All songs and videos on this site © Jonathan Ochshorn
I wrote this song for the Community Arts Challenge, an annual exhibit sponsored by Cortland Arts Connect (formally the Cultural Council of Cortland County) and The Center for the Arts of Homer. This year's theme was "wonder."
To find wonder in a world marked by war, poverty, and the existential threat of global warming is, I suppose, possible. But my lyric takes the opposite approach, directly confronting the sense of angst pervading a world wracked by crisis. "Small wonder," I write, "it's taking a toll."
Small Wonder
Words and music © 2026 Jonathan Ochshorn
1. Small wonder that you can see
The state of the world is upsetting
Will we end up regretting
Or merely forgetting the things that might have been done differently
2. Small wonder that you can hear
The sound of people complaining
While so little time is remaining
Yet nothing's constraining the same things from happening year after year
Chorus:
We've all seen this movie before — small wonder it's frightening
We've heard that this storm threatens more than just thunder and lightning
And we think we know what's waiting in store:
But the window we're under is tightening and out of control
Small wonder it's taking a toll
3. Small wonder that you can see
The risks we're facing are clearer
They seem to be getting much nearer
Maybe they're already here and we're closing our eyes to that reality [Chorus]
4. Small wonder that you might think
They're offering us a rebranding
When these times are demanding
Something radically new as we find ourselves standing right at the brink Chorus]
Production notes:
Music arranged and produced by Jonathan Ochshorn
Recorded with Logic Pro XI software
Vocals: Jonathan Ochshorn
Background vocals: Jonathan Ochshorn
Software instruments played live on midi keyboard: Jonathan Ochshorn (piano, trumpet, drums, bass)
Recorded at home in Ithaca, NY, September 2026.
The song was recorded using Logic Pro XI. I made the video using Final Cut Pro. No AI was used.
First posted 06 September 2026. Last updated: 06 September 2026