[Verse 1]
Carrington said people were quandering
the political scene in the USA
He meant pondering, sure, but the word slipped out
and wouldn’t go back the way it came
Not squandered, not broken, not burned in the street
just thinking in circles, politely delayed
Microphones warm, opinions aligned
decision deferred, decade mislaid
[Pre-Chorus]
A word fell sideways through the broadcast band
and suddenly everything sounded right
[Chorus]
We’re quandering, quandering, live on RN
Thoughts on hold, but the signal’s strong
Everyone talking in careful turns
about what should happen, someday, later on
Not guilty, not idle, not asleep at the wheel
just hovering softly where action won’t land
If pondering asks “what is true?”
then quandering asks “how long can we stand?”
[Verse 2]
Geraldine holding the questions steady
like porcelain cups in a shaking hand
Hamish circling, patient and sharp
never stepping beyond what the facts will stand
Words line up, impeccably trimmed
every caveat polished, every doubt aired
But the moment where something tips or breaks
is chaired… and deferred… and carefully chaired
[Pre-Chorus]
A nation thinking out loud to itself
until the echo becomes the room
[Chorus]
We’re quandering, quandering, coast to coast
Insight rich, but momentum poor
Wide awake in a sleepless age
where nothing quite closes, nothing quite cures
Not squandered wealth, not torched ideals
just clarity waiting for nerve or plan
If pondering is wisdom’s pause
then quandering is the pause that ran
[Bridge]
Once, quander meant wandering
lost but still alive
Before judgement, before waste
before history chose a side
A verb for being stuck mid-thought
with maps but no agreed north
Not sin, not crime, not failure
just the long delay before the fourth
[Break]
Studio lights, calm voices
shortwave hum, analytical grace
A language built to name everything
except the moment we don’t replace
[Final Chorus]
So bring poor old quander back to life
dust it off, let it do its work
For times when minds are busy as hell
but decisions quietly shirk
We’re quandering, quandering, live on RN
not lost, not fooled, not blind
Just thinking so hard, so publicly
that time slips quietly out of our mind
[Outro]
It wasn’t a gaffe. It wasn’t a flaw.
Just a word that arrived ahead of its age.
Background
This song was sparked by a moment on ABC Radio National’s Global Roaming, where an accidental word choice briefly surfaced a much older, nearly forgotten verb: to quander.
Any references to ABC RN presenters or programs are made with respect and affection for Australian public broadcasting and its long tradition of calm, thoughtful inquiry.
In particular, Geraldine Doogue is mentioned not as a subject of critique, but as an emblem of that tradition. She remains, in my view, one of Australia’s most outstanding broadcasters, whose work I’ve been following since "Nationwide" was on TV.
The song reflects on language, hesitation, and public discourse, not on the individuals named.
And welcome back from your invisble wanderings, to quander .