This song comes from a not-so-great solo album from Travis Morrison, the lead singer of an absolutely great band, The Dismemberment Plan. It is about the feeling of justice felt when hearing about a mistreated animal that does the ‘natural,’ inevitable thing and lashes out at its captors. I had been on the fence about posting it for a while, but it seemed appropriate after Meagan’s provocation today. Track and lyrics below.
this song is for the orca
swimming round in circles at sea world
someday you’ll drown the dude with the clipboard, someday
laying in the roadside cage in FLA
you’ll tear the cracker to shreds, someday
we’ll all read about you in USA Today
and it feels so nice that the Lord made this day
and it feels so right to know that justice will have its say
this song is for the pitbull
covered in the cigarette burns
someday you’ll find the sweet aorta, someday
this song is for the lion
shaved of all his dignity and pride
one will fall over that railing, someday
we’ll all see your story on MSNBC
and it feels so right that the Lord let this be
and it feels so right to know that justice does agree
this song is for the python
coiled in the box that does not fit
someday you’ll crush the air from his lungs, someday
this song is for the ape now
staring out through bars with comprehending eyes at all the useless people
someday
this song is for the orca
dreaming of the norway fjord
with open sores from rubbing dirty tank walls
someday