wisdom there

Through stars and seas
No going back now
Prayers and pleas
No going back now
Til we hit the ground
No going back
No going back
No going back

Two by two
We are floating in the water
We don’t know where we’re going
But it won’t be where we’ve been
Me and you
And our future sons and daughters
Pray we find a better way
Deserve a chance to start again

[lichenthroat]

Floating in the Water (shadow)
Lichen Throat

Narrative points: Nordic countries—once ruthless Vikings, now aficionados of metal

Floating in the water in the North Atlantic.
When they see our sails, they start to panic,
Praying for deliverance from the Vikings’ fury.
When our longboat lands, they flee and scurry.
We pillage and we plunder;
No wonder they’re unsettled.
We take their goods and steal their wives;
We’re men of blood and metal.

Metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal, metal.

We live in tidy order, in socialist democracies
With barely any thought to our violent histories.
We make our modern music, all kick drums and growls.
Band names in spikey type, with marks above the vowels.
We solo and we shred;
Don’t dread the distortion pedal.
The Swedes, Norwegians, and the Finns,
Are masters of the metal.

[BoffoYux]

Floating in the Water
by Boffo Yux Dudes

(Current man)

In hundreds of years, Who will be here?
See through the strife - survive all the fears?
I’ll send out a bottle with a message inside
and then let the tide - show the future we tried

What should I say? Hello - hey it's me?
A long dead member on your family tree?
Things here are crazy - hope you read this
and you've somehow come crawling back from the abyss

Chorus

Floating in the water, words from the past
500 years gone since this line was cast
Comes here and now - a Time and a Space
Will we keep running the Human Race?

(Future man)

The Sun is so warm - hot wind on my face
I’m the last man standing of the human race
The fish are all dead, the birds stopped their songs
There’s no point in singing if the world is all gone

But what is that bobbing - alone in the sea?
A shiny floating treasure - headed straight to me?
Shocked out of my stupor I do something rash
Wade into the surf while avoiding the trash

I grab at the bauble as it floats in the flow
A bottle whose message dissolved long ago
It’s not glass or metal, has lived or died
It’s made out of plastic- that’s all that survived....

Chorus

Floating in the water, words from the past
500 years gone since this line was cast
Comes here and now - a Time and a Space
Will we keep running the Human Race?

(Cosmic Either Beach Boys Time Travel Break)

Floating in the water, words from the past
500 years gone since this line was cast
Comes here and now - a Time and a Space
Will we keep running the Human Race?

Floating in the water, words from the past
500 years gone since this line was cast
Comes here and now - a Time and a Space
Will we keep running the Human Race?

[Geech]

Floating in the Water
Berkeley Social Scene

Lying in a basket among the reeds
Saved by love and noble deeds
Parting the sea to flee our foes
And watch them drown as we go

We don’t know our destiny
We didn’t ask for this to come to be

So many bodies floating in the water
A righteous people saved from a slaughter
The trauma of all their sons and daughters
With so many bodies floating in the water

Drifting lazily on the Dead Sea
I’m the culmination of history
Reading The Stand to pass the time
So much horror without reason or rhyme

We don’t know our destiny
We didn’t ask for this to come to be

So many bodies floating in the water
A righteous people saved from a slaughter
The trauma of all their sons and daughters
With so many bodies floating in the water

Thousands of years of this dirt in this town
Thousands of years of this blood flowing down

We don’t know our destiny
We didn’t ask for this to come to be

So many bodies floating in the water
A righteous people saved from a slaughter
The trauma of all their sons and daughters
With so many bodies floating in the water

[truth]

Floating In The Water
by Cavedwellers

Spoiler

Verse one is set in ancient Egypt. The second verse is set in a modern day Moscow military parade. The third verse is set in the Byzantine empire in the 12th century. “The horn” is the Golden Horn, the natural harbor of Constantinople where the emperor has hidden his fleet awaiting the arrival of the navy of the Egypt-based Fatamid caliphate.

The chorus refers to (naive?) western hopes at the end of the Cold War and a popular Scorpions song that captured those hopes in the context of, well, floating in the water.

A dignified procession
A modal chord progression
And all can see and hear their Pharaoh’s might
Floating down the river
Making a believer
Of everyone who sees the awful sight

Now missiles rumble onward
Fighter planes fly skyward
A military band prepares to play
A drumroll and the anthem
Saluting at the rostrum
All will know just who’s in charge today

When we floated down to Gorky Park
We thought those winds were blowing pipes of peace
But history didn’t float into dark
And war and rumour of war didn’t cease

While the Fatamids made ready
Venetians made spaghetti
The Romans drew their ships into the horn
Sailing through the Bosphorus
To lay a heavy loss for us
The new-look pharaoh’s treaty now is torn

When we floated down to Gorky Park
We thought those winds were blowing pipes of peace
But history didn’t float into dark
And war and rumour of war didn’t cease

