64 Songs About Nature and the Environment
The pristine coast of Malta showcases the Mediterrean Sea. What a sight to see!
(C) FlourishAnyway
Every Day Is Earth Day
My dad participated in the first Earth Day as a college student back in 1970, and in many ways, I've followed in his footsteps. For years my family has participated in an annual river clean-up in which we collect garbage that people have left in and around our local river. Along with an army of other volunteers, we comb the water, riverbanks, and adjoining wooded acreage, cleaning as we go.
In one day, we attempt to undo some of the damage that the past year has inflicted—trash that includes tires, soda bottles, and beer cans, fishing equipment, discarded clothing, and broken lawn chairs. Litter from careless residents threatens to choke our river. We can at least try to ease the congestion.
I hope you have your own way of giving back to our Earth. If you love the environment as much as I do and place a priority on preserving and protecting it, then why not make a playlist of pop, rock, and country songs—because really, isn't every day Earth Day?
1. "Truth to Power" by OneRepublic
If you've never heard this achingly beautiful 2017 pop tune, then stop what you're doing right now and listen. It depicts our earth in human-like terms as an aging loved one who reminds you of her increasingly frail and weak state, vulnerable to all the assaults of humanity.
Despite those indignities, the Earth seeks our action to change before it's too late:
It's hard to keep goin' on, hard to keep goin' on
If you could see me the way I see you
If you could feel me the way I feel you
You'd be a believer.
2. "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson
The Earth is crying and the heavens are falling down in this 1995 international chart-topper. War, pollution, and environmental devastation have taken their combined toll. As they continue to do so, the narrator wonders whether there is time to reverse the destructive course we are on.
This socially conscious song is the last song Michael Jackson sang before his sudden death in 2009.
3. "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Marvin Gaye
Yearning for a purer, simpler time, the narrator in this 1971 R&B song laments all the damage that we have done to the earth. This includes poisoned air, oil spills, overcrowding, and radiation. He wonders what we've done and how much more abuse the Earth can stand.
4. "Big Yellow Taxi" by Counting Crows (Featuring Vanessa Carlton)
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got til it's gone?
When it comes to nature, that's absolutely the truth. This song was originally recorded in 1970 by folk singer Joni Mitchell, then revived in 2003 as a much bigger, international hit.
The tune describes how a paradise-like plot of land was paved over in the name of progress so that it could become a parking lot, a pink hotel, a boutique, and a nightclub. The song also asks farmers to stop using DDT, as the narrator prefers imperfect apples to poisoned ones.
"I've always regarded nature as the clothing of God." - Alan Hovhaness, American composer
Sean MacEntee via Flickr, CC-BY-SA 2.0, modified by FlourishAnyway
5. "Eyes Wide Open" by Gotye
Are you willing to make the necessary changes to save the world?
This 2015 pop track is ironically catchy because it features a foreboding message warning us of Earth's destruction. It points to civilization's end and indicts humankind as having walked the plank towards our own self-destruction, eyes wide open.
6. "Pass It on Down" by Alabama
The country group Alabama reminds us in this 1990 ditty that the environment is merely ours to borrow until we pass it on down to the next generation. We have to preserve the air, forests, and oceans so that our children can enjoy them.
The song references the detrimental impact of acid rain, unsafe drinking water, the hole in the ozone layer, ocean trash, and deforestation, and it motivates us to act now:
So let's leave some blue up above us
Let's leave some green on the ground
It's only ours to borrow, let's save some for tomorrow
Leave it and pass it on down.
7. "4 Minutes" by Madonna (Featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland)
There is little lyrical depth to this dance pop number from 2008, but the message is clear: there isn't much time left to save the world. The song creates urgency around taking action and encourages us to wake up and do something now.
8. "Make a Little Wave" by Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas
This 2009 pop release is about the power of social activism. It emphasizes what one determined person can do, making small changes that in turn can impact the broader world and those in it. The tune was part of an initiative by young Disney stars to benefit environmental conservation and wildlife organizations.
