February Album Writing Month - FAWM.ORG

(Let's All Go To) The Science Museum

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Liner Notes:

This song is based on a recent trip my daughter and I took to the local science museum [but is also a composite of a bunch of similar experiences]. Thanks to severe funding cuts, the place is a crashing bore and deeply depressing. Everything in the song happened. More or less.

Lyrics:

(Let's All Go To) The Science Museum
by Chris Henson

Let’s all go to the science museum
And see what they’ve got on display
A model of urban decay
And it’s free

There’s a hobo rapping with words that are scary
Mom doesn’t want me to hear
He’s got a bag in the shape of a beer
I can see

There’s a girl selling tickets who looks like my sister
And acts like it kills her to move
What is she trying to prove
After all

There’s a late night showing of Koyaanisqatsi
My mom says I’m too young to see
I won’t get the sad irony
I feel small
I feel small

[Bridge]
Let’s all go down let’s climb in the Hummer
Crank up the air cause it’s gonna be summer all year
Let’s all go down let’s spend the day growing
Let’s see the town while the town that we know is still here
Cause it probably won’t be next year

In the human exhibit the skeleton’s broken
It looks like it’s growing a tail
And some kid scratched “fuck” with a nail
On the wall

There’s a model of earth that is no longer turning
It smells like the burning of gears
See my reflection in fingerprint smears
And I look small
I look small

[Bridge]

Let’s say good bye to the science museum
I don’t think we’re coming again
Mom says we’ve learned our lesson
It just isn’t worth it

There’s a hobo wrapping his leg with a bandage
His foot is as big as his dog
The dog licks the bandage
I roll up the window

I feel small
I feel small
I feel small

© 2010 ChrisHensongs

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Vom Vorton 1 week ago

That guitar on the bridge is magnificent. It reminds me of when I first saw Deerhoof, not knowing much of their stuff at the time. I kept thinking "those are some great vocal harmonies, but who's singing them?" - until I realised it was actually the guitar line harmonising with the vocals. This has a similar vibe. Great song.
Roy Estel Hughes 2 weeks ago

Great song, again, sir. I personally like the production, recording, the whole ball of wax. Pretty impressive considering how little time 28 days really is, after all. And yeah... I am sad your science center got budget cuts... not too unlike most other cities in this deflating country. I hope we wake up and smell the roses before our education system completely bottoms out. Science centers ARE cool. I don't even have kids, but I sure as heck like to go to them and fool around with all gadgets and such. (PS If you are ever in San Fransisco, especially with the kids, check out the Exploratorium... where you are encouraged to play around with all the exhibits. Lots of fun, and lots of good education to boot!)
Captain Vulpine! 3 weeks ago

Marvelous! I felt the emotion, I rocked out, I contemplated.

Doesn't hold back, that's for sure.

Cheers!

-Captain Vulpine!
Audita Sum 3 weeks ago

Really interesting song. Great arrangement.
chrisshepard 3 weeks ago

Man, that Errol dude leaves some in depth comments.
Billy Sea 3 weeks ago

Man, you are such a talent. Love your stuff. Awesome production and such depth in your lyrics.
oddbod 3 weeks ago

came by for another listen but it's not playing. just a temporary glitch hopefully.
drummerboy 3 weeks ago

Love this. It's got kind of a Ben Folds Five feel to it. Great, meaningful songwriting. Love the voc's. Nice job.
Errol 3 weeks ago

What? You're science center is free? Wow, that's great though!

Oh, I like it when it goes to the grunge part too, btw.

Anyway, I love the science center. I mean, I never go to the thing, but we have a membership, and my children love it. They haven't even gone to all the stuff, because they go only to the kids area. But there is this one part in the kids area where there is this microscope that magnifies everything by 200 times!

TWO HUNDRED FREAKING TIMES!

The thing is amazing! I love it! I would find everything I could, because it wasn't some manky little Walmart microscope that doesn't work with anything unless you have 800 Megawatt Bulb attached to your eyeball, this thing had a built in light so that it could magnify ANYTHING.

Although there weren't instructions given for it. So it took me a while to figure it out. See, you had to press the object you wanted magnified up to the lens... anything NOT pressed up would not be magnified. So most people ignored the thing.

But I wasn't undeterred and I pressed on and when I figured it out, I was the happiest man on earth! I could magnify all sorts of things! I grabbed money to see what was written on them. I pulled my hair out. I took threads from my clothes. I searched the ground for little bits of food.

And, I have exzema, so I have these open wounds when my skin gets dry and cracked. Although it's not that bad, however, I had one of them. So I figured that would be AWESOME to look at.

AND IT WAS!

There you could see my dried, cracked and sore skin, with little fibres from mittens and clothing embedded in the sore itself, and you could dead skin flakes, you could see all sorts of nastiness. I was really tempted to put other body parts on there (nothing gross, sicko, just things like my tongue and stuff) but I didn't want to lick the thing and be carried away from the place like a perv so I refrained from that.

And then I realized I should let the kids have a go at it. Rotten kids.

But any time they left it, I went back all right. Because it was cool.

...

Uh... the song ended a while ago. I just like science museums. They're cool. And then "Mom" says never to go back? That's awful. There are all so many things there, maybe they need a kids section.

