Album: “The Way Of All Flesh” by Gojira (2008)

Toxic Garbage Island

Mysterious form, soul in the dark
under this heavy sealing concrete waves
Followed by servants, funeral cortege
this pale ghost is gathering his strength

Ghost, pale, the procession is crawling

Plastic form dead things it is now so clear
How could I fail to understand
Cities are burning the trees are dying
My heart awake but still
pain is killing me
Pain is killing me

Take this pestilent destruction out of my way
The great pacific garbage patch is exhausting
And the world is sliding away
in a vortex of floating refuse
With the sacred one you have lost

Plastic bag in the sea [4x]

This song we think is about nuclear power and waste.



A Sight To Behold

Reflecting ourselves in the blood of all the beings we slay
Misunderstand each other, out of control we remain
There is a mystery, we're facing a sight to behold
This is what we make of the world, we throw everything away

The way we all behave is not understandable
It is so sad to see the wealth of our planet fade away
We all behave like children, taking off the head of our teddy bear
to see what's inside, taking, not giving back
We drain the oceans and suck all the blood out of the soil
We spend the time we have left fighting and killing each other
Lust for comfort, entertainment becomes an obsession
And there is so much time to kill

The way I see things is so simple
The fact I'm walking standing on this land
Exhausted is the realm of nature, friends are dying
The living creatures on our side
The way I see myself so confused so sophisticated
I have to stay away from me
But I still don't get the point
What's worth destroying all the worlds
Try not to get it anymore

You burn yourself, set fire for good
We die eyes closed, dig our own grave now
Tossed in the blaze naked on the flame
Lost with no pride, drowned in the filth
The giant snake is coming down to eat our heads
and the flood will kill us, Mantus is rising from under

The way I see things is so simple
The fact I'm living dying on this land
Exhausted is the realm of nature, friends are dying
The living creatures on our side
The way I see myself so confused so sophisticated
Don't have to stay away from me
But I still don't get the point
What's worth destroying all the worlds

Try not to get it anymore [4x]



Wolf Down The Earth

First of all you will eat all the bodies
No matter they pray for freedom they'll kill you
Forward you crush those going backward
The wolves are now your lords
Voracious flames upon the earth

Second step you eat all the creation
Swallow the trees the lakes and all the valleys
Crush the moon, and drink the rivers flowing
Deep rolling ocean blow
Burning all that lives

They teach you how to conquer and rule the world
The towers that you built so strong, no man can touch
They tell you how to find and raise the fears
and let them grow inside of your heart they need no walls

Is there a chance you face the void inside?
Winds of doom will blow your pride away

Behold the bright lights coming down on time
Before these altars black, made from your sacrifice
You take for granted what's been there for ages
Inside the womb the new blood gets ready to fight

The buildings of our fathers
crumbling in dark vibrations
Wolf down the one that made us all
No hope, you wolf down the earth

Both songs are about human attitude towards nature.

You can hear some songs from this album in youtube:
Toxic Garbage Island
A Sight to Behold
Wolf down the Earth

IN MEMORY: "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson, album: History: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1995)

From Wikipedia:
On the morning of June 25, 2009, Jackson reportedly collapsed at a rented home in Holmby Hills in Los Angeles. After he collapsed, Jackson's personal physician, who was with him at the time, attempted to resuscitate him. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded to a 911 call at 12:21 pm (PST) and arrived nine minutes later. Jackson was reportedly not breathing and CPR was quickly performed.

Resuscitation efforts continued both en route to the UCLA Medical Center, and after arrival at approximately 1:14 pm (20:14 UTC), for a further hour. He fell into a coma and died shortly after arrival. The cause of death is as yet unknown, but he was noted to be already in cardiac arrest by the paramedics who attended him. Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2:26 pm local time (21:26 UTC).

Los Angeles Police Department homicide and robbery division detectives attended the scene as a matter of routine in high profile death cases. The case was transferred to the Los Angeles coroner for investigation as there was no doctor in attendance to sign the death certificate. Jackson's body was transported by helicopter from UCLA to the LA Coroners offices. The autopsy is said to be scheduled for Friday, June 26, 2009.

Prior to his death, Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010. During a publicity press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.

What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain...
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we've shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?