9. "Doctor My Eyes" by Jackson Browne
Who is to say what exactly made the guy in this 1972 pop number so glum. Some say it was the war. Others say it was the totality of living. Regardless, he's witnessed the evil and destruction of the world too long, and it has wrecked his idealism.
As he tries to seek a doctor's help, he realizes that he's become too hardened and simply accepts his fate. Don't be this guy. Our environment needs you to persist and get busy.
10. "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver
Anyone who has been to the Rockies understands the all-natural high you can get there:
Now he walks in quiet solitude, the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake.
The 1972 soft rock tune is one of Colorado's two official state songs, describing both the beauty of the mountains and lamenting the destruction brought with economic development. Tourism is the top industry in Colorado today, generating billions in revenue annually—both a blessing and a curse.
11. "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons
If we're not careful, nature as we know it will cease to be. We'll be left with what's in this 2012 electro-rock song, a radioactive wasteland. The narrator paints a picture of a post-apocalyptic world where he is surrounded by ash and dust and breathes in toxic chemicals.
12. "Fall on Me" by R.E.M.
This early R.E.M. song from 1986 was initially about environmentalism and the problem of acid rain. The result of pollutants, acid rain damages forests, fresh water, aquatic life and infrastructure. It causes paint to peel, steel on bridges to corrode, and stone statues to erode.
13. "Seminole Wind" by John Anderson
Today the Sunshine state is a booming tourist mecca, but it used to be home to the Seminole Indians. This 1992 country song bemoans the draining of the Florida Everglades and the forcible removal of the natives from their lands in the name of flood control and economic development:
Ever since the days of old
Men would search for wealth untold
They'd dig for silver and for gold
And leave the empty holes ... .
"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer
Bartosz Mogiełka via Flickr, CC-BY-SA 2.0, modified by FlourishAnyway
Amazing Facts About the Environment
| Did You Know? | And How About This? |
|---|---|
The U.S. consumes 30% of the world resources yet has only 5% of the world's population. | Every day, 27,000 trees are cut down for toilet paper. |
Approximately 40% of lakes in America are too polluted for swimming, fishing, or aquatic life. | Paper can be recycled up to 6 times. Unfortunately, paper still makes up about 29% of municipal solid waste in the U.S. |
Walk a mile on an average U.S. highway and you'll find 1,457 pieces of litter. | Every year, 80 trillion aluminum cans are used. Although they can be recycled indefinitely, only about half of aluminum cans are actually recycled. |
The human population has grown as much in the last 50 years as it has in the last 4 million years. | Each minute, we lose 100 acres of rainforest. |
According to an 2018 study, microplastic particles exist in 90% of bottled drinking water. | Americans toss 25 trillion Styrofoam cups each year. Styrofoam is the most unfriendly packaging product to the environment today, taking more than 1 million years to decompose! |
Global demand for clean water will increase 40% by 2050, according to the United Nations. | Plastic bags and other plastic trash kill 100,000 animals in our oceans every year. |
14. "Blackened" by Metallica
Metal rockers care about our environment, too. This 1991 metal track personifies the planet and features Mother Earth's painful death at our callous hands. Our selfish actions will catapult the planet into a blistering obscurity, obliterating all life as we know it:
Smoldering decay
Take her breath away
Millions of our years
In minutes disappears.
15. "Time Is Ticking Out" by The Cranberries
We need to wake up to the impact that our actions are having on the global environment before it's too late. That's the urgent message in this 2002 indie rock song. It references the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the hole in the ozone layer, and radiation. Blaming human gluttony and politicians' inaction, the narrator fears that our children will reap an environment that has been ravaged by pollution.
"Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein, German-American physicist
(C) FlourishAnyway
16. "Don't Drink the Water" by The Dave Matthews Band
This rock release from 1998 is a tribute to the native people of America and the persecution and devastation felt at having their entire world ripped from them by encroaching European colonists.
