Heavy Water

 

Heavy Water
Written by James Young
Lead Vocals by James Young

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Sittin' here on terra firma
It's the kind of place we were meant to be
Out here kinda lost in space now
Pondering life's mysteries

All of mankind worship at the altar
Of old mythology
But the genie's out of the bottle
Collision course with eternity

Young children playing in the chat room
With the freaks and the satellites
Upload the nearset planet
Burnin' out at the speed of light

Better living for the masses
With the new technology
But some fool went and pushed the button
He didn't get an apology

Feeling good is a new sensation
Panacea for the Prozac nation

Heavy, heavy water
Won't wash away the sins of the father

Sacred cow sizzling in the fire
As we all go up in flames
With millions of true believers
And their unfamiliar names

On the road to good intentions
Blown to hell by our own inventions

Heavy, heavy water
Won't wash away the sins of the father
Unholy, holy water
Leading us like lambs to the...

Custom made for the self reliant
Lemonade for the thirsty giant

Heavy, heavy water
Won't wash away the sins of the father
Unholy, holy water
Leading us like lambs to the (slaughter)

Interpretation

Heavy Water is an isotope of water (one extra neutron - non-radioactive, simply heavier). Its primary use is as a moderator and heat-transfer agent in nuclear reactors. Since it has an extra neutron, it doesn't absorb neutrons as readily as regular water, so its use as a moderator allows the use of natural (non-enriched) uranium, which is cheaper and safer.

The irony expressed in this song is that the same technology that holds such promise for peaceful application can be a powerful weapon in the hands of the wrong people. Nuclear power's alter ego (nuclear weapons) are a prime example ("On the road to good intentions/Blown to hell by our own inventions.") The same arguments that were used to promote the development of nuclear power ("Better living for the masses/with the new technology") are used for other advances, like the Internet. The Internet holds the same kind of promise, and it holds the same kind of danger ("Young children playing in the chat room/With the freaks and the satellites/Upload the nearset planet/Burnin' out at the speed of light").

Here it is in JY's own words, from a December 9, 1999 on-line chat at Yahoo!:

Q: What was the inspiration behind "Heavy Water"?

JY: Tommy and I were writing at his house. And the Pakistanis and the people of the country of India were both testing nuclear weapons independently of one another. And threatening to go to nuclear war over the disputed territory of Kashmir. And "Heavy Water" is ... originally they manufactured products for the hydrogen bomb from heavy water, and now heavy water serves pretty much in every nuclear reactor as the coolant to cool the nuclear fuel rods, so, it's an antinuclear song.