"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