The song's narrator is a non-native who looks forward to moving aside current inhabitants and building upon their once-sacred land. Filled with hatred, greed, and an insatiable appetite for expansion, he claims what is not his and fills the water with their blood.
So you will lay your arms down
Yes, I will call this home
Away, away
You have been banished
Your land is gone
And given me
And here I will spread my wings
Yes, I will call this home.
17. "Another Way to Die" by Disturbed
The message in this 2010 heavy metal song is a warning to us all:
The time bomb is ticking
And no one is listening.
Our future is fading
Is there any hope we'll survive?
The tube predicts apocalyptic consequences of humans' insatiable consumption. Global warming is Mother Earth's revenge, and it will lead to starvation and destruction of our way of life unless we repent and reverse course immediately
18. "Going Up the Country" by Canned Heat
Long before it became a GEICO jingle, this 1968 rock song was the unofficial anthem of Woodstock, appealing to escapist desires of young hippies. The narrator invites his friend to leave the city's conflict and flee to the peace of the country, where they can jump in the water and commune with nature.
19. "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong
This instantly recognizable pop ballad from 1967 is in the Grammy Hall of Fame for good reason. The uplifting song references skies, rainbows, trees, roses in bloom, and other natural phenomena as proof of the beauty of life.
20. "Beds are Burning" by Midnight Oil
Just as Americans have a shameful past in usurping the land of the American Indians, Australians similarly treated their own indigenous people poorly. This 1987 rock number references destroying land that belonged to the native Australian people and the indifference towards their suffering. It also calls for returning their land to them, finally.
Our beautiful planet is in distress, from pollution to overcrowding to climate change. Remind yourself how much you love nature and the environment with these pop, rock, country, metal, and folk songs. Make every day Earth Day.
Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash; Image created with Canva
Even More Songs About Nature and the Environment
| Song | Artist(s) | Year Released |
|---|---|---|
21. Nature's Way | Spirit | 1970 |
22. Equally Destructive | After Forever | 2007 |
23. Only Human | Jason Mraz | 2008 |
24. Fields of Gold | Sting | 1993 |
25. Gone Green | Brad Paisley | 2014 |
26. Where Have All the Flowers Gone? | Peter, Paul & Mary | 1962 |
27. Take Me Home, Country Roads | John Denver | 1971 |
28. Listen to the River | Enya | 2015 |
29. Green River | Creedence Clearwater Revival. | 1969 |
30. Nothing but Flowers | Talking Heads | 1988 |
31. Nobody's Fault | Aerosmith | 1976 |
32. If a Tree Falls | Bruce Cockburn | 1991 |
33. Echo Beach | Martha and the Muffins | 2010 |
34. Sunshine on My Shoulders | John Denver | 1971 |
35. Winter Bird | Aurora | 2016 |
36. Stonewall | Annihilator | 1989 |
37. Down by the River | Albert Hammond | 1972 |
38. The Range | Bruce Hornsby | 1988 |
39. The 3 Rs | Jack Johnson | 2006 |
40. Conviction of the Heart | Kenny Loggins | 1991 |
41. Skies of L.A. | Celine Dion | 2007 |
42. S.O.S. (Mother Nature) | Will.i.am | 2007 |
43. I Need to Wake Up | Melissa Etheridge | 2005 |
44. Poison in the Well | 10,000 Maniacs | 1989 |
45. What About Now | Daughtry | 2006 |
46. Why'd You Want to Live Here | Death Cab for a Cutie | 2001 |
47. It's the End of the World as We Know It | R.E.M. | 1987 |
48. A Campfire Song | 10,000 Maniacs | 1987 |
49. Paradise (What About Us?) | Temptation | 2013 |
50. Be the Rain | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 2003 |
51. Dirt | Florida Georgia Line | 2014 |
52. My City Was Gone | The Pretenders | 1984 |
53. Spanish Pipedream (Blow Up Your TV) | John Prine | 1971 |
54. Saltwater | Julian Lennon | 1991 |
55. Save Me Now | Jeff Lynne | 1990 |
56. The Seed | Aurora | 2019 |
57. Only So Much Oil In The Ground | Tower of Power | 1975 |
58. Excuse Me Mr. | Ben Harper | 1995 |
59. In This Together | Ellie Goulding | 2019 |
60. Earth | Lil Dicky | 2019 |
61. Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwoʻole | 1990 |
62. Gamma Ray | Beck | 2008 |
63. Red Desert | 5 Seconds of Summer | 2020 |
64. Our Trees | Tegan and Sara | 1999 |
"I can find God in nature, in animals, in birds and the environment." - Pat Buckley, Canadian socialite
Cieldevendee via Pixabay, Free Domain
© 2018 Elaina Baker
Comments
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on July 11, 2020:
MG - Thanks for your encouraging words.
