Alex Ellis 2024
Source story. Tune: Chi Mi Na Morbeanna
Chorus:
Haul it up, turn the winch carefully
Splice it in, tow the line undersea
Cables that unite us all globally
Who else will keep the world whole?
Internet cables lie taut under ocean waves
Old men who fix them with old boats and older ways
Fear the lines snapping and ripping a life away
Who else will keep the world whole?
My name’s Mitsuyoshi, I’m Ocean Link’s engineer
Measuring bandwidth and wrestling greasy gears
I built this boat, now I’ve lived on her thirty years
Who else will keep the world whole?
Not much reception for calling your wife and son
But shipboard camaraderie is seriously lots of fun
VHS karaoke when work is done
Who else will keep the world whole?
Trawlers or landslides, every week cables break
It’s days without Internet, canceled flights, paychecks late
Worried for loved ones when you can’t communicate
Who else will keep the world whole?
Before data centers lines went to where people are
Dollars for maintenance are dull but important, our
Service is strong to people both near and far
Who else will keep the world whole?