“Carbon Dioxide” by Testcard F: Light-footed melancholy in 2 minutes
From the very first time I heard “Carbon Dioxide” by Testcard F., this short track, only 2:13 minutes long, completely blew me away. The catchy melody and upbeat synth pop vibe immediately remind me of the classic Pet Shop Boys formula: danceable lightness meets a serious topic – in this case, climate change. It's this combination of thoughtfulness and energy that makes “Carbon Dioxide” so exciting for me. The typical 60s organs give the song a touch of Ladytron. Pretty cool!
The lyrics tell a dreamlike story in which the narrator is on the phone with the Earth itself. It complains about what humanity is doing to it – only for everything to be resolved in a seemingly harmless “Everything is fine” at the end. I think this ironic twist is brilliantly done.
For me, the song is perfect, easily consumable music on a high level. Testcard F manage to cleverly package a serious topic without letting the heaviness become overwhelming. “Carbon Dioxide” is short, concise, and currently on repeat for me. One of Testcard F's best songs, in my opinion.
Listen to "Testcard F – Carbon Dioxide" on Spotify
Listen to "Testcard F – Carbon Dioxide" on Bandcamp
Lyrics of "Testcard F – Carbon Dioxide"
Once in my slumber,
I misdialled a number,
And found myself through to,
The depths of the sea.
Your kind do murder,
And must go no further,
The voice from the deep said,
Well don’t you agree?
Look on the bright side,
The carbon dioxide,
Will soon end the pain that,
You’re causing to me.
Of course I was lying,
There’s nobody dying,
And there was no phone call,
No dark voices at all and,
Ev-ry-thing is,
Everything is fine.