MG Singh emge from Singapore on July 10, 2020:
A wonderful collection of songs about the everyday experience that we don't realize-nature. You have put in a lot of effort into this, thanks.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on July 10, 2020:
Dipesh - An incredibly beautiful song. I did an article "Who Sang It Best? 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'" that you may want to take a look at. https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/Who-Sa...
Dipesh on July 09, 2020:
Someover the Rainbow by IZ, omg such beautiful song !
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on May 10, 2020:
Kayla - Thanks for the suggestion which I have added.
Kayla on May 09, 2020:
Earth by Lil Dicky
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on April 17, 2020:
Lora - I appreciate your kind comment. Earth Day (April 22 this year) will probably be overshadowed by all the pandemic, but it's definitely all connected. We don't treat nature well. Just ask the wild animals (like the bat) in that wet market in China that triggered this whole pandemic. Stay well!
Lora Hollings on April 17, 2020:
Anybody, that ever had any doubts about the destruction that we are causing to mother earth needs to read and listen to the songs in your playlist, Flourish. I will never forget the images of "Another Way to Die" by Disturbed. A very powerful song and video indeed! And many of these other songs, too, express the urgent need for us to act now before it's too late. My favorite song on this list, because it inspires such a reverence for nature is "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver. Great job on this list! I hope we all wake up in time and realize that it will take all our efforts to change the status quo. The facts you included about what we're doing to our environment is just mind boggling. How long do we think we can continue with such destruction?!
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on April 13, 2020:
Michael - Thank you for the song suggestion. Be safe in this time of social distancing.
Michael Schwartz on April 13, 2020:
What about Tom Lehrer's wonderful 1967 song - Pollution...
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on February 12, 2020:
JDsSquirrel - Thanks for your comment.
JDsSquirrel on February 12, 2020:
There are so many more songs with environmental themes. John Denver focused there. Songs such as Amazon, Celebrate Earth Day Everyday... just check out his Earth Songs CD.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on December 20, 2019:
Elvis - Thanks for the suggestions. I added the Ellie Goulding song.
Elvis on December 19, 2019:
You're missing 2019, Earth by Lil Dicky and In This Together by Ellie Goulding
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on November 28, 2019:
Anton - Thanks for the suggestions. I added the second song.
Anton on November 26, 2019:
Additions:
Earth Omen by Frijid Pink, 1972
Only So Much Oil In The Ground by Tower of Power, 1975
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on October 27, 2019:
ddemi - Great addition. Thank you for the suggestion!
ddemi on October 25, 2019:
The Seed by aurora
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on July 09, 2019:
claona - Thank you for your suggestion.
claona on July 09, 2019:
Why does no-one mention the Tom Paxton song 'Whose Garden was This'? (1970)..... Whose garden was this
It must have been lovely
Did it have flowers
I've seen pictures of flowers
And I'd love to have smelled one
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on June 07, 2019:
Filip - I love your positive spirit and concern for the planet.
Filip on June 06, 2019:
Thank you alot for this post!
