Whitebark

 siri saeteren

Lyrics:

You see things as they were

From death, to life, to birth

Same gum stuck to the sidewalk in the city

How long has it been there?

They pass too quick to care,

so nobody ever tries to scrape it up

They see no value

No, they can’t sell it

And if they can’t sell it

Then they’ll forget it and move on

300,000 years,

what it took to get us here,

So why is everybody in a hurry?

All these cash-grabbing hands,

All those heads stuck in the sand,

Looking for a treasure they won't bury

Some get lost in their heavy pockets

In all the spending, I think we’re forgetting

I think we’re forgetting

That we’re alone out here

We’re alone out here

We’re alone out here

We’re alone out here

What your two eyes have seen

is worth more than a time machine

Look at all the life living around you

Rainstorms, belly laughs, and bears

Stranger smiles, baby stares

Ancient trees, the shade they cast beneath them

But it’ll all go

if we let it

I think we’re forgetting

That we’re alone out here

We’re alone out here

We’re alone out here

We’re alone out here

Siri Saeteren is a senior studying songwriting at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and will attend the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU in the fall of 2024. Siri was born and raised in Belgrade, Montana, and has spent a significant amount of time in the Yaak River Valley, among the old-growth trees. Much of her work relates to climate change, and the protection of ancient forests. Her love for the natural world and the wildness of her home is one of the greatest inspirations for her art.