Barrel Roll 🏔️ ✈️
[Intro] [engine hum — a single sustained electronic tone, then piano entering alone] Seven thousand and climbing seven thousand and climbing [Verse 1] [intimate, plain, first person — the transcript language landing simply] From up here no one's a ramp rat from up here the lines don't show I moved them every morning four years on the ground never thought I'd be the one inside I'm just a broken guy got a few screws loose I guess I never really knew it until now [Pre-Chorus] [piano swelling slightly, the drone underneath rising] I don't want to hurt no one I don't want to hurt no one I got people who care about me and I know I know [Chorus] [opening — the altitude as freedom, the voice finding something] From up here everything is Rainier everything is holy smokes I can't see the ground as I'm circling up through the white cloud rising out The sights went by so fast I thought I'd have my moment of serenity I thought I'd have more time [Verse 2] [the ATC dialogue entering — their voice in italics, his voice plain] You still there? Yeah I'm still here Peachy clean Everything's peachy Can this thing do a barrel roll you think? *Rich before you do that let's think about this* I'm just going to do it real quick *You sure would be a hero if you could pull off this landing* I know I know [Pre-Chorus] [the drone louder, piano more insistent] I don't want to hurt no one I don't want to hurt no one I'm sorry I hope this doesn't ruin your day [Chorus] [fuller — both the altitude and the grief present simultaneously] From up here everything is Olympics everything is holy smokes I can't see the ground as I'm circling up through the white cloud rising out Minimum wage chalk it up to that maybe that will grease some gears [Bridge] [sparse brushed drums arriving — the only moment of rhythm, holding the barrel roll] He said can this thing do a barrel roll He said I'm going to try and if it goes good I'll just go nose down and call it a night And it went good God it went good ten feet above the water the sky king held the wings *Congratulations you did that now let's land that airplane safely* Alright ah damn it I don't know man I was kinda hoping that was going to be it [drums fading — piano alone again] [Final Chorus] [the quietest version — just voice and piano] From up here I can see Rainier from up here holy smokes I can't see the ground I'm not circling down I'm just here in the white cloud I got people who care about me it's going to disappoint them I'm sorry I hope this doesn't ruin your day [Outro] [piano descending, the electronic drone fading slowly] Seven thousand and holding seven thousand [the engine hum fading] [piano note — held] [then nothing] [END]