This really is one of my biggest concerns out of everything and i want to do something about it, i want to do something to help clean the planet and just do my part in making the world a better place.
as a optimistic person i feel like these facts needs to be spread and kept in mind but whats even more important is to look at the bright side, there is already alot of things going forward do not let the worry block your vision of hope for our planet.
Thanks again may peace be upon you all
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on May 07, 2019:
Anna Lynn Meloche - I'm completely with you.
Anna Lynn Meloche on May 07, 2019:
Human overpopulation. Results in using up natural land crowding out species, producing CO2 and pollution in atmosphere, loss of biomass which produces oxygen, plastic waste in ocean, acidity in ocean, loss of oxygen producing phytoplankton in ocean
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on April 30, 2019:
Derek Foster - Thanks for the song suggestion. Have a great week.
Derek Foster on April 28, 2019:
Saltwater - Julian Lennon
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 28, 2019:
Janeia Francesca - Thank you for your comment.
Janeia Francesca on March 28, 2019:
this is very helpful for our nature
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on February 21, 2019:
Emile Nosti - Thank you for your suggestion.
Emile Nosti on February 20, 2019:
Great song about earth. "Colours Like Hers" on youtube.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on September 11, 2018:
Harizi - Yes, there's a real person here.
harizi on September 11, 2018:
hello
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on April 30, 2018:
Peggy - I totally agree! I wish we had a community clean-up crew of people who are working to earn their benefits or something.
Peggy Woods from Houston, Texas on April 30, 2018:
We are huge recyclers of just about everything. I could not pick just one concern listed in your poll since so many things are of concern and need addressing. Why people continue to discard trash in our parks and along highways, etc. is a disgrace and maddening. There should ideally be no need for people like you and others to have to clean up after them. This one small planet of ours is choking with garbage and it affects us all.
Frances Metcalfe from The Limousin, France on March 27, 2018:
You're so welcome!
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 27, 2018:
Frances - The US could learn a lot from other countries' approaches to the environment, such as the weighing of trashcans and paying based on the amount of garbage you produce. Because my husband has worked as an engineer at recycle paper mills for so many years, we recycle as much as we can -- much more than anyone else in our neighborhood. I also like Ireland's approach of making shoppers bring their own bags or pay for them. Thanks for stopping by and giving the French perspective.
Frances Metcalfe from The Limousin, France on March 27, 2018:
Apposite article for our times. The environment is something we in our household really care about. we recycle everything possible It's helped here in France that your dustbin is weighed each time it's emptied and you have to pay for the weight you chuck out, so you're encouraged to take any thing it's possible to recycle to the appropriate recycling bin. The poll was SO hard to choose just one from the list - they're all so devastating to the environment, don't you think? But in the end I chose deforestation. A great way though to bring more attention to the damage we're doing to our 'What a wonderful world'.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 26, 2018:
Jo - That's one with a humorous twist. Thanks for the suggestion. I've added it at #53. Have a wonderful week. Hope spring has sprung in your part of the world.
Jo Miller from Tennessee on March 25, 2018:
My favorite song about nature, though it may not fit this list perfectly, is John Prine's 'Blow Up Your TV'. It's become my anthem here on the hill where we live. I've taught it to all of the granddaughters.
Great list. Worthwhile subject.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 20, 2018:
Chitrangada - Thank you for your kind words of support. If we all make changes, even small ones, we can make a difference in the world. Have a wonderful week ahead!
Chitrangada Sharan from New Delhi, India on March 20, 2018:
Great article, and a very important one!
You shared the environmental facts too, along with the wonderful list of songs. Michael Jackson’s song is one of my favourites. Other songs are equally good.
Thanks for sharing, and spreading awareness about the precious Nature and environment, through your excellent article!
