Liberated Carbon

LIBERATED CARBON (© 2010 Andrew Revkin)

It took a thousand generations for our species to rise.
But gathering and hunting was no way to get by.
We yearned to burn more than dung and sticks.
Then someone [1] came along and said, “Hey, try lighting this.”
He opened up the ground and showed us coal and oil.
He said, “Come liberate some carbon. It’ll make your blood boil.”
Liberated carbon, it’ll spin your wheels.
Liberated carbon it’ll nuke your meals.
Liberated carbon, it’ll turn your night to day.
Come on and liberate some carbon, babe, it’s the American way.
Now I got peat swamp fossils running my TV.
BP’s black label burns in my S.U.V.
We can light up the planet like a Christmas tree.
They say that things are getting hot but, hey, we’ve got A.C.
Liberated carbon, it’ll spin your wheels.
Liberated carbon it’ll nuke your meals.
Liberated carbon, it’ll turn your night to day.
Come on and liberate some carbon, babe, it’s the American way.
Pump those electrons and that gasoline.
No sweat or hurry, just turn on a machine.
We sent an army to the desert to keep this country free,
And to liberate some carbon, baby, for you and me…
Liberated carbon it’ll spin your wheels.
Liberated carbon, it’ll nuke your meals.
Liberated carbon, it’ll turn your night to day.
Come on and liberate some carbon, babe, it’s the American way.