What have we done to the world
Look what we've done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son...
What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine...
Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores

I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don't know where we are
Although I know we've drifted far

Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the seas
(What about us)
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
I can't even breathe
(What about us)
What about apathy
(What about us)
I need you
(What about us)
What about nature's worth
(ooo, ooo)
It's our planet's womb
(What about us)
What about animals
(What about it)
We've turned kingdoms to dust
(What about us)
What about elephants
(What about us)
Have we lost their trust
(What about us)
What about crying whales
(What about us)
We're ravaging the seas
(What about us)
What about forest trails
(ooo, ooo)
Burnt despite our pleas
(What about us)
What about the holy land
(What about it)
Torn apart by creed
(What about us)
What about the common man
(What about us)
Can't we set him free
(What about us)
What about children dying
(What about us)
Can't you hear them cry
(What about us)
Where did we go wrong
(ooo, ooo)
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
What about babies
(What about it)
What about the days
(What about us)
What about all their joy
(What about us)
What about the man
(What about us)
What about the crying man
(What about us)
What about Abraham
(What was us)
What about death again
(ooo, ooo)
Do we give a damn

We read about this beautiful song in wikipedia:

"Earth Song" is the third single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues, gospel and opera. Jackson had a long-standing history of releasing socially conscious material such as "We Are the World", "Man in the Mirror" and "Heal the World". However, "Earth Song" was the first that overtly dealt with the environment and animal welfare.

You can hear this song and video clip in youtube

IN MEMORY: Michael Jackson sings for a better world

"Man In The Mirror" by Michael Jackson (1988)

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere To Go
That's Why I Want You To Know

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change)

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With Me
(Starting With Me!)

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change)

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
(Change His Ways-Ooh!)
And No Message Could've Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make That . . .
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make That . . .)
Change!

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror,
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While You Got The Time)
('Cause When You Close Your Heart)
You Can't Close Your . . .Your Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . . Mind!)

With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
(Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change


A call to reject our selfish way of life and see the misery around us. It’s the only way for a better world.

You can hear this song in youtube



"Heal The World" by Michael Jackson, Album: Dangerous (1991)

There's A Place In Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways To Get There
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And Start Living

Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

And The Dream We Were Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow

We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All My Brothers
Create A World With No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn Their Swords
Into Plowshares

We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...

With the same thematology as “Man in the Mirror”, Heal the world” is focused on world children’s poverty and famine. We read in wikipedia:

In a 2001 Internet chat with fans, Jackson said "Heal the World" is the song he is most proud to have created. He also created the Heal the World Foundation, a charitable organization which was designed to improve the lives of children. The organization was also meant to teach said children about how to help others. This concept of 'betterment for all' would become a centerpiece for the Dangerous World Tour. In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson said he created the song in his "giving tree" at the Neverland Ranch.

You can hear this song in youtube

"Windsong" by John Denver, album: Windsong(1975)

The wind is the whisper of our mother the earth
The wind is the hand of our father the sky
The wind watches over our struggles and pleasures
The wind is the goddess who first learned to fly

The wind is the bearer of bad and good tidings
The weaver of darkness, the bringer of dawn
The wind gives the rain, then builds us a rainbow
The wind is the singer when sang the first song

The wind is a twister of anger and warning
The wind brings the fragrance of freshly mown hay
The wind is a racer, a wild stallion running
The sweet taste of love on a slow summers day

The wind knows the songs of the cities and canyons
The thunder of mountains, the roar of the sea
The wind is the taker and giver of mornings
The wind is the symbol of all that is free

So welcome the wind and the wisdom she offers
Follow her summons when she calls again
In your heart and your spirit let the breezes surround you
Lift up your voice then and sing with the wind

We read about this song here:

Windsong is a taken from the album of the same name and is about communing with nature, a tribute to the natural force and quality of the wind. “The wind is the symbol of all that is free”

You can hear this song in youtube

Soliradity to the fight for survival in Peruvian Amazon

Three songs by Sepultura about struggle for survival and Human Rights all over the world, dedicated to peruvian indigenous people for their fight to death to protect their land from invasive capitalism. From Palestine to Amazonian territory, the violent authority is the same, supporting destructive and predatory economical policies against local societies and natural environment







Peru is witnessing violent clashes between indigenous groups desperately trying to protect the Amazon and the government, which has pushed through legislation allowing intensive mining, logging, and large scale farming in the rainforest.

If the government and extractive industries have their way, the Peruvian rainforest and its people will suffer massive devastation, with disastrous consequences for the global climate.

Sign the urgent petition below, and support the courageous struggle of the indigenous peoples to protect the Amazon -- a prominent and well respected Latin American politician will deliver it to President Alan Garcia on our behalf.


Petition to the President of Peru, Alan Garcia:
We urge you to immediately cease the forceful suppression of indigenous protests, to suspend laws that open up the Amazon to extractive industries, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with indigenous groups to end the conflict and address their legitimate demands and rights.

sign the petition

"No Town" by Malvina Reynolds (1965)

This is no town, no town,
This is no town.

Well I don't know the people next door,
Maybe I never saw them before.
No one belongs in this old place,
A lot of houses in empty space.

