"Rocky mountains suite" by John Denver Album: Farewell Andromeda (1973)

Up in a meadow in Jasper Alberta
Two men and four ponies on a long lonesome ride
To see the high country and learn of her people
The ways that they lived there the ways that they died

And one is a teacher one a beginner
Just wanting to be there and wanting to know
And together they're trying to tell us a story
That should have been listened to long long ago

Now the life in the mountains is living in danger
From too many people too many machines
And the time is upon us today is forever
Tomorrow is just one of yesterday's dreams

Cold nights in Canada and icy blue winds
The man and the mountains are brothers again
Clear waters are laughing they sing to the sky
The Rockies are living they never will die

Up in a meadow in Jasper Alberta
Two men and four ponies on a long lonesome ride

An hymn for the mountains and their wilderness, but there is also a warning for the dangers by touristic development, construction of accomodations and presence of too much people, pressures that sensitive mountainous ecosystems can't withstand.

We read about this song in cdciao:

Rocky Mountain Suite (cold nights in Canada) is a warning of the danger of the ever-expanding population, urbanisation and industrialisation. It was written for a documentary in which John and Canadian Mounty, Tommy Tompkins went in search of the lost herds of bighorn sheep, “living in danger from too many people, too many machines”. Rocky Mountain relays a similar message by emphasizing the natural qualities of the mountains “more people, more scars upon the land”

You can hear this song in youtube

Album: “Όλα από χέρι καμένα” (All burned by the hand) (1988) Lyrics:Kostas Tripolitis, Music:Thanos Mikroutsikos, Performer:Vasilis Papakonstantinou

Twenty years before, three great greek artists joined together to produce this unconventional and under-appreciated album that no matter it passed unnoticed in our country and generally received negative reviews mainly for its pessimistic or brutal and nasty language of its lyrics, it has many ardent followers and is considered a classic work in modern greek rock music. We present two songs from this album:

Μπουμ

Έπειτα απ' το μεγάλο μπουμ
χίλιοι φακοί να κάνουν ζουμ,
πλάνα ωραία της καταστροφής
με φωτιές και σάρκες να τραφείς
όταν η αράχνη θα νοιώθει ευφυής
στριμωγμένη στο μπετόν της οροφής.

Είχες πει χρειάζεται καιρός
να φτιαχτούν σκουπίδια ένας σωρός
να σκεπαστούνε φεγγίτες και φωταγωγοί
να συμβούνε θάνατοι αργοί
να γεννηθούνε καινούργιοι πυροτεχνουργοί
για να αξίζει να επιστρέψεις στον πλανήτη γη.

Τη ζωή που σκότωσα εγώ
είναι η ζωή που νοσταλγώ
με τα σκεπάσματά σου έχω σκεπαστεί
το κορμί σου έχω αφουγκραστεί
η ύπαρξή σου καράβι που έχει βυθιστεί
με φωνάζεις τελευταίο ασυρματιστή.

Μπαίνοντας πρωί σε ένα ταξί
καίγομαι μέσα στο οξύ
βλέπω στα μάτια των περαστικών
ξυραφιές ονείρων χθεσινών
σου κοκκινίζει τα νύχια το μανόν
και είσαι θύτης μα και το θύμα συνθηκών.

Translation:

Boom

After the Great Boom
millions of lenses making zoom
Beautiful views of the destruction
Flesh and fire to feed yourself
When the spider will feel genius
Living squeezed in a crack of a concrete roof

You’ve said it will take time
for litters to become a pile
and to cover buildings up to roofs
to die with slow deaths
for new pyrotechnists to be born
to worth to return to planet earth

The life that I killed by myself
is the life that I’m longing for
I am covered with your blankets
I have strained my ears to your body
Your existence is like a sunken ship
You call me last radio operator

In the morning, when calling a taxi
I feel burned in an acid
In the passers-by eyes I saw
razor slashes of yesterday dreams
Your nails are bright red by the manon
You’re the culprit and the victim of conditions

A post-apocalyptic song about a dystopian society after a nuclear or environmental holocaust, about the terrible Now, about the warnings in the Past, and about the continuing indifference, cynism or vanity in a harsh environment (Spectaculation of the disaster, beautification in every day sick atmosphere)

Όλα από χέρι καμένα

Ήρωες, μίξερ, μανταλάκια, σερβιέτες,
λάβαρα, κόμιξ, σούπερ-μάρκετ, ηγέτες,
ρήτορες, μπλέντερ, βιταμίνες, μονώσεις,
κι ότι σου τάζουνε για να καυλώσεις.

