Lyrics
Every year this beach will lose a couple inches
Describing the erosion of the beach, implying a gradual loss of land over time.
Every storm this beach will lose a couple feet
Continuing the theme of beach erosion due to storms, suggesting more significant losses.
You can dredge Port Royal Sound til it's a thousand meters deep
Referencing efforts to deepen Port Royal Sound artificially, but unable to prevent the impact of glaciers melting and sea levels rising.
You can't escape the glaciers' slide into the sea
Highlighting the inevitability of glaciers melting and their contribution to rising sea levels despite human intervention.
When I get old I'm gonna look like Richard Dreyfuss
Expressing the inevitability of aging, comparing the singer's future appearance to that of Richard Dreyfuss, a well-known actor.
Richard Dreyfuss used to look a lot like me
Reflecting on the similarity between the singer's current appearance and how Richard Dreyfuss looked in the past.
And when I stand here on the sand with all these shark teeth in my hands
Standing on the beach, holding shark teeth, contemplating imminent challenges or crises.
I wonder what this summer's crisis is gonna be
Anticipating upcoming difficulties or issues during the summer.
It's gonna break my heart to pieces when
Expressing emotional distress when a beloved place or activity, like the beach, is closed.
They close the beach and pack it in
Reflecting on the closure of the beach and the associated emotional impact.
But if you want to save your friends
Suggesting that to protect loved ones or community, one needs better resources or strategies ("a bigger boat").
You're gonna need a bigger boat
A reference to the iconic line from the movie "Jaws," implying the need for better tools or plans to face challenges.
Every year the air gets marginally thicker
Describing the gradual worsening of air quality over time.
Every year I get a little bit less chill
Personal change over time, becoming less relaxed or composed.
And in the waters off the coast, there is a shark that feeds and grows
Describing a growing threat in the waters that will eventually become dangerous ("a shark that feeds and grows").
And soon enough he will be big enough to kill
Anticipating the danger when the shark reaches a size capable of causing harm.
When I get old this world is going to be mayhem
Expecting chaos or disorder in the world when the singer gets older.
This world that used to make a certain kind of sense
Reflecting on the loss of a coherent and sensible world view over time.
So in the meantime I will swim and try to look out for the fins
Being cautious in life, watching out for potential dangers ("fins") and trying to ignore the looming end of summer.
And try forgetting that this summer's gonna end
Trying to forget the impending end of summer and its associated emotions.
It's gonna break my heart to pieces when
Expressing emotional distress when something cherished is closed or ended.
They close the gates and kill your friends
Continuing to express emotional pain associated with closures and losses.
But if you want to make it to the bitter end
Suggesting that to endure until the end, one needs better resources or strategies ("a bigger boat").
You're gonna need a bigger boat
Reiterating the need for better tools or strategies to face challenges, similar to the iconic line from "Jaws."
If you can kill the shark, you might save the summer
Repeating the idea that defeating the impending threat (the shark) could save the summer, highlighting the importance of this action.
If you can kill the shark, you might save the summer
-If you can find a way to dismantle the shark, you might save the summer
-If you can find a way to kill the shark and stop him from eating, you might save the summer
-If you can kill the shark, you might save the summer
-If you can kill the shark, you might save the summer
-But if you fail
Warning of the consequences if the threat (the growing shark) isn't stopped, emphasizing the need for more significant measures ("a bigger boat").
And the shark keeps growing, and growing, and growing, and growing
Emphasizing the continuous growth of the threat (the shark) and the urgency to address it.
You're gonna need a bigger boat
Reiterating the need for more substantial resources or strategies to face an escalating threat ("a bigger boat").
It's been said our drummer looks like Kevin Costner
A humorous aside about the drummer resembling actor Kevin Costner, unrelated to the overall theme of the song.
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