My wife takes are kids for an hour every friday. The kids love playing there. All sorts of many things... and this is reminding me of another story so I better stop there.

Oh, um. The song.

It's very cool. I like it. You write songs that I would like to write. I'm sad your Science Center had funding cuts. Science centers are cool.
Hammersmith 3 weeks ago

Great writing -- a fine sense of humour mixed with social commentary and flawlessly executed. It's no wonder this is mentioned a few times in the "Recommended Listening" thread. Unfortunately, a lot of the production choices detract from the song's impact -- the lead vocal off to one side with a ton of reverb on the other side, guitars and piano bury the drums and generally, as the arrangement grows, the clarity diminishes.
Jinx 3 weeks ago

Heard it on the FAWMcast – this is brilliant.
Meg 3 weeks ago

Another hit, my good man. I love your use of piano in this.
klinepen 3 weeks ago

Fantastic lyrics plus you've mention Koyaanisqatsi which nets you a 10 point bonus.
Embers of Autumn 4 weeks ago

Loving this song!
friendof 4 weeks ago

This is awesome... love the reverb on the guitar and your singing, especially on the repetition on "I feel small" - nice to hear it on Charlie's radio show!
Charlie Cheney 4 weeks ago

Good god man, this is ridonkulously brilliant. Can we do a show together sometime? I would truly love that.
Valerie Cox 4 weeks ago

Such sad commentary wrapped in a very enjoyable package. Sounds great!
onetomany 4 weeks ago

"He's got a bag in the shape of a beer" - Love it!
Linzi 4 weeks ago

Ahhh your voice and what a strong song. I'm also fan of the line 'and some kid scratched "fuck" with a nail' hehehe, what a clever and observant lyric!
bradsoroka 4 weeks ago

A little bit of TMBG, a touch of Ben Folds, a sad science museum and a whole lotta Henson. Lay that over a solid melody and you got a smashing song. The lyrics and the piano give it a strange bittersweet nostalgia. Nice work.
expendablefriend 1 month ago

Hahahahaha, this is perfect!!!! It's got a touch of Ben Folds about it. It resonates too - I was similarly disappointed with the Science Museum in London last time I went. Didn't see "fuck" scratched anywhere, though.
Great lyrics.
Erothyme 1 month ago

This is awesome. Which science museum was this?
Debs 1 month ago

These lyrics are so, so good. The imagery is perfect. The Science Centre here makes me feel sad sometimes because it's not as awesome as I remember it. It's still neat to walk down those halls though. I'm really enjoying the versatility of your music
Phil Norman 1 month ago

I just broke out the Koyaanisqatsi DVD, and let the kids watch it. They didn't get the sad irony.
oddbod 1 month ago

fantastic stuff. love the lyrics - it seems science museums are the same the world over. i was equally unimpressed by a recent visit to the London one.
booty thieves 1 month ago

poor science museum... the picture is painted perfectly - feel like ive been there before
mrblitz000 1 month ago

This song is perfect... except that it seems very loud. Is there a brickwall limiter on the stereo out? If so, maybe lower it a tad. Beyond that, kudos. It's outstanding.
lgilbert 1 month ago

Yet another great song, Mr. Henson. Just absolutely LOVE it! Such a wonderful piece. The lyrics are just amazing, not to mention everything else. Excellent!!!
Billy Chase 1 month ago

You are on fire, Mr. Henson.
mike skliar 1 month ago

This is fantastic on every level...great job! love the song, love the performance and production...
Robyn Mackenzie 1 month ago

Wow. This is fabulous. Love the chord progression and the rhythmic piano. I love the line, "Let's see the town while the town that we know is still here/ Cause it probably won't be next year." Very bittersweet and heartfelt.
Hero 1 month ago

Oh, I really like this song.
plainwhitetoast 1 month ago

This is great!
Scott McBride 1 month ago

Another awesome tune. Reminds me of TMBG. How are you making so many great songs?
kenocupcake 1 month ago

In the words of Montgomrey Burns, "Eeexxx-cellent!"
Phil Norman 1 month ago

Any song that can drop Koyannisqatsi (and a rather fitting nod to Cather in the Rye) in the lyric gets a standing ovation from me right off the bat.

I bow in awe to this song. I can pay you no higher compliment than to say I wish I'd written it. This is songwriting of the highest order. Flawless victory from the lyric to melody to production, Mr. Henson. Wow.
G Slade 1 month ago

ha ha ha..."There’s a hobo rapping with words that are scary"...love that part..

awesome arrangement on here...

"And some kid scratched “fuck” with a nail"..wtf...that's great...

"There’s a hobo wrapping his leg with a bandage
His foot is as big as his dog
The dog licks the bandage
I roll up the window"...holy fuck that is some funny shit...

This one totally goes on my recommended tracks list...
chrisshepard 1 month ago

I saw the entire video in my head. I'm not sure the Science Museum is going to use this in their next ad campaign, but I sure like it.
anaesthetic penance 1 month ago

really quite a sad song
i don't know if the pop format makes me feel better or worse
I think worse.
Ragging on a sick society can be a bit glib - not that that would be out of place in a popsong anyway- but I think this song feels genuine enough that it is not a cliche
the i feel small bits are really chilling.
Billy Chase 1 month ago

Awesome. Sounds sort of like a Ben Folds tune.