Songs for
a better world M-R
My
guitar plays for the moon
My
roots go down
Now
is the cool of the day
One
pair of hands
Our
beautiful Earth
Our
planet is a garden ***
Our
poor planet Earth***
Praise
bogs / Ecology Doxology
Reach,
reach, reach for the stars ***
Reforest
the planet
River
of song ***
Last updated: 7/27/2020
11:43 AM
The songs below are compiled and adapted by Dany
Rosevear
*** Original songs
by Dany Rosevear
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To listen to music from these songs click on 🔊
To watch the
author sing a song click on the title at:
© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved
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My guitar
plays for the moon 🔊 An ode to a lovely companion. The moon was still up on my early
morning walk to swimming and my guitar was playing in my head….Words and
music by Dany Rosevear. |
My guitar plays for the moon, It plays for the twinkling stars, It plays for our wonderful, wonderful world; Songs of hope, songs of joy, Songs for our own Shangrila, Chorus: Songs for our planet, our ark, Songs for our planet, the Earth. My guitar beams at the sun, At the children singing their songs, It’s six gentle strings play the songs that we sing; Songs of hope, songs of joy, With everyone singing along, Chorus My guitar sighs with the wind, It sings with the rain and the snow, At the clouds that pass by in the darkening sky; Songs of hope, songs of joy, In places wherever we go, Chorus My guitar plays shadow songs, When children are tucked up in bed, It keeps me in tune as I play to that moon; Lullabies, soft night songs, Songs for all sleepyheads, Chorus |
My
roots go down 🔊 Words and music by Sarah Pirtle, © 1979 and 1989. You will find many other delightful versions of this song on the internet as Sarah has encouraged others to make up verses meaningful to their own lives. You will also notice differing interpretations of the music. Sarah has recently created a site
where people can hear and download sixty of her two hundred songs for free: http://sarahpirtle.com/hope-sings/heart-of-the-world.htm
Move with imagination; the video will give you some ideas! |
My roots go down, down to the earth, My roots go down, down to the earth, My roots go down, down to the earth, My roots go down! I am a wild flower reaching for the sun, I am a wild flower reaching for the sun, I am a wild flower reaching for the sun, My roots go down… I am a pine tree on the mountainside, I am a pine tree on the mountainside, I am a pine tree on the mountainside, My roots go down! I am a tiny stream trickling down, I am a tiny stream trickling down, I am a tiny stream trickling down, My roots go down! I am a willow in a raging storm, I am a willow in a raging storm, I am a willow in a raging storm, My roots go down! I am a waterfall skipping home… I am the river rushing to the sea…. I am an ocean wild and free… We are the voice
of every living thing… |
Now is the cool of the
day 🔊
Words
and music by the wonderful Jean Ritchie. Care
for the environment wasn’t one of the top of priorities when this was written
in 1970, (though Rachel Carson's Silent Spring had been published in 1963)
but the fine words of this song continue to resonated over the decades as a
younger generation take up the challenge to ‘keep the grasses green’. |
My Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my garden so fair,
You may live in this garden if you keep the
grasses green
And I'll return in the cool of the day.
Now is the cool of the day,
Now is the cool of the day,
Oh this earth is a garden, the garden of my
Lord,
And he walks in his garden,
In the cool of the day.
Then my Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my garden so pure,
You may live in this garden, if you keep the
waters clean,
And I'll return in the cool of the day.
Chorus
Then my Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my pastures so green,
You may live in this garden if you will feed
my lambs,
And I'll return in the cool of the day.
Chorus
Then my Lord, he said unto me,
Do you like my garden so free,
You may live in this garden if you keep the
people free,
And I'll return in the cool of the day.
Now is the cool of the day,
Now is the cool of the day,
Oh this earth is a garden, the garden of my
Lord,
And he walks in his garden,
In the cool of the day.
This earth it is a garden, the garden of my
Lord,
And he walks in his garden,
In the cool of the day.
