[Polyethylene] [D minor | 80 BPM | Minimal vocal performance | Close-mic male vocal] [intro|Close-mic male vocal, conversational, restrained] Life proves time and time again no niche goes unfilled [a group of Children's voices, distant and spontaneous; brief burst, all together simultaneously] — [Male vocal, intimate, matter-of-fact] A little green beneath the eyes a little mouth beneath the mouth a little colony inside the little colony waiting for the little weather comin' out [verse] And somewhere in the middle somethin' learns the shape of every little opening we thought we'd sealed away [Vocoder vocal, dry, understated] There's a bottle in the river there's a river in the rain there's somethin' eatin' somethin' we hadn't given it a name [Vocoder vocal, slightly detached] A red cell in the belly a white cell in the brain a silent little guest evolving for the change [Male vocal, low and conversational] Future got a hunger Future got a tongue it puts its little fingers through everything we've ever done [reprise|Male vocal, clipped questions; restrained] Which of these are harmless? Which of these will spread? Which of these are feedin'? Which of these are fed? [Rhythmic male vocal, restrained] The lights come on the wheel spins 'round the little bets begin [Dry spoken/sung aside] A smilin' face holdin' a mystery box— a little prize to win. [piano plays ragtime] [Male vocal, intimate] Somethin in the water, somethin in the weeds, somethin in the soil somethin livin' underneath [Male vocal, steady; slight forward motion] The answer moves the question moves the needle leaves the glass You draw the line— watch the line crawl past— so kind of you to ask. [chorus] Why are we still makin' it? [Film Audio Clip, Dry spoken voice, Megaphone saturated recurrence; unhurried] "Nature abhors a vacuum, darling." Why are we still makin it? [choir:] Poli-ethel-leen![Echoes] [Male vocal, quiet accumulation] And somewhere back at the start someone found the key to every little lock we swore we'd never need... [reprise|Male vocal, rhythmic and intimate] There's a body in the rhythm there's a rhythm to the sea there's somethin' eatin' plastic In a dream we set it free: our golem's made of poli-ethel-leen. [Verse, vocoder vocal, dry] A white cell in the belly a red cell in the lung [prechorus|Male vocal, returning to opening delivery] Life proves time and time again no niche goes unfilled— [chorus] Why are we still makin' it? [Film Audio Clip, Dry spoken voice, Megaphone saturated recurrence; unhurried] "Nature abhors a vacuum, darling." Why are we still makin it? [choir:] Poli-ethel-leen![Echoes] [Male vocal, warm but restrained, vocoder] the freed thing fights the hand that freed it, the dreamed thing finds the dreamers sleepwalking, the thing we cut to set it loose— was everything we meant to keep. So leave the cup by the river leave the gardens for the bees leave a little room for somethin our imaginations grieve. [reprise | Male vocal, clipped questions] Which of these are harmless? Which of these will spread? Which of these are feedin'? Which of these are fed? [prechorus|Rhythmic male vocal, restrained; slightly brighter] The lights come on the wheel spins 'round the answer wears its grin and with everybody leanin forward to see if it's a win... [chorus] Why are we still makin' it? [Film Audio Clip, Dry spoken voice, Megaphone saturated recurrence; unhurried] "Nature abhors a vacuum, darling." Why are we still makin it? [choir:] Poli-ethel-leen![Echoes] [outro | Male vocal, close, understated; leave space after final line] but it don't matter because it all rolls on So here we are both hands out with somethin new comin' along...