Κίνημα, χάπια, σελοτέιπ, πτυχία,
άγιοι, σέρβις, μπόντυ μπίλντινγκ, ηχεία,
κάμερες, γκέι, φουστανέλες, ψυχώσεις,
κι ότι σου δίνουνε για να καυλώσεις.

Όλα από χέρι καμένα
και τα σπίρτα μας βρεγμένα
Λείψανα ,κέικ, χορωδίες, μουστάρδες,
βίζιτες, χύτρες, ινστιτούτα, κονκάρδες,
κόλλυβα , πόστερ, after-shave, διαγνώσεις,
κι ότι σου τάζουνε για να τα χώσεις.

Κλίσματα, σέντρες, γκομενάκια, πακέτα,
άγγελοι, telex, ανθοδέσμες, κουφέτα,
πρόεδροι, κέτσαπ, βαλβολίνες, ενέσεις,
κι ότι σου υπόσχονται για να τη πέσεις.

Όλα από χέρι καμένα
και τα σπίρτα μας βρεγμένα

Έρανοι, άλμπουμ, ονειράκια, πατέντες,
κάψουλες, μπόνους, φωτοκόπιες, κουβέντες,
κίναιδοι, τίτλοι, wind-surfing, εκπλήξεις,
κι' ότι σου δίνουνε για να πηδήξεις.

Ήρωες, μίξερ, μανταλάκια, σερβιέτες,
λάβαρα, κόμιξ, σούπερ-μάρκετ, ηγέτες,
ρήτορες, μπλέντερ, βιταμίνες, μονώσεις,
κι ότι σου τάζουνε για να καυλώσεις.

Translation:

All burned by the hand

Heroes, mixers, clothes pegs, sanitary pads,
Banners, comics, supermarkets, leaders
Orators, blenders, vitamins, insulators
And everything they promise you to turn you on

Movements, pills, sellotapes, degrees
Saints, services, bodybuilding, speakers
Cameras, gay, fustanellas*, obsessions
And everything they offer you to turn you on

All burned by the hand
And our matches are wet

Relics, cakes, choirs, mustards,
Fees for a house call, pressure cookers, institutes, badges,
Collyva**, posters, after-shave, diagnoses
And everything they promise you to push them in

Enemas, kickoffs, girlfriends, parcels,
Angels, telex, bouquets, koufeta***,
Presidents, ketchups, valvolins, injections
And everything they promise you to screw up

All burned by the hand
And our matches are wet

Collections, albums, dreams, patents,
Capsules, bonuses, photocopies, chats,
Prostitutes, titles, wind-surfing, suprpises,
And everything they give you to have a real good fuck.

Heroes, mixers, clothes pegs, sanitary pads,
Banners, comics, supermarkets, leaders
Orators, blenders, vitamins, insulators
And everything they promise you to turn you on

All burned by the hand
And our matches are wet

(*) Fustanella: Greek traditional kilt
(**)Collyva: Greek traditional offering in funerals made from boiled wheat
(***)Koufeta: Sugar-coated almonds offered in wedding ceremonies

A song that is a sarcasm to our worship of consumerism by making it a fundamental social value and be trapped by becoming addicted to it. A society that is manipulated by a kits mixture of old fashion traditions and modern fake plastic items and values, and by a salad of things, actions and ideas having an ideological content either of high quality and importance or inferior and unimportant.

You can hear these songs in youtube
Boom
All burned by the hand

the above photos/artworks were taken from the following pages:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11047054@N08/1012904609/
http://www.artshole.co.uk/siclark.htm

"Now Is The Time" by JIMMY JAMES & THE VAGABONDS, Album: Now (1976)

we just need to open our eyes
Revolution is no solution we ought to realise.

(Now!) Now is the time to set things right

(Now!) Now is the time to see the light
Looking back to see the future
And to rid the age of nuclear
Now is the time to set things right.

Take a look around
what a mess we're living in
God created love
and man
he created sin

Taking from the earth
but never putting in
Now what becomes of man when he has used up everything'

(Now!) Now is the time we should unite. . .