When we floated down to Gorky Park
We thought those winds were blowing pipes of peace
But history didn’t float into dark
And war and rumour of war didn’t cease

[noma]

Nick Soma - Floating in the Water

Spoiler

This song is written from the perspective of Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287 - c. 212 BC) and Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519 AD.) Archimedes is most famous for his buoyancy principle, allegedly discovered while taking a bath, which is referenced in the lyric. While Leonardo is most famous for his paintings such as the Mona Lisa, he was also an inventor and engineer, though most of his inventions - such as the paddle shoes for "walking on water" referenced in the last chorus - remained just sketches in his lifetime. Leonardo also had an interest in dissecting bodies, which was problematic during his era. As he was much ahead of his times, I imagine him disgusted by people's stupidity or gullibility (such as the belief in witchcraft referenced in the second chorus, leading to innocent women being killed.) And for Archimedes, things didn't look much better; the wish for "circles undisturbed" refers to his tragic death at the hands of a Roman soldier. Hence the theme of genius minds held back by societal rules and conventions.

(Archimedes:)
Here, Your Majesty
With this method I shall see, for sure
Once applied
As the water's displaced
And the density obtained, I know
The goldsmith lied

Objects floating in the water
Buoyed upward by a force
Equal to the weight of water displaced
Now I see, of course

(Leonardo:)
Sitting secretly
Wishing everyone could see how this
Will help us all
I anatomize
Acribic studies of the human eyes
Behind these walls

"If she's floating in the water
She is sure to be a witch"
They're coming with the tar and feathers
Coming with the seething pitch
Humans close their eyes to reason
Living constantly confined
Behind the barriers they built themselves
To calm their narrow minds

(Both, I guess:)
May there come a day
Without these chains
Welded by our society
For a better world
Circles undisturbed
Open up your eyes and see

(Leonardo:)
Dreams of walking on the water
Sketches never realized
Each day brings a new idea
Too many for only one life
Humans close their eyes to reason
Living constantly confined
Behind the barriers they built themselves
To calm their narrow minds

[arby]

Floating in the Water (Virgo Power)

sweeter than well water
gentle was your name
stronger than the men who tried to put you down;
they could not get you down

chorus:
you put his head on a platter
you put his head on a plate
and when your world was all shattered
you left it all in your paint

your necklace of thorns
hung with a dead bird
hair floating in the water, you lived dying
but they could not keep you down

CHORUS

BRIDGE:
a deer pierced by arrows
twins entwined by blood and fate
a mirror shows your shadow to you
hope it’s not too late (x2)

CHORUS, repeat last line x3

credits:
R. Brookes McKenzie: vocals, engineering, mixing
E. Niveous Rayside: guitar, S-Drum pedal

Spoiler

My song is about Artemisia Gentileschi and Frida Kahlo. Both of them suffered terribly, Artemisia due to being raped at age 18 and Frida due to being impaled by a bus handrail at the same age. But they both persevered and went on to become great artists, though they became better known and their genius truly recognized after their deaths. The "head on a platter" refers to Artemisia's famous painting of Salome holding the head of John the Baptist on a plate. The first verse is about Artemisia and the second about Frida, the necklace of thorns with the bird is from her painting, "Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird". The hair floating in the water references a different painting, "What The Water Gave Me".

[JonPorobil]

My song lyrics might be a bit inscrutable, so I've included this "cheat sheet" here if you'd like to use it. I recommend at least trying to listen without the help first, but hopefully this will clarify if you're confused.

Cheat sheet

Spoiler

The lyrics of my song switch without warning from time period to time period. There are four characters/time periods involved, listed here in the order in which they appear in the song:

1488 C.E., Western Europe/Iberia - Christopher Columbus
2022 C.E., United States - Jon Porobil
Circa 1000 C.E., Greenland - Leif Erikson
2370, unspecified outer space - The Starship Enterprise

It's also worth noting that I recorded a second set of three verses. These don't appear in the recording directly, but I sent them to a reverb and muted the source audio, so when I sing a verse line, you're hearing reverb from another timeline.

[1488] Columbus lifts his hat and bows before the Queen
(reverb: [2022] Jon Porobil loads the washing machine)
[2022] He flicks his Fidget Cube and frowns at his computer screen
(reverb: [1488] And tries to give her the greatest speech she’s ever seen)
[1488] He speaks of legacy, of trading routes and staking a claim
(reverb: [2022] There’s 30 messages to write before the end of the day)
[2022] The kids are at each other’s throats over a video game
(reverb: [1488] Will she take this opportunity to make his name?)