This is no town, no town,
This is no town.

Town is a place where you lived and grew,
And things around there mean something to you.
But this old place means nothing to me
But a big no job misery.

This is no town, no town,
This is no town.

A town is a place that begins and ends,
You know your friends and your daddy's friends,
And the guy that runs the grocery store
Lives round the corner or right next door, but

This is no town, no town,
This is no town.

A town is a place where you belong,
Somebody cares if you're right or wrong,
Somebody cares if you live or die,
If they can't help you maybe they try, but

This is no town, no town,
This is no town.

A description of the dehumanising and alienating modern urban environment, deprived of real human relations, solidarity, care of our neighbours, control of our lives, and any social value that characterized the lost world of smaller towns and citizenship, as included in the ancient greek term of "polis". We read in wikipedia:

The first form of citizenship was based on the way people lived in the ancient Greek times, in small-scale organic communities of the polis. In those days citizenship was not seen as a public matter, separated from the private life of the individual person. The obligations of citizenship were deeply connected into one’s everyday life in the polis. To be truly human, one had to be an active citizen to the community, which Aristotle famously expressed: “To take no part in the running of the community's affairs is to be either a beast or a god!” This form of citizenship was based on obligations of citizens towards the community, rather than rights given to the citizens of the community. This was not a problem because they all had a strong affinity with the polis; their own destiny and the destiny of the community were strongly linked. Also, citizens of the polis saw obligations to the community as an opportunity to be virtuous, it was a source of honour and respect. In Athens, citizens were both ruler and ruled, important political and judicial offices were rotated and all citizens had the right to speak and vote in the political assembly.

Big cities of today are constructed and organized not to fulfill the true natural human needs and quality of life, but the needs of of market and economy for quick and effective transportation of products and robot-like clockwork and alienated workers.

You can hear a related song by Malvina "Little Boxes" in youtube

Photo was taken from www.reconnaissanceart.com

"Embrace The World" by Gojira, Album “The Link”(2003)

I sit on a rock
Cannot be touched by struggle & confusion
I reclaim my space inside my structure
Look at this point
All is about nothing, everything comes near
The remotest parts of the world

By silence
We can dissolve disruptive vibrations
I have to try
Gaïa's alive for good
Under my feet the forest
Over me the largest
It's roundness I feel
Lifelong misery
How do we get to Avalon?
There is a bridge beyond
Indestructible the earth is a temple

I cannot see what is wrong and
All gods are one

I close my eyes
I'm all around, I feel so present
Embracing it's vastness I hold
Facing the world
I become a part of it
I'm not alone anymore

I embrace the world

Meditations about the feeling of unity in Nature

You can hear some songs from this album in youtube:
Wisdom comes
Indians
Dawn

Album: "Ast" by Skagos (2009)

The Drums Pound Every Night in a Glorious Celebration of Life

Cast them in to the fire,
totems of sacrifice and woe,
for the Sun god is here,
and he is generous.

The drums pound every night
in a glorious celebration of life!
The earth is bountiful and rich-
fertilized and multiplied.

The sky gives way to great storms,
a deluge that deafens all.
Game trails run as raging torrents,
and the end is fucking nigh!
The end is fucking nigh!


Blossoms Will Sprout From the Carcass

We walk upon the soaked carcasses of those who once gave us life.
Be it rain, wind of the weight of finality, the cadavers fall and fall.
Day light is meek, and the night grows long and cold.
Fungi lurch forward for a final gulping breath.
All is returned to the earth and the rain will fall and fall.

Rain will fall and fall.

It's the fury of the storm.
It's the endless falling rain.
It's the growing of the dark.
It's the thrive in decay.
It's the voice of woe.
It's the call of the moon.
It's the cold retribution of
the dark rider known as death.

Two pagan naturalistic songs about the cirle of life and death that inspire woe and respect to mother nature. Skagos is a band of the new trend in Black Metal Scene with biocentric direction in their thematology. This scene was named "Cascadian Black Metal" with Wolves in the Throne Room being the most famous band of this movement.

This movement has inspired its name by the proposed by environmental activists environmental independent state of Cascadia in the Pacific Northwest of North America being formed by the hypothesized union of the states located there.

We read in their myspace about their influences:

The constant, laconic suggestions of our subconscious. The ever bleak, damp landscape of endless Cascadian forests being nefariously whittled away by an inescapable capitalistic dominion.