A call for wake up and see our destructive actions towards society, planet and future generations

You can hear this song in youtube

"Sweet Harmony" by Beloved, Album: Conscience (1993)

Is it right or wrong
Try to find a place
We can all belong?
Be as one
Try to get on by
If we unify
We should really try...
All this time
Spinning round and round
Made the same mistakes
That we've always found
Surely now
We could move along
Make a better world?
No it can't be wrong
Let's come together
Right now
Oh yeah
In sweet harmony
Time is running out
Let there be no doubt
We should sort things out
If we care
Like we say we do
Not just empty words
For a week or two
Make the world
Your priority
Try to live your life
Ecologically
Play a part
In a greater scheme
Try to live the dream
On a wider scene
Let's come together
Right now
Oh yeah
In sweet harmony

A call for unity and taking ecological resposibility for our planet.

You can hear this song in youtube

“Silent Revolution” by Grave Digger, album: Liberty or Death (2007)

Don't kneel in the sand, defend your land
The kiss of racism is touching your head
I'm not god, I'm a political man
A leader, a lawyer against tyranny

We're raising our hands against execution
We're heading out for silent revolution
We're trying to resist bloody persecution
We're crying out for silent revolution

Silent revolution
Silent revolution

Spread the words of freedom,
Defend your rights
Our only religion is a peaceful fight
I'm not god, I'm a man of the people
Stand for the children the innocence of life

We're raising our hands against execution
We're heading out for silent revolution
We're trying to resist bloody persecution
We're crying out for silent revolution

Silent revolution
Silent revolution

[Spoken:]
What difference does it make
To the dead, the orphans, and the homeless,
Whether the mad destruction is wrought
Under the name of totalitarianism
Or the holy name of liberty and democracy
And for that I had to died???

A great song, about peaceful revolution or non-violent ways of social resistance. reminding both lyrically and musically 60-70s song styles about freedom and peace. The song is about Mahatma Gandi and his great non-violent revolution, as has been stated by band members.

Also the whole album deals with the struggle for freedom and social justice through human history, overcoming the fear of death and pain that keeps people enslaved in totalitarian regimes. We translate from Greek a Grave Digger’s interview in rockin.gr:

The songs of this album are based on the concept Liberty or Death. It’s all about Historical themes. The homonymous song is about Greek revolt against Ottomans in Crete-Greece. “Ocean of blood” is about Moses and Jews escape from Egypt. “Highland Tears” is about Scottish revolution against England, “Until the last King died” is about French Revolution, “March of the Innocent” is about Jews Holocaust and concentration camps in WW II, “Terrible one” is about the Ivan the terrible, “Silent Revolution” is about Gandhi, “Shadowland” is about America’s fight against Ku-Klux-Klan, “Forecourt to Hell” is about Gladiators and “Massada” is a rock near Israel where a mass suicide took place in ancient times by Zealots rebels in order not to be captured by Roman troops

Είναι βασισμένα στο concept του "Liberty Or Death". Πρόκειται για ιστορικά θέματα. Το "Liberty Or Death" έχει να κάνει με την επανάσταση στην Κρήτη ενάντια στους Τούρκους. Δεν είναι μία ολόκληρη ιστορία, αλλά όλα τα κομμάτια συνδέονται. Όλα τα τραγούδια έχουν, σχετικά, ως θέμα το 'ελευθερία ή θάνατος' (Liberty Or Death). Το "Ocean Of Blood" έχει να κάνει με τον Μωυσή και τη φυγή των Εβραίων από την Αίγυπτο, το "Highland Tears" είναι για τους Σκωτσέζους και τη μάχη τους με τους Άγγλους, το "The Terrible One" σχετίζεται με τον Ivan τον Τρομερό, το "Until The Last King Died" είναι για την Γαλλική επανάσταση, το "March Of The Innocent" είναι για τους Εβραίους και τα στρατόπεδα συγκεντρώσεως, το "Silent Revolution" είναι για τον Gandhi, το "Shadowland" είναι για τους Αμερικανούς που πάλευαν ενάντια στην Ku Klux Klan, το "Forecourt To Hell" είναι για τους Μονομάχους και το "Massada" είναι ένας βράχος κοντά στο Ισραήλ, όπου είχε γίνει μία μαζική αυτοκτονία των Ζηλωτών (μία ειδική ομάδα των ανθρώπων του Ισραήλ) για να μη πέσουν στα χέρια των Ρωμαίων.

