The Story of the Atlantic Cable

[KIRSTEN]
Do you know the story of the Atlantic cable?

[JOE, spoken]
The story?

[KIRSTEN]
The greatest invention of the modern age
Of any age, maybe
They built a boat specially for the job
A big steamer with room for miles of cable
And clamps and dynamos and winches
And the cable weighed...
Okay, that I can’t remember
But a lot
Per foot

[JOE, spoken]
I didn’t know about that

[KIRSTEN]
So well
Because it was so heavy
They dropped it twice
All the way to the bottom
Thousands and thousands and thousands of feet
(spoken)
Can you imagine?
(sung)
But they persеvered
They brought it back up and rеconnected

[JOE, spoken]
I can’t believe we’re talking about this

[KIRSTEN]
Well, I can talk about anything
Try me

Try me
Anything
(spoken)
Oh! No thank you

[JOE, spoken]
No, no

[KIRSTEN, spoken]
But —

[JOE, spoken]
It’s fine! It’s special! For you. It’s chocolate. Go on

[KIRSTEN, spoken]
Oh. It’s good

[JOE, spoken]
That’s a Brandy Alexander

[KIRSTEN, spoken]
Well, say now

(sung)
Do you know the thing about Niagara Falls
Grandest falls in all the world?

Five to ten people go
Over each year
In tubes and boxes and barrels
They all think that they’re gonna live
They don’t

But one or two make it through okay
And bob around ‘till someone pulls them out
Can you imagine?
Who knows why they try?
I sort of know the reason

[JOE, spoken]
Why is that?

[KIRSTEN, spoken]
Well, to find out!

(sung)
And government
There’s loads and loads about that
You have to have government
To know what to believe in
That’s what government is for
It’s the system tells you right and wrong
Not the politicians

You have to have it
To know how to live
We get a vote
And we get to contribute
That’s how we all fit in

(spoken)
So, how many men in the Senate?

[JOE]
Two times forty-eight...ninety six!

[KIRSTEN, spoken]
Oh ho ho, wrong! There are ninety-four men and two women, for now. More coming, yes? Shouldn’t there be?

[JOE, spoken]
Yes

[KIRSTEN]
Mothers teach that too
Mothers teach us right and wrong
Mama [?]
Mama [?]
My mother

It was as if she was made of linen
You were afraid she would rip
And when she hugged you
You were hugged for a month
Which is good
‘Cause that’s about how often she hugged you
I knew she’d get sick
Daddy knew
And then over she went

I wouldn’t be surprised if they were talking now
It’s how they are, my parents
The story of the Atlantic cable
All connected
Weighted down
Communicating
Communicating
But you cannot hear it