You can hear some of their songs in their myspace

"Reise Reise" by Rammstein, album: Reise, Reise (2004)

Auf den Wellen wird gefochten,
wo Fisch und Fleisch zur See geflochten,
der eine sticht die Lanz' im Meer,
der andr'e wirft sie in das Meer

Ah, Ahoi

Reise, Reise,
Seemann, reise,
jeder tut's auf seine Weise,
der eine stt den Speer zum Mann,
der andere zum Fische dann

Reise, Reise,
Seemann, Reise,
und die Wellen weinen leise,
in ihrem Blute steckt ein Speer,
blutet leise in das Meer

Die Lanze muss im Fleisch ertrinken,
Fisch und Mann zur Tiefe sinken,
wo die schwarze Seele wohnt,
ist kein Licht am Horizont

Ah, Ahoi

Reise, Reise,
Seemann, reise,
jeder tut's auf seine Weise,
der eine stt den Speer zum Mann,
der andere zum Fische dann

Reise, Reise,
Seemann, reise,
und die Wellen weinen leise,
in ihrem Blute steckt ein Speer,
blutet leise in das Meer

Reise, Reise

Reise, Reise,
Seemann, reise,
und die Wellen weinen leise,
in ihrem Herzen steckt ein Speer,
bluten sich am Ufer leer,
bluten sich am Ufer leer

english translation from here:

Even on the waves there is fighting
Where fish and flesh are woven into sea
One stabs the lance while in the army
Another throws it into the ocean

Ahoy

Arise, arise seaman arise
Each does it in his own way
One thrusts the spear into a man
Another then into the fish

Arise, arise seaman arise
And the waves cry softly
In their blood a spear is lodged
They bleed softly into the ocean

The lance must be drowned in flesh
Fish and man sink to the depths
Where the black soul dwells
there is no light on the horizon

Ahoy

Arise, arise seaman arise
Each does it in his own way
One thrusts the spear into a man
Another then into the fish

Arise, arise seaman arise
And the waves cry softly
In their blood a spear is lodged
They bleed softly into the ocean

Arise, arise seaman arise
And the waves cry softly
In their heart a spear is lodged
They bleed themselves dry on the shore

Obscured lyrics, may they have to do with any kind of violence in the sea by humans. But the video clip is quite interesting with footage from the environmental movie "The day after tomorrow". Also the title means Journey and Arise. As we read in wikipedia and in the above site:

The phrase "Reise, Reise" is used by seamen as a wake-up call and finds its roots in the Middle High German verb "risen", which meant "to rise" (to which it is obviously related as well). This verb has since died out in New High German, though the noun was retained and came to mean "journey" or "voyage". The verb "reisen" was rederived from the noun "Reise", but now means "to journey" or "to travel". It seems the old meaning has been preserved in this phrase in the seaman's language.

So hearing the song and seeing the video clip, the song may become an environmental warning too
You can hear the son and see the video clip here

“Woodman, spare that tree!” by George Pope Morris, 1830: The first protest song for environment?

Rock songs, when sociopolitically orientated, are undoubtedly protest songs. The history of protest songs may be lost in ancient times. There were many references in medieval ages or later about folk singers who critisize or abuse authorities, either cosmic or religious, rebellion songs of any era, etc.

Concerning environmental awareness, we were recently surprised by discovering an american 19th century poem/song about the protection of a tree, the so-called “Woodman spare that tree”. The poem was written by George Pope Morris in 1830. The music was written by Henry Russell. This poem was published in 1837 in the New York Mirror, and was extremely popular in America.

Here are the fascinating lyrics in Old English, in a time when post-materialistic values, especially concerning environment, were practically non-existent, or were eccentric views of some wellfare people. As we see in the above picture (from the book cover of its edition), a well-dressed man asks from the woodman not to cut the tree:


Woodman, spare that tree!
Touch not a single bough!
In youth it sheltered me,
And I'll protect it now.
'Twas my forefather's hand
That placed it near his cot:
There, woodman, let it stand,
Thy axe shall harm it not!

That old familiar tree,
Whose glory and renown
Are spread o'er land and sea,
And wouldst thou hew it down?
Woodman, forbear thy stroke!
Cut not its earth-bound ties;
Oh, spare that aged oak,
Now towering to the skies!

When but an idle boy
I sought its grateful shade;
In all their gushing joy
Here too my sisters played.
My mother kissed me here;
My father pressed my hand --
Forgive this foolish tear,
But let that old oak stand!

My heart-strings round thee cling,
Close as thy bark, old friend!
Here shall the wild-bird sing,
And still thy branches bend.
Old tree! the storm still brave!
And, woodman, leave the spot:
While I've a hand to save,
Thy axe shall harm it not.


You can read more in the following link listening instrumentally the melody of the song:

http://www.contemplator.com/america/woodman.html



YOU CAN HEAR A PERFORMANCE OF THIS SONG HERE

also read about protest songs in wikipedia