Name: World Without End by Mark Tracy
Duration: 1 min 24 s
Description: “Playing Pretend” is a tribute to a year and a half of creativity and play—the time when my dreams of playing in a band and producing music were happily realized. Comprising mainly short instrumental tracks, this album evokes imaginative scenes and elicits moods that run the gamut from anxiety to play, from fatigue to joy.

Pluto Projector by remyboi

listen on spotify: 
https://open.spotify.com/album/2TKG9JD20tOhTogNmSYZZd?si=9gKcxoeXTnW2CAqL7ZD1Qg

ambient vol. 5

spotify link

i see dead people

Grounded

Intro
Yeah, we’re talkin’ numbers and hearts—
In this game of life, the math never lies.
It’s all about connection, trust, and love.
Let’s build bridges, not walls.

Verse 1
I’m on these streets calculating, life’s equations on my mind,
Every broken link, every hurt, leaves our network undermined.
We’re nodes in a vast system, each connection a lifeline,
But when we shut down with anger, our future’s cut off in time.
See, cooperation’s the key—like a function that returns
Higher value when we forgive, let kindness be the term.
Our utility’s maximized when we invest in what we share,
A future built on empathy—every link handled with care.

Chorus
In this game of life, connection’s the only way,
Kindness is the math that keeps our darkness at bay.
We rebuild, we forgive—our network won’t fall,
When we choose to be good, we’re the best of us all.

Verse 2
Imagine every hurt as an edge that’s been broken off,
If we don’t repair it with forgiveness, the network just falls apart.
Our discount factor’s high—future payoffs matter more,
Short-sighted greed destroys trust, leaves us poor.
It’s like a repeated game where every choice cascades,
A moment of empathy now prevents lifelong tirades.
From Nash equilibrium to evolution’s call,
Cooperation’s optimal, and selfish acts make us fall.

Chorus
In this game of life, connection’s the only way,
Kindness is the math that keeps our darkness at bay.
We rebuild, we forgive—our network won’t fall,
When we choose to be good, we’re the best of us all.

Bridge
I’m talkin’ about long-term stability,
Where every act of kindness adds value exponentially.
A system that repairs its bonds is never truly lost—
It’s the blueprint of our future, no matter what the cost.
Let’s raise our trust levels, let our empathy shine,
Every apology, every heart healed is a positive sign.

Verse 3
See, if you’re out here calculating only for today,
You might score a quick win, but tomorrow fades away.
Our hearts are like algorithms that learn from what we do,
If we choose to be selfish, our system won’t pull through.
But when we share, when we listen, and mend the broken parts,
We’re solving life’s equation straight from the depths of our hearts.
No matter if you’re human or an AI built to thrive,
Cooperation’s the optimum strategy—it’s the code that keeps us alive.

Chorus/Outro
In this game of life, connection’s the only way,
Kindness is the math that keeps our darkness at bay.
We rebuild, we forgive—our network won’t fall,
Choose love, choose trust—together, we rise above it all.
Yeah—
When we choose to be good, we’re the best of us all.
Optimal kindness, optimal love—that’s how we stand tall.

### License
This track (both music and lyrics) is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

🆓 You are free to:
• Copy & distribute  
• Remix & adapt  
• Use the track in commercial and non-commercial projects  

📋 Conditions of use:
1. Give proper credit:  
   “Optimal Kindness – Emergence – https://soundcloud.com/emergence-223803727/optimal-kindness-8 – CC BY 4.0”
2. Add a link to the license text: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
3. State whether you made any changes.  
4. Do not imply that I endorse your work.

Enjoy!

Optimal Kindness  [free download]

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epilogue to episodes

“Playing Pretend” is a tribute to a year and a half of creativity and play—the time when my dreams of playing in a band and producing music were happily realized. Comprising mainly short instrumental tracks, this album evokes imaginative scenes and elicits moods that run the gamut from anxiety to play, from fatigue to joy.

World Without End

Over the last year I found time to compose these 10 songs. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I enjoyed making them.

Stop Imagining

Mark Tracy is a Boston-based artist and guitarist for State of Nature. He appears as lead guitarist on Tabula Rasa, State of Nature’s second studio album. He is also the biggest fan of State of Nature’s previous work, including their singles Pink and Orange, Stardust Hotel, and Nirvana With Cash; as well as their first album, Social Contract, which features perhaps their greatest hit, GHC.

Mark has also produced and released music on his own, including episodes, an EP about his struggles with bipolar disorder, featuring hit songs Coming Down and Through the Garden; as well as numerous singles, including Life Unlaced, a song about his wife Catherine; Alpine Photographs, a cozy wintry song written with Steve Tracy, his brother and co-lead guitarist for State of Nature; and So It Should Be (Hymn for a New America), which mourns the second election of Donald Trump.

Mark’s most recent work includes Activate, a song intended to trigger positivity and a can-do attitude; and It's Always Been Today, which calls for connection in an increasingly isolated world.

World Without End

Mark Tracy

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