The crocodile, the largest living reptile, evolved around 83.5 million years ago. It has remained largely unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs and managed to survive whatever it was that caused their extinction. However, despite its antiquity, it is a remarkably well-adapted animal, with a highly specialized anatomy and characteristics. Human beings, on the other hand, evolved only 200,000 years ago. So, as sophisticated and dominant as they may appear to be, they cannot, so far, be said to be particularly enduring.
Consider, by way of example, if the history of the world were reduced to 24 hours, so that midnight yesterday was the beginning of time on earth and midnight tonight is the present day. Simple life would emerge at around 4.10am, with the earliest land dwelling animals at around 9.45pm. Crocodiles would then evolve at around 10.45pm. Not such a long time at all in the grand scheme of things, you might think. However, human beings would appear on the clock at just 2 seconds to midnight.
The Crocodile explores the development and position of humanity from a different perspective; that of a creature who has understood, accepted and adapted to much more than we have experienced.
Lyrics:
The crocodile is watching, he’s been watching for a while
He keeps his jaws beneath the water so you can’t detect his smile
He’s been around for many years and hasn’t changed too much
He’s kept his prehistoric skin, kept his prehistoric looks
The crocodile, he’s seen us come and he’ll see us disappear
It won’t be in sadness but in laughter that for us he’ll shed a tear
He grinned as we imagined that the world was all our own
You see the truth is it ain’t ours it’s just the place that we call home
He watched with some amusement (though he’s seen our many powers)
We’ve been here for just two seconds, he’s been here for several hours
The crocodile he’s seen us come and he’ll see us disappear
It won’t be in sadness but in laughter that for us he’ll shed a tear
He giggled as we squabbled over seas and over land
And fought about which king or queen was truly in command
As we were dropping atom bombs and dusting up the skies
His scores were largely settled by a simple show of size
He smirked as we philosophised the coming of the day
Argued one God or the other to dismiss or to obey
While we’re queuing up to swallow blessed hosts dealt by a priest
He just chewed and then he swallowed yet another wildebeest
The crocodile he’s seen us come and he’ll see us disappear
It won’t be in sadness but in laughter that for us he’ll shed a tear
He laughed as we exhumed the earth of oil and gas and coal
Battled over who it serves and who deserves it all
As we were worried hard about the rising levels of the seas
He just sank beneath the water where he sits with silent ease
The crocodile is watching, he’s been watching for a while
He keeps his jaws beneath the water so you can’t detect his smile
By the time we’ve disappeared and he can once again relax
He’ll be clutching at his stomach and rolling on his back
The crocodile he’s seen us come and he’ll see us disappear
It won’t be in sadness but in laughter that for us he’ll shed a tear
credits
released July 29, 2013
Additional performers:
Dan Bridgwood-Hill: violin, tracks 1 & 3.
Danny Jones: cello, track 3
Stephen Cordiner: viola, track 3
Phil Robinson: guitarron, tracks 1 & 4
Virginia Harvey: backing vocals, track 1
Special thanks to John Ainsworth for backing vocal arrangement on track 1
Bright and skipping songs that foreground the sound of the banjo and fingerstyle guitar in music that feels timeless. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2020
Sweet harmonies & strummed melodies; the duo delve into decades-old folk, jazz, and country to find a timeless kind of love and connection. Bandcamp New & Notable May 23, 2018
Portland singer/songwriter delivers a gorgeous Christmas EP, fashioned in the lush style of classics by Bing Crosby and Johnny Mathis. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 23, 2020
Old-fashioned fiddles harmonize with rippling synths on the Scottish singer-songwriter's latest collection of original folk songs. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 30, 2022