Back to comment on the presented song: A mass uprising is much more effective and influential if it is spread with nonviolent means, like that of Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, etc. Every violent revolution in history, when prevailed, has also enstablished repressive status quo or regimes. No one Military National or Social Libertarian Army or Front, or whatever else was called, has ever liberated people! The new boss is same as the old boss! When you break a tree branch in order to make a club for fight you don’t expect it to shoot green again.

You can hear this song in youtube

Album: "Heart of darkness" by Grave Digger (1995)

Dolphin's Cry

Standing on a lonely shore, beauty does unfold
Kissed by the dawning light, the sea is painted gold
Never seen alike before, innocent and pure
We never see, we just destroy, we run this planet down

Living to destroy
Looking with closed eyes
Getting sad - as I understand
I see a dolphin cry

Have you heard, birds greet the day, so full of joy they sing
Remember the smell of forests, the innocence of spring
But we forget and close our eyes, beauty fades away
The big machine must run forever, forget the price we pay.

Everybody makes profit, businesses going well
We buy, we grab, we hold with greed, but how much do we sell
Rich but poor we celebrate, lost the best we've had
I realize but can not change it, getting cold and sad

Pictures of nature in great contrast with human actions of greed, profit and ignorance of what they do to her




Warchild

I'm fighting, I'm killing, just like a man
Sanding, defending, a gun in my hand
Look in my eyes, can't you see they're so cold
I'm a fighter, I'ma warrior, I'm twelve years old
Look like a kid, but I learned how to steal
Play children's games, but my killing is real
Once was a kid, just normal as you were
Then soldiers came, killed and they burned
I lost my home, but I found a gun
I take their livees, just like they have done
You took my dad, you killed, you stole my youth and
Took my mum. You raped. I take your lives now

I'm a little warchild
I kill with an evil smile
I'm a little warchild
I shoot and death you dial

I 'm fighting. I'm killing, just like a man
Standing, defending, a gun in my hand
Once was a kid, just normal as you were
Then Soldiers came, killed and they burned
I lost my home, but found a gun
I take their lives, just like they have done

The tragic fate of children in third world war zones. Never have a happy childhood, once they lost their famillies or they were abducted, they are forced to serve adult interests, by brainwashing their souls using them as premature soldiers full of hatred who are commanded to kill without knowing what they do. We read in wikipedia:

Throughout history and in many cultures, children have been extensively involved in military campaigns even when such practices were supposedly against cultural morals....According to the website of Human Rights Watch as of July 2007:
In over twenty countries around the world, children are direct participants in war. Denied a childhood and often subjected to horrific violence, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts

You can hear some songs in youtube
Rebellion
The dark of the sun
The last supper

"Dreamer" by Ozzy Osbourne, Album: Down To Earth (2001)

Gazing through the window at the world outside
Wondering if mother earth will survive
Hoping that mankind will stop abusing her, sometime

After all theres just the two of us
And here we are still fighting for our lives
Watching all of history repeat itself, time after time

Im just a dreamer, I dream my life away
Im just a dreamer, who dreams of better days

I watch the sun go down like everyone of us
Im hoping that the dawn will bring a sign
A better place for those who will come after us this time

Im just a dreamer, I dream my life away, oh yeah
Im just a dreamer, who dreams of better days

Your higher power may be God or jesus christ
It doesnt really matter much to me
Without each others help there aint no hope for us
Im living in a dream, a fantasy
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

If only we could just find serenity
It would be nice if we could live as one
When will all this anger, hate and bigotry be gone?

Im just a dreamer, I dream my life away, today
Im just a dreamer, who dreams of better days, ok
Im just a dreamer, whos searching for the way, today
Im just a dreamer, dreaming my life away
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah

A mourning song full of visions and wishes for saving Mother Earth and Humanity from ecological destruction, wars, etc. But such wishes are costless, so do his crocodile tears. If he really wants to do something for the planet he shouldn't have supported George Bush or Margaret Thatcher in 80s.