One pair of hands 🔊
Together
we can make a difference. This song
is based on Pete Seeger’s ‘One man’s hands’; other words of protest for good
causes have been attached to this wonderful song over many years. It
was Marilyn and Paul Wilson’s version written with Wren choirs in Devon that
caught my imagination. The words for young children here are written by Dany
and Alan Rosevear and the music adapted and arranged by myself. |
One pair of hands
can’t stop the climate changing, Two pairs of hands can’t
stop the storms from raging; Chorus: But if two and two and
many make a million, Then we can change the
world, Then we can surely
change the world. One pair of hands
can’t stop the ice caps melting, Two pairs of hands
can’t stop sea waters rising; One pair of hands
can’t stop the forests burning, Two pairs of hands
can’t stop wildlife from dying; One pair of hands
can’t stop the waste from growing, Two pairs of hands
can’t keep clean water flowing; One pair of hands can’t
stop the car’s pollution, Two pairs of hands
won’t find the best solution; One pair of hands
can’t keep the whales a-spouting; Two pairs of hands
can’t keep us all from shouting; If two and two and
many make a million, Then we can change the
world, Then we can surely
change the world. Then we can surely
change the world. |
Our beautiful Earth 🔊 Written
by Frances E. Jacobs and set to a German folk tune from the “Children’s
hymnary” published 1968. Can
be used as a two or more part round. |
How beautiful is the green
earth, Each star in the heaven
above! But what would the whole
world be worth If we did not fill it with
love, with love, If we did not fill it with
love? |
Our planet is a garden 🔊
Everyone making small changes can make a big difference. Written by Dany Rosevear as a request from a preschool for a song
about climate change. We are never too young to consider what we can do to
make a difference to the future of our home called Earth. Line 1. Sweep out hands, cross hands at
wrists and flap. 2. One hand on top of the other with thumbs out, make hands
dip and dive. Point to others and self. 3. Shape a ball, put hands to heart.
4. Throw out hands. Chorus: Wag finger. Stamp three times and hold nose. Beat
fists three times. Verse 2. Hold arms and shiver, prowl,
forefingers to mouth, shake elbows, hands to head with fingers outstretched
then as before. Verse 3. Make hands and arms into trees,
hand to ears, scratch armpits, wave arm for trunk then as before. |
All across our lovely
world the little birdies fly, The fishes swim, the
dolphins leap and so do you and I. Our planet is a garden
needing tender love and care, And if we all make
changes we can make it fit to share. No more dirty air and
water, No more dirty air and
water, No more dirty air and
water, Our lovely world needs
everyone, To help and fix it
quick! All across our icy
lands the polar bears can roam, The walruses, the
penguins and the reindeer have a home. Our planet is a garden
needing tender love and care, And if we all make
changes we can make it fit to share. No more dirty air and
water, No more dirty air and
water, No more dirty air and
water, Our lovely world needs
everyone, To help and fix it
quick! All across our wooded
lands the jungle creatures call, Monkeys screech, and
elephants, oh, how we love them all. Our planet is a garden
needing tender love and care, And if we all make
changes we can make it fit to share. No more dirty air and
water, No more dirty air and
water, No more dirty air and
water, Our lovely world needs
everyone, To help and fix it
quick! |
Our poor planet Earth 🔊 Little things that we do can make a difference to the health of our
precious world. Another song written by Dany Rosevear as a request from a preschool
for a song about climate change. The tune might be familiar to young children
as ‘Miss Polly had a dolly’. Encourage children to add their own ideas for
making our world a healthier place to live. NASA has a great site for kids
to learn more about the environment and ways that they can help effect
change. Verse 1. Wipe tears. Throw out hands. Tap
wrist put fist under chin. Knock three times on forehead. 2. Rock arms. Stretch arms above head.
