If you worry about climate change, but want a catchy beat to soften the blow of our inevitable death, the song “Anthropocene” by Samsa is for you.
Samsa does an incredible job using lyrics to discuss a serious topic in a humorous way. The song puts a slightly positive spin on watching the earth deteriorate before our eyes, leaving some hope for the future.
While Samsa does not have the best singing voice, they do have a way with fast-paced talking that can be considered rap, but sounds more like spoken word poetry. The lyrics are complicated and it is impressive to hear them on beat, as the word choice is incredibly complex.
One of my favorite lyrics in the song is, “Here’s the way I see it, if we’re gonna die, let’s do it on romantic terms, like we could linger on the board walk, watch tsunamis from the turf shore — I’ll go get my board shorts, and you could bring your surfboard, maybe we’ll hold hands as we get swallowed into Earth’s core.”
Samsa explores the idea of accepting our fate because there is no way for us to change it. As individuals, we cannot control the corporations that are slowly killing the world because humans cannot be satisfied. All we can do is sit back and try to find our own happiness.
The song is based around two people who are seeing the Earth die in real time and how even though reality is messed up, the love between them is enough to for them to die without any regrets.
Even though the song is from a romantic perspective, it can also apply to friends. Surrounding yourself with people that you would be comfortable and happy watching the end of the world with is important. If you cannot see yourself satisfied with dying with a person, they should not be in your life.
The song is about four minutes long and there is a lot packed into that time. I recommend listening to it multiple times with no distractions or looking up the lyrics to get the full experience. The simple, repetitive beat behind the lyrics is entertaining, but the words matter the most.
If this song makes its way onto your playlist, I recommend looking into Samsa’s other songs. Many are funny and a great way to have a laugh in the car with friends or even to put yourself into a better mood if you’re down.
