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Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander (Seafarer Press)
Saving All the Whales in the Sea (Lead Sheet)
A cautionary fish tale about some exceedingly like-minded people.
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Saving All the Whales in the Sea
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Saving All the Whales in the Sea
Medium voice (Lead Sheet)
It’s one thing to get everyone on board with an idea — keeping them rowing in the same direction is another entirely! In this high-spirited farce, chaos arises as the good intentions of a thousand like-minded people spin out of control. This hilarious cumulative song grows more absurd with each verse, offering performers ample opportunities for playful theatrics.
NOTE: The lyrics of the “ensemble version” (1-4 pt chorus, 2 soloists, and piano) and the “solo version” (solo voice, piano) are slightly different from one another. Singers wishing to perform this song as a dialogue will find it easy to do so using the score of the ensemble version.
Composer’s Notes
In the early 90’s I attended a peace rally in Madison, Wisconsin. As the speeches got underway the air was filled with passionate arguments against militarism, which is pretty much what one expects at a peace rally. But as each new speaker stepped up to the podium the list of protests grew longer and longer. There were calls for affordable housing, clean air, organic farming, organized labor, environmental justice, human rights, and ending just about every conceivable type of discrimination. For the most part I didn’t disagree with what the speakers were saying…but I had shown up in support of just one thing: a peace rally.
As I was mulling this over, I happened to see a friend leaving the rally. She was visibly distressed, and I asked her if she was okay. As it turned out, one of the peripheral issues had cut deeply against her core values, and she couldn’t in good conscience remain at the rally.
I wondered how many other attendees walked away because they couldn’t get behind what seemed like a whole platform of positions? I couldn’t get that question out of my mind. And what does a composer do when she can’t get something out of her mind? She writes a song, of course!
But…what kind of song?
Well, you know those inspirational songs where more and more individuals gradually join their voices together until they form a mighty chorus? That is not the kind of song I wrote. Instead I wrote “Saving all the Whales in the Sea,” which is the exact opposite song. You might call it a “song of attrition,” falling apart as the good intentions of a thousand like-minded people spin absurdly out of control. The song is pure farce, full of hilarity and high-spirits…and it’s also an opportunity to laugh at human folly, and hopefully learn something about ourselves.
Let’s face it; it’s hard for a whole bunch of people to get on the same page, and even harder to stay on the same page! It can be mighty tempting to add extra things onto a group’s core mission – and I should know, because I’ve fallen into that trap more than once myself! Fortunately I’ve learned to be humble when someone says to me: “That’s a good idea, Elizabeth, but that’s not what we came here to do today.” (Yikes!)
-Elizabeth Alexander
Text
Well one fine day while talking to my friend, my friend declared to me:
“Oh wouldn’t it be very very good to save all the whales in the sea?”
We spoke to all the folks we knew who thought the same as we.
A thousand people signed right up to save all the whales in the sea!
“A thousand strong, we’ll never give an inch or shrink from noble fights.
As long as we are saving all the whales, let’s strengthen women’s rights!”
We told the happy news to those within our coterie.
Eight hundred people stuck around to strengthen women’s rights,
and save all the whales in the sea.
“Those amateurs who quit before the fight just had some basic flaws.
Without them we can do a better job to help the union’s cause!”
We told our fellow workers that we now had missions three.
Six hundred people stuck around to help the union’s cause,
and strengthen women’s rights,
and save all the whales in the sea.
“While helping workers, women, and the whales, let’s do some more besides.
It think it’s time to double down and work to ban all pesticides!”
We vowed that we would stand beside each butterfly and bee.
Four hundred people stuck around to ban all pesticides,
and help the union’s cause,
and strengthen women’s rights,
and save all the whales in the sea.
“It’s clear that those who couldn’t stick it out were little more than hacks.
They’d only hold us back as we attempt to lower income tax!”
We told our true believers that achieving this was key.
Two hundred people stuck around to lower income tax,
and ban all pesticides,
and help the union’s cause,
and strengthen women’s rights,
and save all the whales in the sea.
“Say, don’t you think it’s really quite a shame to see the sky so brown?
It wouldn’t take an awful lot of work to close the smokestacks down!”
We told our flock that now we stood for air that was smoke-free.
A hundred people stuck around to close the smokestacks down,
and lower income tax,
and ban all pesticides,
and help the union’s cause,
and strengthen women’s rights,
and save all the whales in the sea.
“I ask you has there ever been a team that had such unity?
I think we’re finally ready to address our foreign policy!”
She looked at me with eager eyes, expecting I’d agree…
And now works all alone to change our foreign policy,
and close the smokestacks down,
and lower income tax,
and ban all pesticides,
and help the union’s cause,
and strengthen women’s rights,
and save all the whales in the sea.
-Music and new lyrics © 2025 by Elizabeth Alexander. Original music and lyrics © 1991
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