Hands to heart, twist tap. Clean teeth, turn tap. 3. Waggle then shake finger. Put up one
finger at a time. Shake finger. Use thumb and forefinger to indicate little. 4. Throw out hands. Mime switching off
light and cyling. Dig. Show one then two trees with arm and outstretched
fingers. Throw out arms, point outwards then to self. 5. Hands to cheek. Rock arms, then as
before. |
Our poor planet Earth
is getting sick, sick, sick, How can we save her
quick, quick, quick? It’s time to put on our
thinking caps, And knock on our
noddles with a rat-a-tat-tat! Poor planet Earth
says, “Please take care of me! Wake up now to save my
land and seas. Show me your love each
time you use a tap, And when you clean
your teeth turn it off like that! Remember your toilet
is not a bin, Think three p’s: just
paper, pee and poo go in; Recycle waste and
don’t buy tat, Use far less plastic,
little things like that.” Tell us planet Earth,
what else should we do? “You could switch off
the lights, walk or bike to school, Grow your own fruit
and veg, plant a tree (or two), You’re doing it for
ev’ryone, not just you and me.” Poor planet Earth is
very, very old, She needs looking
after so we are told, It’s time to put on
our thinking caps, And knock on our
noddles with a rat-a-tat-tat! |
Praise bogs / Ecology doxology 🔊 This short
song by Paul Tinkerhess is a parody of the traditional 16th C hymn
‘Old Hundreth’ or ‘The Doxology’. Bogs today play an important role in the
fight against climate change as they are reservoirs for carbon from our
atmosphere. Find out more at: http://www.ancarn.org/en/community-projects/ENVISION/Biodiversity/Habitats/PRESS-RELEASE-In-Praise-of-Bogs |
Praise
bogs from whom all waters flow. Praise
bugs above and frogs below. Praise
lily pads and all by luck Who
thrive while seated in the muck. |
Reach, reach, reach for the stars 🔊 If you must…
But it is our planet Earth that needs attention for future generations to
enjoy as we have done. Words and
music by Dany Rosevear. |
We
can reach, reach, reach for the stars, Reach
for Jupiter, Venus and Mars; But
down on this Earth we must reach hand in hand, To
do, to do, to do, whatever we can! Some
will go, go, go to the moon, Zoom
up in a rocket then back again soon; But
Earth needs us now with the gentlest of hands, To
do, to do, to do, whatever we can! Our footprints are large but our planet is small, Tread lightly, so
lightly, think well where they fall, Take care, great care
to hear the loud call To do, to do, to do,
whatever we can! |
Reforest the planet 🔊 Count and
plant for a greener Earth. Once upon
a time the world was covered with trees, in fact twice as many as there are
now. We are losing 10 billion
trees each year.
Give back to nature. Words and
music by Dany Rosevear. |
One tree! One tree! I plant in the ground,
One tree to watch as the seasons go round.
Keep digging, keep planting, we need
them,
Our beautiful, life giving trees.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
Ten trees! Ten trees! Plant ten trees with me.
To shelter the robin, the squirrel and bee.
Keep digging…
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100.
One hundred! Two hundred! Plant three hundred trees,
For walks in the woodlands, come walking with me.
Keep digging…
400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000.
One thousand! Two thousand! Three thousand grow
high,
In leaf, branch and root, creatures creep, crawl and
cry.
Keep digging…
4,000, 5,000, 6,000, 7,000, 8,000, 9,000,
10,000, big jump!!
One million! Two million! Three million trees sing,
“Make the world fit for humans and all living
things.”
Keep digging…
4,000,000, 5,000,000, 6,000,000 7,000,000
,8,000,000, 9,000,000, 10,000,000, big jump!!
One billion! Two billion! Three billion and more,
Reforest our planet, replace and restore.
The oak, the walnut, horse chestnut and pine,
Will make good our future, both yours and mine.
…and they’re great fun to climb!
Keep digging…
A
river of song will carry us along, Run
river, run river, gentle river of song. Chorus Sun
shines, rain falls, cherish life, treasure all, As
we walk, walk the earth in harmony, Walk,
walk the earth in harmony, Join
together and sing as one! X2 A
mountain of song will carry us afar, Up
twisting pathways, to reach for the stars. A
forest of song will carry us on through, Dark
ancient places so shady and cool. An
ocean of song will carry us away, Roar,
as we soar, o'er your wild restless waves. |
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