Light Was Late

[PLATFORM KID] (whisper) You're on a train I'm on the platform You shine a flashlight at the ceiling We both watch the beam

[PLATFORM KID] (whisper) You see a straight line up I see a slanted line — because the train moved Same flash Same speed

[PLATFORM KID] That's the whole rule Light goes the same speed for everyone No matter how fast you run beside it No matter how fast it runs from you

A truck can outrun a runner A jet can outrun a car But nothing outruns light And nothing makes it wait

[TRAIN KID] You measure the flash You count one second on your watch [PLATFORM KID] I measure the flash I count one second on mine

[BOTH] But your line was short And my line was long We agreed on the SPEED So the TIME had to disagree

(BUILD — riser swelling)

[ALL] SO TIME HAS TO BEND TO MAKE THAT WORK! TIME HAS TO BEND TO MAKE THAT WORK! LIGHT IS THE RULE — THE CLOCKS ARE THE GIVE — TIME HAS TO BEND TO MAKE THAT WORK!

[PLATFORM KID] (whisper) On a fast train Your clock tick-tocks slow You don't notice But mine on the platform sees it

[PLATFORM KID] A second on your wrist Is more than a second on mine If you went almost as fast as light You could ride the train for a year

And step off And find me With gray hair Eating soup

[BOTH] That's measurement That's measurement Light was the rule The clocks were the give

[ALL] SO TIME HAS TO BEND TO MAKE THAT WORK! TIME HAS TO BEND TO MAKE THAT WORK! LIGHT IS THE RULE — THE CLOCKS ARE THE GIVE — TIME HAS TO BEND TO MAKE THAT WORK!

[PLATFORM KID] (whisper) GPS satellites already do this They fly fast enough that their clocks tick slow We correct them every day Or your map would point at the wrong street

[PLATFORM KID] (whisper) Light was late Or rather Light was on time And everything else had to slide