You can hear this song in youtube

"How many times" by Julian Lennon, Album: Photograph Smile (1998)

How many times must I lead you to water,
how many times must I catch you from grace
and how many times must the lamb go to slaughter,
it seems that things will never change.

How many times can you trust your conviction,
how many times can you feel your own pain
and how many days of your life are prediction,
it seems that things will never change.

How many times can we develop something we've just done
and how many times can we re-run the race that we've just won.

Well, we're always looking, for something new,
but what difference does it make, when there's no point of view,
'cos when you can't even take care of the past,
how do you expect the future to last?

Well, there's people in pain, all over the world,
and if something doesn't change, between man and his world,
say goodbye to all the birds and the bees,
deforestation and the death of the trees,
immunization, as we fall to our knees,
I'm begging you, please! I'm begging you, please!

How many times can we live without loving,
how many times can we choose our own fate
and how many times can we clip the white dove's wing,
it seems that things will never change.

How many times can we sin without savior,
and how many times can we cloud our own truth
and how many times must we judge our own failure,
it seems that things will never change.

How many times can we develop something we've just done
and how many times can we re-run the race that we've just won.

Well, we're always looking, for something new,
but what difference does it make, when there's no point of view,
'cos when you can't even take care of the past,
how do you expect the future to last?

Well, there's people in pain, all over the world,
and if something doesn't change, between man and his world,
say goodbye to all the birds and the bees,
deforestation and the death of the trees,
immunization, as we fall to our knees,
I'm begging you, please! I'm begging you, please!

How many times can we develop something we've just done
and how many times can we re-run the race that we've just won...

A song that wonders how long human will do the same old mistakes, always destructive for himself and environment.

You can hear this song in youtube

“Mother Earth” by Eric Burdon and WAR , Album: Eric Burdon Declares "War" (1970)

Up today, we couldn’t find the lyrics, we think that is about environment, but no matter what it talks about it’s a great song. If anyone can obtain them, please post them as comments


you can hear it live in youtube here

and here with Jimmy Hendrix in guitar

“Closer to the truth” by Tony Joe White, Album: Closer to the Truth (1991)

Strong instinct for survival
Romantically insane
Moving soft along the edge of time
Like a panther in the rain

Manipulated rebels
With a total disregard for the rules
When pride comes tumbling off the great white stallion
You move closer to the truth

And the search continues for the meaning
They build the cathedrals high
But we keep our weapons ready
Looming dark against the sky

They're taking down the rain forest
Changing it to a room without a view
And the big trees fall like dominoes
And we move closer
The eagle watches from the mountain
As the warriors turn into fools
And the dice are thrown on sacred ground
And they move closer to the truth

And who's gonna tell the children
How the rivers used to flow crystal blue
And we keep leaving scars on Mother Earth
And moving closer to the truth

A psychological and philosophical portrait of human beings and their relation and behaviour towards nature. The more they devastate nature the closer they move to the “inconvenient” truth of their declination and extinction.

You can hear this song in youtube

You can hear same songs from this artist in his myspace

"Oh Mother Earth" by Neil Young, album: Raged Glory (1990)

Oh, Mother Earth,
With your fields of green
Once more laid down
by the hungry hand
How long can you
give and not receive
And feed this world
ruled by greed
And feed this world
ruled by greed.

Oh, ball of fire
In the summer sky
Your healing light,
your parade of days
Are they betrayed
by the men of power
Who hold this world
in their changing hands
They hold the world
in their changing hands.

Oh, freedom land
Can you let this go
Down to the streets
where the numbers grow
Respect Mother Earth
and her healing ways
Or trade away
our children's days
Or trade away
our children's days.

Respect Mother Earth
and her healing ways
Or trade away
our children's days.

A call to respect Mother Earth for her beauty, her offerings and for future generations survival and welfare

Neil Young is an outspoken advocate for environmental issues and small farmers, having co-founded in 1985 the benefit concert Farm Aid. We read in wikipedia about his environmental activities and against global poverty:

Farm Aid was organized by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young, spurred on by Bob Dylan's comments at Live Aid earlier in that year. (Dylan said, "I hope that some of the money...maybe they can just take a little bit of it, maybe...one or two million, maybe...and use it, say, to pay the mortgages on some of the farms and, the farmers here, owe to the banks....") Nelson and Mellencamp then brought family farmers before Congress to testify about the state of family farming in America. Congress subsequently passed the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 to help save family farms from foreclosure.

