Smokescreen.mp3

[Verse 1]

[Chorus]

[Bridge]

[Verse 2]

[Chorus]

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

[Outro]

ABOUT THE SONG

The song “Smokescreen” resonates powerfully with today’s air quality crisis, especially when viewed through the lens of ozone pollution, wildfire smoke, and Saharan dust—threats both visible and invisible that now fill American skies. Here’s an interpretation of the lyrics in the context of the current environmental reality:

“What’s that haze in the sky / Or is it the clouds in my eyes / Can’t quite seem to see the sun / Wondering if it’s come undone”

This reflects the literal and symbolic obscuring of the sun by wildfire smoke, ozone haze, and Saharan dust. The repeated line about “the clouds in my eyes” evokes not just physical irritation from pollutants but also a metaphorical blindness—a societal inability or refusal to see the environmental degradation in front of us. The sun, symbolizing life and clarity, appears “undone,” mirroring how climate change is unraveling natural systems.

“The scene’s obscene / You’ll come to know what I mean / If you could only see through / The smokescreen”

This “smokescreen” operates on multiple levels. On one hand, it’s the literal haze—dangerous and growing—blanketing cities like Philadelphia. On the other, it’s a critique of denial, distraction, or political inaction surrounding the climate crisis. The “obscenity” is both the worsening air and the systems that allow it to continue.

“If this is a dream (It’s a nightmare) / Gotta do what ya gotta do / (Turn to love and show you care)”

Here, the dream-turned-nightmare reflects how humanity’s industrial and economic ambitions—once seen as progress—have morphed into existential threats. The call to “turn to love and show you care” is a moral imperative: to respond with compassion, climate action, and community responsibility rather than apathy.

“Gotta do what we gotta do / Aware our hearts are true / (Turn to love… find care there)”

The song ends with a communal rallying cry, urging collective responsibility. “Do what we gotta do” suggests urgent action—policy change, emissions cuts, environmental justice—while grounding that in sincerity and care, the antidotes to the indifference that allowed the crisis to escalate.

“Smokescreen” serves as both a poetic reflection of the worsening air quality and a call to action. It captures the confusion, the fear, and ultimately, the hope that we might still clear the air—literally and metaphorically—if we choose to act with awareness, love, and urgency.