The song asks a question about how many times we try the same or similar things, before we decide those attempts have failed and try something radically different. How long have we had entirely too much poverty, overcrowded prisons, and the majority of our fellow humans one accident away from financial ruin? The longer I think of the line “for nearly forty years,” the more bummed out I get, because I have my doubts that it won’t need to be updated to nearly 50, nearly 60, and then nearly 70 years. I don’t necessarily want an answer to the questions asked here, and I certainly don’t want the answer to “how long” to be “never.”

This one’s a true 4-tracker. Just the uke + vocals on one, another instrumental track from the Hohner, and then two vocal backing tracks. Could have done it on an analog Portastudio! It’s also the first one to use a time signature other than 4/4. Not completely, though — for some reason I felt it necessary to switch from 6/8 time on the verses to 4/4 time on the bridge.

Lyrics

How many times must we go round and round
Doing the same thing, expecting different results
Systems have settled, it’s pure status quo
And round, round, and round, forever we go

How many chances do we give to what’s failed?
How much proof do we need to collect?
It’s time for something else; it’s time to evolve
If we ever want to claim there are problems we’ve solved

A better world is possible
A better world is within reach
A better world is in our grasp
A better world for you and me

I’ll never claim to have all the answers
Just what I’ve seen, for nearly forty years
Sometimes I wonder after such a long time
If these problems aren’t faults, but part of the design