5090 by FAWM: "Cassandra"

Cassandra

11 weeks ago by @dr_griff

Cassandra

dr_griff

00:00

Liner Notes

This came out of a reddit discussion among academics, specifically about how we're experts in our fields, but nobody listens to our expertise when it matters.

#cassandra #science #filk

Lyrics

(Capo 3)

V1
Am G
I told them of the coming of the virus
Am E
I warned them of the coming of the rains
F Am
But nobody would listen to my visions
F G Am
Nobody would hear as I explained

And now the ground is littered with the dying
And now the skies are pouring down the storm
They all said I was mistaken, I was lying
No one remembers that I tried to warn

CHORUS
F
It hurts
G
To be the know-it-all
F
It sucks
E
To be the only one who sees
F
I wish
Am
I didn’t know a thing at all
F
I wish
G Am
That I could take my ease

V2
I begged them to listen to my prophecies
But just like in the movies, no one did
This isn’t why I chose to be a scientist
This isn’t who I thought I’d be amid

At every turn my findings were rejected
At every door my pleas were turned away
My knowledge and my terror weren’t respected
I wonder if they’ll ever rue the day

CHORUS

Bridge:

G Am
What good is it if you can tell the future
G E
When nobody around you gives a damn?
F Am
Sticks and stones and cards and bones or science
F G
This is what I do – no, this is what I am

V3
No matter how my calculations showed the end
The others simply shrugged it all away
I tried, oh how I tried to make them see the truth
And now they’ve seen the price that we must pay

How could it be my knowledge wasn’t valued,
As if there wasn’t more we’d need to know?
Why weren’t my facts and figures more convincing
So I wouldn’t have to say “I told you so”

Let me just say

CHORUS x2

Comments

@janeg 9w

Wonderful musical way to make this point, in this case about very critical matters. Sometimes they are listening but choose to put their short term economic interests ahead of even their own medium term ones. It’s not just academics and scientists. All consultants know that the expertise they are respected for is completely ignored, or even disputed, if they take a board or staff role.

@gfandme 10w

Great folk song with a message, like it very much

@greengrassgirl 10w

You're very good at social commentary, and I like the many voices you have.

@tawny249 10w

Pretty but sad. I will highlight the really good finger-picking, and your vocal made it clear this is heartfelt. Scientists aren't prophets, but part of modern science IS trying to prepare for future disasters and mitigate them, so this makes sense to me as a framing device. I do wish more people who have actually studied things at length were consulted on decisions that are directly relevant to those studies. Sigh.

@mikeskliar 10w

Excellent! Sadly too true too often! Music fits the lyrics well, too.

@petedc 10w

Very nice song! I thought the sad melody fit well with the words and the accompaniment, with enough difference in the chorus to keep it engaging.

@odilongreen 10w

Excellent playing, and the mournful regret in your vocal performance comes through very clear. A sad commentary on our times, but a very effective song for that!

@philkmills 10w

Good start! I think the song structure works very well for the message you're trying to present.

@coolparadisoMod 11w

Cool folk song, very pretty guitar playing! Very compelling listen. Some very thought provoking lyrics.

@fatboyjamz 11w

Beautiful folk song with reigning truths. Very nice!

@mctown 11w

Lot of truth runs into the ditch, it seems... these days.

@billwhite51 11w

this is a compelling song that can be viewed in many ways. i think, though, it works better as the song of a prophet rather than a scientist, as scientific method is a process of trial and error, in which truth is a destination, not a sarting point. The prophet knows he is correct, while the scientist follows mathematical reason to eek the prrofd of his theories, and encounters resistance and skepticism from his peers more than from an ignorant public that doesnt even understand the language he thinks in. musically, i like your choice of the ancient folk song structures. which give weight to the lyrics, but also point to the prophetic rather than the proven.

Command Center

Cassandra

Liner Notes

Lyrics

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