While The Ocean Died - Steve Davis

There’s a simmering body of resentment and frustration in South Australia about the slow response and mixed messaging from our government and official bodies in relation to the suffocating, spreading natural disaster of algal blooms along much of our coast and waters.

Sea life, bird life, and even some land-based fauna have been falling victim to the toxins and/or suffocation.

The general understanding is that when the rich flow of nutrients and other elements from upstream flooding in the Murray Darling river system reached the mouth, combined with warm weather, we had a perfect storm for making life easy for algae.

Cool weather eventually brought some slight relief before another burst of heat added fuel to the fire, so to speak. Active commentators like John Schumann have lamented recent allocations of money, claiming they will just grease the wheels of more talk fests.

Meanwhile, an army of citizen scientists like Johanna Williams, has been dutifully documenting the destruction in the hope that it will help guide action from authorities.

However, most messaging from the government seems to adopt the motto, keep eating fish (well, only the flesh) and carry on, missing the point that we could soon be losing a crucial part of our ecosystem as a new biomass of dead marine life starts feeding more bacteria on our ocean floors.

This song is a reflection, an attempt to distill the myriad feelings awash as we seem to watch our leaders engage in “damage control” centred on the political realm rather than the physical realm.

While The Ocean Died Lyrics

[Verse 1]
There was a flood upstream
It was a lot of rain
Farmers rejoiced
It eased a lot of pain
By the time the waters
Made it to the mouth
Fishers cursed
It was poisoning the south

[Verse 2]
It was unusually warm
As we hit the beach
Surfers rejoiced
As they paddled out of reach
But then they saw
The drowning fish
The ocean cursed
It was not what anyone would wish

[Chorus]
(You told us) Don’t be afraid
(don’t be afraid)
It’s just algal bloom
(just algal bloom)
It’s a natural thing
(natural thing)
It will be gone soon
(gone soon)
We don’t have gills
(we don’t have gills)
So we can’t drown
(we can’t drown)
Keep eating fish
(keep eating fish)
While they’re still around
(still around)

(But) Have you walked the beach
(walked the beach)
Careful where you tread
(where you tread)
Stepping over sea life
(sea life)
That’s washed up dead
(washed up dead)
You watched it begin
(watched it begin)
Saw the warning tide
(warning tide)
So own your sin
(own your sin)
That you hid, while the ocean died

[Verse 3]
There was a whale upturned
There were floating birds
Sharks rejoiced
It was a banquet served
To walk along the shore
You had to dodge the death
Councils cursed
It meant more work for them

[Verse 4]
Then upon the coast
With their seaside views
Humans cursed
They were clearly not amused
When the tourists ran
And the trade left town
Humans asked
We live on land, how can we drown?

[Bridge]
A leader never gets to choose
When they’ll get put to the test
Will they stay upon the sand?
Or will they wade up to their chest?
(HOW LONG CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH?)
(HOW LONG CAN YOU IGNORE THIS DEATH?)

[Big instrumental break]

Listen To While The Ocean Died

You can listen to the song here.

Fish image taken by Johanna Williams and used with permission.

The Scribbled Notes

Some people like to see how the fragments of ideas and lines came together. If that’s you, here they are.