Songs for a better world A-R

Deep blue sea

Do you know how many little stars

Good morning dear Earth

Let it be

Little things

Lots of worms

Mother Earth

My roots go down

One pair of hands

Our planet is a garden ***

Our poor planet Earth***

Last updated: 7/6/2019 3:18 PM

The songs below are compiled, adapted and illustrated by Dany Rosevear

*** Original songs by Dany Rosevear

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Deep blue sea 🔊

This lullaby is based on John Bell’s Peace version of the traditional song of the same name which included the line ‘It was Willie what got drownded’ sung by Odetta and Pete Seeger among others; we knew it well in the late 1960s.

The third verse is written by Dany Rosevear.

Deep blue sea, baby, deep blue sea,

Now there's peace, in all the land,

And o’er the deep blue sea.

Sleep my child, you are safe with me,

Now there's peace, in all the land,

And o’er the deep blue sea.

Feel the love, it is all around,

Now there's peace, in all the land,

And o’er the deep blue sea.

Moon is high and the sun’s at rest,

Stars are twinkling, the night is dressed,

Dream, sweet dreams in your downy nest,

Now there's peace, in all the land,

And o’er the deep blue sea.

Do you know how many little stars 🔊

This lullaby was originally a hymn. I have adapted it to reach a wider audience and to encourage older children to consider how we can care for the wonders of our world and our place in it.

Do you know how many little stars

There are, twinkling in the skies?

Do you know how many clouds above

Every day go drifting by?

Could we count them, count them eve’ry one,

Would we miss one should it fall?

Yes, we’d miss one should it fall,

Precious little star of the night.

Do you know how many birdies

In the sunshine sing each day?

Do you know how many fishes

In the sparkling water play?

Our Earth is here for all living things,

Food and life to each is given,

With our love and care they will flourish there,

Precious wonders of our world.

Do you know how many children

Go to little beds at night,

And without a care or sorrow

Wake again with morning light?

But our parents well, each name can tell,

For us they know, and they love us so,

They’re our best and dearest friends,

Precious little child of the night.

Good morning dear Earth 🔊

A greeting song to help children understand how we are all interconnected and part of a wider entity. Make up verses to include parts of the natural world around your own setting.

1. Touch ground. 2. Make circle above head with arms. 3. Place one hand curled on the other. 4. Open hands round face. 5. Cross forefingers and fly. 6. Cross hands at wrists and fly. 7. Open arms out then cross arms to chest.

Good morning dear Earth,

Good morning dear Sun,

Good morning, dear stones

And the flowers every one.

Good morning, dear bees,

And the birds in the trees,

Good morning to you

And good morning to me!

Let it be 🔊

Nature thrives without our help as long as we don’t bother it.

A delightfully thoughtful song by Malvina Reynolds.

When you walk in the forest, let it be.

There's a flower in the wood, let it be.

There's a flower in the wood, and it's innocent and good,

By the stone where it stands, let it be.

Let it be, let it be,

It's so lovely where it is, let it be.

Tho you want it for your own,

If you take it from its home,

It will not be what it was when you loved it

Where it stood in the wood.

Let it be, let it be,

It's so lovely where it is, let it be.

It's a thoughtful child, innocent and wild,

By the stone, by the reed,

Let it bloom, let it seed, let it be.

Little things O

These words are adapted from a hymn written by Julia Carney in 1845. I have adapted the second verse.

Little drops of water,

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean

And a pleasant land.

Little seeds of friendship

Sown by little hands,

Grow to feed the nations

In near and far-off lands.

Little deeds of kindness,

Little words of love,

Make our earth an Eden,

Like the heaven above.

And the little moments,

Humble though they may be,

Make the mighty ages

Of eternity.

Lots of worms O

What would our world do without worms?!

A song with swing by Patty Zeitlin.

Wiggle fingers for worms and make up actions to fit the words; digging with a spade, bending knees and pointing down etc.

Just use the rhythm of the music and your imagination!

Well there’s lots of worms way under the ground,

Lots of worms that I've never found,

But I bet they’re just there a-diggin' around

Way under the ground.

I dug the biggest hole I ever did dig.

The biggest hole, it sure was big!

And then I got to the bottom, you know what I found,

Way under the ground?

I found a worm to go on a fishing pole

Way down there in that deep dark hole.

But I left him alone ‘cause he liked his own home

Way under the ground.

I found a bumpety bug with big black dots,

Three pairs of legs and twenty two spots.

But I left him alone ‘cause he liked his own home

Way under the ground.

I found an old sow bug curled up in a ball,

He didn't move from there at all.

But I left him alone ‘cause he liked his own home

Way under the ground.

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!

I am a pine tree on the mountainside,

My roots go down!

I am a tiny stream trickling down,

My roots go down!

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…

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.

Show both hands, shake finger. Wave hands.

Chorus: Show hands, point to self.

Use imagination for the others ‘til I revisit this site!! Too busy. 😊

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 fatburgers growing,

Two pairs of hands can’t keep clean water flowing;

One pair of hands can’t stop our cars polluting,

Two pairs of hands can’t stop waste accumulating;

One pair of hands can’t keep the 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.

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,

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,

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,

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!

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