Groundless?

[bnewman]

Like the singer in Blake's song, the humans in WALL-E have been in space on a generation ship for a very long time and no longer remember exactly why — and, likewise, when they begin to discover the truth, they respond with a call to action.

lyrics by Benjamin Newman

ttto: "Boundless?" by Blake Hodgetts

listen to this song
 

/ Am- G- -Am / -- G- E / Am- GC G- E / AmG CBb- / AmE Am- /

 

Here in the captain's chair, I live a life of adventure and fame —

Oh, who am I kidding, each day here's exactly the same!

The morning announcements are all that I do,

The last human still serving as crew —

Or have I been reduced to a passenger, too?

Am I captain in nothing but name?

 

/ C G / AmE FGAm /

 

Grab your cup, take a sip!

It's year 700 of our five-year trip!

 

Each day I review the ship's status reports, and there's nothing to see

Lean back in my chair, sip my coffee — hey, what can this be?

Climate: unchanged, population: unchanged,

But this last alert's new and strange:

A probe droid returning from maximum range

And reporting directly to me!

 

Grab your cup, take a sip...

 

But now no one can locate the sample that probe droid brought back from its trip —

And under my desk there's a robot that's not from this ship!

Analyze this stuff on its treads — it's called "earth"?

And it comes from the world of our birth?!

I'm beginning to guess what that sample is worth

And I'm not going to let this thing slip

 

Grab your cup, take a sip...

 

It seems as though we've always lived on this ship, it's been so many years

As they passed we forgot what it is that we're doing out here

We polluted our planet so nothing could grow

So many ages ago

But retrieving a sample of plant growth would show...

Just how did that plant disappear?

 

Grab your cup, take a sip...

 

I've reviewed these objectives and orders and something here just doesn't jibe —

This is year 700 of a cruise that was meant to last five!

Earth isn't cleaned up?  Well, what's stopping us now?

Do you think that we've forgotten how?

And don't you dare tell me what you won't allow —

It's not enough just to survive!

 

Grab your cup, take a sip...

 

Hear me, oh, hear me, oh,

This is the captain: it's time to go home!