EDGE OF THE OCEAN
From the album Kew Gardens Troubadour https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m59dd0wi52PDk7c2EepVKxBxyRWoN9RCo&si=aNQeto-ILfc6eETF
Some songs come from anger.
This one comes from disappointment and longing for a better place.
That quiet, heavy realization that the country you believed in — the decency you assumed was shared — feels harder to recognize. That somehow, while we were busy living our lives, something essential drifted.
“We could not see the forest for the trees.”
We were distracted. Overwhelmed. Pulled apart.
“To the edge of the ocean, we’ve fallen off and lost our way.”
That’s not hysteria. It’s the sadness of watching empathy thin out. Watching truth become optional. Watching the planet strain while people argue about whether it’s straining at all.
But this song isn’t about surrender.
“The seasons changed and I can see once more.”
There’s a moment in life — and in a democracy — when clarity returns. When you remember what you stand for. When you decide that steady compassion is stronger than outrage, that facts matter, that protecting the vulnerable isn’t weakness, and that moving forward means carrying everyone with us.
“Atlas lowered his shoulders and shrugged us off.”
Maybe that’s what happens when we assume someone else will hold up the sky. The work is ours. Yes, it's also a nod to Ayn Rand.
Still — there is hope in this song.
“Take me to a better place.”
“Where dreams are made, and horizons rise.”
“We’ve cut the ropes that had us bound.”
Phil Ochs taught us that a songwriter’s job is to report from the front lines of a crumbling system, and this is my dispatch. That isn’t naïve optimism. It’s resilience. It’s the quiet strength of people who believe in fairness, in science, in equality, in stewardship of the earth — and who stay engaged even when they’re tired.
This song is for those who feel the sadness…
and stay strong anyway.
For those who wish for a better place — and are willing to build it.
No giving up.
We’ve held our stance.
© 2026 Frederick Chipkin. “Edge of the Ocean” from the album "Frederick Chipkin - Kew Gardens Troubadour"
Thank you for listening...If you enjoyed this song—or want to explore the full album—here are a couple of links where you can listen, sample, or purchase:
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0G3BFRWKW
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/artist/frederick-chipkin/frederick-chipkin-kew-gardens-troubadour/ALZwvhp2pj7txPV
qobuz: https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/frederick-chipkin-kew-gardens-troubadour-frederick-chipkin/suc8cm9dxfy3q
YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m59dd0wi52PDk7c2EepVKxBxyRWoN9RCo
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