Today, Farm Aid is an organization that works to increase awareness of the importance of family farms, and puts on an annual concert of country, blues and rock music with a variety of stars. Young's speeches about the environment are a highlight of the annual shows.

Also in wikipedia:

Neil Young, after Buffalo Springfield, solo or together with Crosby, Stills & Nash, used to write lyrics about social issues, like Ohio, Southern Man and Alabama, but also about environmental issues.

You can hear Mother Earth in youtube here and here

“Never turn your back on mother earth” by Sparks, Album: Propaganda (1974)

When she's on her best behaviour
Don't be tempted by her favour
Never turn your back on mother earth

Towns are hurled from a to b
By hands that looked so smooth to me
Never turn your back on mother earth

Grasp at straws that don't want grasping
Gaze at clouds that come down crashing
Never turn your back on mother earth

Three days and two nights away from my friends
Amen to anything that brings a quick return
To my friends
To my friends

Never turn your back on mother earth
I'll admit I was unfaithful
But from now on I'll be more faithful
Never turn your back on mother earth
Never turn your back on mother earth

This song, that has been covered many times since its first release by many artists, is a warning to respect Mother Earth and not to become greedy and exploitative towards her because of her generosity.

You can hear this song in youtube

“The 3 Rs” by Jack Johnson Album: Sing-A-Longs & Lullabies (2006)

Three thats the magic number
yes it is, its a magic number
Two times three is six
and three times six is eighteen
and the eighteenth letter in the alphabet is R
There's three Rs we're going to be talking about today

You gotta learn to Reduce Reuse Recycle
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Reduce Reuse Recycle

If you're going to the market to buy some juice
bring your own bags and you'll learn to reduce your waste
Gotta reduce your waste

And if your brother or your sisters got some cool clothes
try them on before you buy some of those
reuse
you gotta learn to reuse

And if the first two Rs dont work out
and you gotta make some trash, dont throw it out
Recycle
You gotta learn to recycle

You gotta learn to Reduce Reuse Recycle
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Reduce Reuse Recycle
Reduce Reuse Recycle

'cause three, thats the magic number
yes it is, its a magic number

An educative song for children about the necessity of three Rs (Reduce-Reuse-Rescycle) in our society for environmental protection and sustainable development. We add two more Rs (Restore-Rethink) to complete the R-circle. The whole album is the sountrack of the children's cartoon animated film Curious George

We read about this song from a visitor in the songmeanings site:

JJ played this song at the 1st Kokua Festival and it was cute and catchy. He originally played it for kids at school assemblies. The profits from the 1st festival went to start recycling programs at Oahu schools. I wish I was goin to da 2nd Kokua Festival but all sold out.Somethin interesting: 1% of the profits from his CD, In b/w Dreams, are going to enviro organizations.

You can hear this song in youtube here and here

Album: "Earth songs" by John Denver (1993)

"Earth Day Every Day (Celebrate)"

Celebrate morning—
The cry of a loon on a lake in the night,
The dreams that are born in the dawn's early light . . .
Celebrate morning.

Celebrate living—
The laughter that sings in the heart of a child,
The freedom that flies at the call of the wild . . .
Celebrate living.

Celebrate evening—
The stars that appear in the loss of the sun,
Whispering winds, 'We are one, we are one' . . .

CHORUS
Celebrate Earth Day, every day,
Celebrate Earth Day, every day . . .
Celebrate land and sea,
Celebrate you and me—
Celebrate Earth Day, every day . . .


Ravens child

Ravens child
Is chasing salvation
Black beak turned white
From the crack and the snow
On the streets of despair
The answer is simple
A spoonful of mercy
Can set free the soul

The drug king sits
On his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Even children
Are twisted to serve him
And greed has corrupted
What once was a heart

Ravens child
Keeps vigil for freedom
Trades for the arms
That once made her strong
With nuclear warheads
And lasers in heaven
fear does the choosing
Between right and wrong

The arms king sits
On his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Bankers assure him
That he neednt care
And greed makes a stone of
What once was a heart

Ravens child
Is washing the water
All of her wing-feathers
Blackened with tar
Prince William shorelines
An unwanted highway
Of asphalt and anger
An elegant scar