[1488] You’ve handled each rejection with a sad and quiet grace
[All] Before you know it you’ll be floating in the water

[2022] Bolting out the office door, he’s late to get the kids again
(reverb: [1000] Leif Erikson tans another walrus skin)
[1000] Skræling attack reports from Thorvald’s surviving men
(reverb: [1488] She gives him 14,000 maravedis on a whim)
[1488] It’s enough to tide him over, but it’s not the win he needs
(reverb: [2022] He’s worried sick, but he’s caught up in the weeds)
[2022] The words and numbers run together the more he reads
(reverb: [2370] The ship is in pursuit and they’re matching our speed)

[1000] And you've chosen such an unforgiving place
[All] Before you know it you’ll be floating in the water

[2022] The dog missed every walk this week
[1488] Is Bartolomeo even alive?
[1000] These winters are increasingly bleak
[2370] We're gonna die out here if we can’t fix the warp drive

(Woo!)

[1000] The ocean froze, now his boat is trapped in ice
(reverb: [1488] No one he’s asked has yet agreed his price)
[1488] He’s already hit up every single nobleman in Europe... twice
(reverb: [1000] He hasn’t seen any wildlife bigger than mice)
[1000] There’s walrus ivory to trade, but this is no way to live
(reverb: [2022] She can’t stand to see him struggling to live)
[2022] She says “I love you, Jon, but something’s gotta give”
(reverb: [1000] He takes a broken handle to make a shiv)

[2022] The hotel pool, [1488 & 1000] the ocean blue, [2370] the emptiness of space
[All] Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
[All] Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
[All] Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
[All] Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
[All] Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water

Floating in the Water
by Jon Porobil

Columbus lifts his hat and bows before the Queen
He flicks his Fidget Cube and frowns at his computer screen
He speaks of legacy, of trading routes and staking a claim
The kids are at each other’s throats over a video game

You’ve handled each rejection with a sad and quiet grace
Before you know it you’ll be floating in the water

Bolting out the office door, he’s late to get the kids again
Skræling attack reports from Thorvald’s surviving men
It’s enough to tide him over, but it’s not the win he needs
The words and numbers run together the more he reads

And you've chosen such an unforgiving place
Before you know it you’ll be floating in the water

The dog missed every walk this week
Is Bartolomeo even alive?
These winters are increasingly bleak
We're gonna die out here if we can’t fix the warp drive

(Woo!)

The ocean froze, now his boat is trapped in ice
He’s already hit up every single nobleman in Europe... twice
There’s walrus ivory to trade, but this is no way to live
She says “I love you, Jon, but something’s gotta give”

The hotel pool, the ocean blue, the emptiness of space
Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water
Before we know it we’ll be floating in the water

[Future Boy]

Floating In the Water
by Elks of the Economy

He said he'd sail around the world
Heading west to the East
The Spanish flag was soon unfurled
On the masts of the fleet

Floating in the water
We find our destiny
Floating in the water
Of the deep blue sea

He said he'd swim across the lake
From the east to the west
He didn't know how long it would take
He'd put his body to the test

Floating in the water
We find our destiny
Floating in the water
Of the deep blue sea

2021 was a very good year
He learned to swim by overcoming his fear
That a creature of the deep would pull him under its wake
Jesus Christ was gonna keep him safe

He thought the trip was going well
He found the strait of All Saints
But only time would tell
If he would make it back to Spain

Floating in the water
We find our destiny
Floating in the water
Of the deep blue sea

1521 was a very bad year
Lapulapu didn't wanna join the European sphere
Mactan saw a battle that would seal his fate
Jesus Christ couldn't keep him safe

He'd swam three quarters of the way
When he ran out of breath
And at the end of the day
No one was around to record his death

Floating in the water
We find our destiny
Floating in the water
Of the deep blue sea

[Cybronica]

Floating in the water
By Manidbles

A bottle came a-bobblin’
by Brighton Beach a-wobblin’;
I fished it out with careful hands
As I sailed past England.
The glass was cloudy emerald
And sparked something ephemeral
Within my heart so curious
I abandoned all injurious
Thoughts of caution to the wind
And shook the contents held within.

Oooooh

A sloshing sound beneath the glass,
Explained by cracks in cork and wax,
Warned me of a sodden treasure,
But did not dampen my own pleasure
At this small discovery
That I found floating in the sea.
Cork and wax gave easily
As if they’d long awaited me,
A silty slurry trickled out
Before the parchment hit the spout

Oooooh


Hale hearty sailor! Pray for me,
For my poor heart shall surely break.
My love has taken to the sea,
And left me in his waning wake.

No guiling trinket left behind, go
No lock of satin, flaxen hair,
No laughing bairn will me remind
Of our passionate affair.

Could it be thee who reads this note,
Who sees the ink my pen has bled?
My lover’s eyes, once more afloat
And buoyed by what they have read?

Alas, a stranger, like as not, or
Creature in the briny deeps
Has found this, floating in the water,
While my soul etern’ly sleeps


The tangled mess of rags, I think,
Held stains that were, at one time, ink;
Their contents, I would never know.
I chuckled at the curio,
And treasure plundered, shook my head,
Gently laid the glass, and revv’ed
The engine, left there rumbling.
The ocean’s gifts, so humbling,
Are mysteries, and rarely more,
That bob between the waves and shore

Oooooh