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 19, 2018:
Heidi, It's often hard to tell where this world is going these days. Just when we thought the Cold War was behind us, we find that history does have a way of repeating itself. Hope you are doing well and that spring has sprung or is about to for you. It's daffodils here today but snow tomorrow.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 19, 2018:
Dora - Isn't that so sad? I plan to visit the Amazon this summer with my family. We have gotten our yellow fever and other vaccines already and are excited about going but there's also a bit of sadness because I know it's being destroyed at such a fast clip. Thanks for commenting. Have a good week.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 19, 2018:
Devika - I couldn't agree with you more. Hope you are doing well.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 19, 2018:
Rasma - I hope it inspires others to do something good for nature, even if it's just picking up some litter or recycling more. Thanks for commenting.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 19, 2018:
Larry - He does epitomize concern about the Earth, doesn't he? Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great week.
Larry Rankin from Oklahoma on March 19, 2018:
A lot of good songs in this genre, but John Denver is who I think of first.
So many problems and it's hard to prioritize, but I really feel global warming is the most immediate danger to this planet.
Great list!
Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on March 19, 2018:
Great topic. Thanks for the lyrics and especially for the environmental facts. Each minute, we lose 100 acres of rainforest? Wow!
Heidi Thorne from Chicago Area on March 19, 2018:
John Denver is the first artist that always comes to mind for earthy, nature-y songs. But I do like Sting's Fields of Gold. Another one of Sting's I'd add is "Russians." Great list for Earth Day coming up next month! Happy Monday!
Devika Primić from Dubrovnik, Croatia on March 19, 2018:
Great songs! Well said! Our environment needs a lot of care.
Gypsy Rose Lee on March 19, 2018:
Fantastic collection never knew there were so many about nature and the environment. Thank you for sharing.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 19, 2018:
Linda - It's my hope that more people will turn their love of the environment into loving action for good. The Earth needs all the help she can get right now. Thanks so much for your support.
Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on March 18, 2018:
Thank you for creating this article, Flourish. The Earth needs all the help it can get. I couldn't vote in your poll because all of the choices concern me a great deal.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 18, 2018:
Suhail - Thank you for your thoughtful comments. I believe very much as you do, that overpopulation is the root of many of our critical environmental problems, as way too many people compete for a limited number of resources. I have also noticed what you do in regard to multiplying oneself (overmultiplying) in the name of extreme religion. Education opens wonderful doors. I sometimes shock others incapable of understanding my more extreme views that humans are not inordinately superior to animals. We exploit animals horribly, but we are all in this together. I hope you and your family -- including K2 -- have a wonderful week.
Suhail Zubaid aka Clark Kent from Mississauga, ON on March 18, 2018:
Hi Flourish,
I was not expecting a list of songs along this theme, but I am glad to report that this is the list most familiar to me. This is because I am an environmentalist and nature lover (although not a tree hugger).
I was so amazed to see Midnight Oil in there. When I started reading this article, this band was on my mind and I was curious whether you would mention it here.
Since I listen to many songs from this list repetitively, I used to get depressed earlier on, but now this makes me work for environment even more.
I hope you are seriously planning to write a book on this thematic songs lists :-)
Like so many others, I believe for all the environmental problems we are having now, the root cause is over-population. More the religious extremist the group is, more it is contributing to over-population believing that 'Man' (I repeat, 'Man') is superior to all other creations and that all the animal forms have been created to serve 'Man'. I can see it in all religions, except Hinduism, but then that is marred with many other social issues.
Warm regards from a pleasant Mississauga in the GTA,
Suhail and K2
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 18, 2018:
Mary - You're so right with the nuclear weapons. I don't know why so many bullies aspire to have them and threaten to use them. They could make it so that we don't have anything left to worry about or hope for. I appreciate your comment.
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 18, 2018:
Dianna - Thank you for your kind support. I hoped to get this out well ahead of Earth Day. Have a great weekend!
Elaina Baker (author) from USA on March 18, 2018:
Mary - People are usually motivated to do something when they have a significant emotional event or when they see that it serves their own interests. We have a long way to go not only in Western countries but around the world. Thanks for weighing in. Have a wonderful weekend.