The oil king sits
On his arrogant throne
Away and above and apart
Lawyers have warned him
He mustnt speak
And greed has made silent
What once was a heart

You know there are walls
That come tumbling down
For people who yearn to be free
Still there are hearts
That long to be opened
And eyes that are longing to see

Ravens child is our constant companion
Sticks like a shadow
To all that is done
Try as we may
We just cant escape him
The source of our sorrow and shame
We are one

The true King sits
On a heavenly throne
Never away nor above nor apart
With wisdom and mercy
And constant compassion
He lives in the love
That lives in our hearts

These previously unreleased songs were firstly appeared in this compilation album dedicated to environmental protection.

We read about this album in cdciao:

The album is a collection of songs written and performed by John Denver.
Denver performed at the Earth Day celebrations on April 22nd 1990 in Washington. He sang a selection of ecology-themed tunes, which he later recorded for the album Earth Songs. The proceeds from sales went to the National Wildlife Federation. The tracks chosen for the album reflect John Denver’s interest in nature.

John once said of his music, “My purpose in performing is to communicate the joy I experience in living”. His popularity soared and John began to express own feelings more through his songs. He was one of the first artists to share environmental message through his music. In a 1995 interview, Denver stated. "When I write a song, I want to take the personal experience or observation that inspired it and express it in as universal a way as possible. I'm a global citizen. I've created that for myself, and I don't want to step away from it. I want to work in whatever I do…towards a world in balance, a world that creates a better quality of life for all people."

In the same site you can read about the rest of the songs that are included and we have already presented or we are going to present later.

The second song written exactly after Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska)talks about lust for greed and power which is the source of any evil and disaster (drugs, war, environmental disaster, dictatorship, etc) and the only solution is to awake and fight for the right and bring down not only the walls that separate us, but also the images of those who considered the kings of our times.

You can hear these songs in youtube:

Earth day everyday (Celebrate)

Ravens child with a very interesting video that follows the lyrics themes.

“Isle Of Man” by Ministry, album: Twitch (1986)

nice place
clean water
fresh air
blue skies
like pirates
we tried it
we took what we deserved
half million
years later
we'd used up
our reserves
we're crying
'what happened?'
we get what we deserve
we get what we deserve
we get instead the isle of man
the isle of man

i've wandered
through forests
with our garbage
waist-high
can't clean it
i mean it
we get what we deserve
rainy mornings
dry evenings
it's growing
on my nerves
just gases
you fascists
you get what you deserve
you get what you deserve
you get instead the isle of man
the isle of man

i'm writing
this letter
so no one
will forget
some future
cave dweller
will find these notes an isle of man

Human race is depicted as pirates who inhabited a beautiful island and, they have exhausted all natural sources, getting “what they deserved” in the end. A survivor writes a chronicle for future “cave” generations, as civilization has declined sunk in wastes…

You can hear a version of this song in youtube

"The Plutonium Song" by Malvina Reynolds (1975)

Plutonium is a business,
The business people say.
A cupful of Plutonium
Could sweep the world away.
But atom plants are business
With Plutonium on the side,
And business will keep going
Although all the world has died.

Chorus:
Make way for business,
They go where they will go.
If business wants Plutonium,
Who's going to say them no.

The AEC announces
A Pluto-economy,
Plutonium on railroad cars
And on the ships at sea.
Railroad cars they jump the tracks
And freighters they collide,
And business will keep going
Although all the world has died.

There never was Plutonium
Since all the world began,
But now it's a by-product
Of the cleverness of Man.
Half-life twenty thousand years
And there's no place to hide,
And business will keep going
Although all the world has died.

A whiff of that Plutonium
No city can survive,
But P.R. men can make it smell
Like Chanel Number Five.
I sing this song to warn us all
While we still move around,
Cause business goes the way it goes
Unless we cut them down.

Somebody's got to stop them,
Children, that's me and you.
And if some of us go down fighting,
If some of us go down fighting,
If some of us go down fighting,
That's a cleaner way to go.

A song about the consequences of leaving our fates to greedy for power and profits politicians and corporations. They don't hesitate to deal with the most toxic and dangerous elements in the world, like Plutonium in nuclaear plants.

You can hear a song by Malvina in youtube
The little Red Hen