There’s More to This: A Song of Loss and Hope
Music Monday 2: How Marc Scibilia’s Lyrics Found Their Way to Eden
I first heard “More to This” on the radio during a long drive home. The opening lines about contemplating death and what lies beyond immediately seized my attention — they perfectly echoed the questions my characters wrestle with throughout When the Trees All Burned. Before the song was even over, I knew it belonged on the novel’s soundtrack, and when I reached home, I looked it up so I could listen to it again. And again.
Marc Scibilia’s lyrics paint a beautiful tension between different beliefs about what happens after death: "My neighbour says that this is it / My daughter says we live again / Most of the time I'm somewhere in between." This mirrors the varying perspectives in the novel — from Rajiv’s absolute certainty about humanity’s future to Jude’s peaceful acceptance of mortality, with characters like Aiya caught somewhere in the middle, hoping for meaning in their survival.
The song’s chorus particularly resonates with the book’s themes: "Don’t the question beg an answer? / Don’t the song beg a dancer?" These lines capture the human need to find purpose in tragedy, much like how the residents of Eden must find reason in their salvation while the world burns around them.
When Scibilia sings about seeing life differently after loss — “Fragile flowers in a field / 60 stories made of steel” — it echoes how characters like Maxine and Brett discover profound connection in what might be their final moments, finding beauty amidst destruction. The juxtaposition of nature’s delicacy with human construction feels especially poignant against the novel’s backdrop of environmental apocalypse.
The repeated insistence that “there’s more to this” carries the same desperate hope that drives Rajiv to build his sanctuary, that leads Jude to document humanity’s final days, that allows love to bloom even as the world ends. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we search for — and often find — something more.
When the Trees All Burned is available for pre-order now. You can find Marc Scibilia's "More to This" on all major streaming platforms.
About Marc Scibilia: Born and raised in Buffalo, New York and currently based in East Nashville, Tennessee, Marc Scibilia has established himself as a compelling voice in American singer-songwriter circles. His thoughtful lyrics and earnest delivery have earned him a devoted following, with "More to This" appearing on his 2024 studio album of the same name.
