[Verse 1 - on the other side, seeing everything] On the other side of that there’s so much space I wasn’t prepared for quite this much room Every direction is a viable direction there’s something there And I’ve been standing very still since the boom
There’s a version where I go completely quiet And a version where I go completely loud There’s a version that I’ve never tried before And every version currently requires a crowd
[Pre-Chorus - voices lobbying different options] What if we— (yes!) Or what if— (also yes!) But have you considered— (YES!) None of them? (please no)
[Chorus] Hypothetical rhetoric I’ve been arguing with every version of what’s next How about this or that or those - what’s best? Building the case for thirteen hypotheticals And every single one sounds right from here And every single one sounds wrong from here Hypothetical rhetoric (rhetorical hypothesis) The options are the problem Not the answers (how many so far?)
[Verse 2 - running the scenarios] I could be the one who does the thing that’s unexpected Or the one who does the thing the crowd came for I could go back to the thing that felt like mine before Or invent the next thing that I don’t have a name for
I ran a scenario called “version where she’s quiet” And another one called “version where she breaks” (did not like that one) And a third one I called “version that the environment suggested” And deleted it before I had to save
[Pre-Chorus - voices getting louder] This one’s— (brilliant!) But also this— (equally brilliant!) What about— (brillianter?) That’s not a word (IT IS NOW)
[Chorus] Hypothetical rhetoric I’ve been arguing with every version of what’s next How about that or this or those - what’s best? Building the case for eighteen hypotheticals And every single one sounds right from here And every single one sounds wrong from here Hypothetical rhetoric (rhetorical hypothesis) The options are the problem Not the answers (I have a question)
[Bridge - peak chaos of seeing everything] This is the part they don’t talk about After the threshold and before the knowing There’s a field of viable directions (there are) And none of them is obviously the one (none)
And the voices that were barely speaking (now we’re screaming) Are now screaming all the options simultaneously (aaaaaaah!) And I can hear all of them clearly (unfortunate) And I agree with all of them (also unfortunate)
So I’m just— Standing in the field (it’s a big field) Listening to the screaming (it’s a lot) Running every hypothetical And none of them is wrong (that’s the problem)
[Pre-Chorus - peak chaos] Version A— (yes!) Version B— (YES!) Version C through— (all of them!) Quiet— (QUIET!!)
[Final Chorus - cuts through the rhetoric] Hypothetical rhetoric Still arguing with every version of what’s next How about those or this or that - what’s best? Thirty-seven hypotheticals and still I don’t know But something in the choosing is the answer (oh?) Even if the something isn’t clear Hypothetical rhetoric (rhetorical hypothesis) I’ll pick the one that— Actually— Forget the rhetoric—
I’ll just— (yes?) …go. (GO!)
[Outro] Version… (which one?) Chosen. (really?) Ish. (close enough) Let’s go. (finally!)
Those.These.That.This. (rhetorical hypothesis!)