Flying
Seize The Day Lyrics

I have a friend, who lives in Bantry Bay,
The singer's friend lives in a faraway place called Bantry Bay.

His lover lives 400 miles away,
The singer's friend's lover lives even further away, 400 miles to be exact.

So far by ferry, bus and train. It takes all day
The journey to reach his friend's lover takes a whole day as he has to take different modes of transportation.

He knows flying is a climate crime,
The singer's friend is aware that flying is harmful to the environment.

But he doesn't have the money and he doesn't have the time,
Despite being aware of the harm caused by flying, the singer's friend cannot afford to fly due to financial and time constraints.

When it`s cheaper to fly than to park at the airport.
Due to the high cost of airport parking, sometimes it's actually cheaper to fly.

What would you do? What would you do?
The singer questions what they or the listener would do in a similar situation.

I always thought I'd be by my sister's side,
The singer had always assumed they would be able to attend their sister's birth.

When she gave birth to her first child,
The singer's sister is expecting her first child.

And I'd love to see my Grandma again before she goes all the way.
The singer wants to see their grandmother again before she passes away.

Now they live so far away, Australia and the USA,
Unfortunately, the singer's sister and grandma live in different countries, Australia and the USA respectively.

What the hell will I say if they need me?
The singer is worried about not being able to be there for their family if they need help.

What would you do? What would we do?
The singer questions what they or the listener would do in a similar situation.

Official figures say that we need to reduce our CO2 emissions to between,
The singer introduces an official report which states we need to cut CO2 emissions to stabilize the atmosphere.

1 and 2.5 tonnes per person per year if we`re to stabilise the atmosphere.
This official report outlines the specific CO2 emissions target required.

The government, on our behalf, consumes between 1 and 2 tonnes
The government itself regularly exceeds the CO2 emissions target outlined in the same report.

On street lights, hospitals and fighting wars
The government's excess CO2 emissions are largely attributed to street lighting, hospitals, and wars.

1 return flight to Sydney Australia produces 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide per passenger
A single round-trip flight to Sydney, Australia results in 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per passenger.

What are you gonna do?
The singer is asking what the listener is going to do about the excessive CO2 emissions caused by flying.

What am I gonna do?
The singer also personally questions what they can do to lower their carbon footprint caused by flying.

I discovered so much of who I am,
The singer reflects on how they learned more about themselves through travel.

Sitting in deserts in the sand,
The singer specifically mentions the deserts they sat in, indicating they've explored specifically arid regions.

Nothing and no-one to get in the way. No bills to pay.
Traveling provided the singer with the freedom to do as they pleased and worry less about responsibilities such as bills.

I love lying in the sun and swimming in warm sea,
The singer enjoys particular aspects of travel such as swimming in warm waters and getting tanned in the sun.

I don`t want to think about all the places I may never see,
Despite the pleasures of travel, the singer realizes that there are parts of the world they may never get to visit.

Living is hard and flying is easy..
The singer is grappling with the reality that living life responsibly without taking plane flights is difficult.

What will you do?
The singer questions the listener about their own travel habits and how they balance the pleasure and the cost of flying.

What will we do?
The singer also questions themselves and all of us collectively about the impact of flying and what actions to take.

DOESN`T ANYONE GET A BREAK THESE DAYS?
The singer questions whether everyone is made to feel like they can't catch a break during this era.

DOESN`T ANYONE GET A BREAK?
The singer reiterates their sentiment that nobody feels as though they're able to catch a break in modern times.

DOESN`T ANYONE GET A BREAK THESE DAYS?
The song closes on the same question as a call-to-action for the listener to rethink their flying habits.