Climate Change Songs

Phase 1 of the climate movement had to persuade folks that climate change is real, so Phase 1 songs reflected their writers' anger and sadness at the mis-beliefs of Deniers.

Phase 2 climate songs are not about whether we should act, but what we should do. They should be fun and persuasive, rather than pessimistic. Below are some attempts.

If you want to write or adapt you own song, I suggest you read the 9 Characteristics of Highly Effective Climate Change Songs

The first two songs meet the useful requirement that kids can sing them without risking anxiety attacks, and adults can get an energy lift from singing them, rather than being cast into despair.

• The 1st song is short and sweet, and can be learnt on the fly.
• The 2nd song is a good protest chant. Again, only the leader needs to know the words, although it helps if a few followers already know it. To avoid exhaustion, take turns with the lead!
• The 3rd song is the happiest version I could make of Freddie's masterpiece. It is remarkable how much fun this can be.
• The 4th song, Climate Oddity, is for grown-ups to amuse ourselves with poor Dalek impersonations & blast-off noises.

I Met a Man, Who Had a Hole

Traditional call & echo 'campfire song'

I met a man
who had a hole.
He said that we
should dig up coal.

I said that coal
gives too much pain:
drought, fire, and flood,
and hurricanes.

Then next he said
take my advice:
"Frack gas instead -
less poison's nice."

I said No Way!
All poison's bad!
Don't hurt our Earth -
don't be so mad!

So keep your gas,
your oil and coal.
Please keep them deep
inside your hole.

The moral to
this story is:
don't steal the fu-
-ture of our kids.

[[In the last line, instead of 'of our kids', children could sing 'of Us kids', loudly.]]

These lyrics can be adapted to various tunes, e.g. various versions of 'I met a bear' or 'Bill Grogan's Goat'. I have only ever heard these sung when older children teach them to younger children unaccompanied by any instruments, and I greatly enjoyed them. We dearly need to record some kids singing our version (sound only) so that we can put their audio on youTube (with the visuals being the lyrics scrolling up). Meanwhile, here is what a quick search found:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzmSnQjEdY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snHVw1KWbGQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWExLTBOYnU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QlaZFfMgCk
https://www.musick8.com/html/current_tune.php?songorder=8&numbering=35

Climate Marching Verses

[[the Chorus repeats every line.]]

I don't know but I've been told
weather's always hot and cold
sometimes flood or sometimes drought
we have always toughed it out.
Bushfires,
cyclones,
insurance
for homes.

Give you all a big surprise
insurance premium gonna rise
weather's getting more extreme
makes insurers mighty mean.
Premiums
sky high -
makes me
just sigh.

Tell you what we're gonna do:
We'll rely on peer review.
Bollocks to bad bubble-bias
We'll rely on mainstream science.
Face the
known facts.
Learn to
change track.

Climate science is really clear -
need to get our arse in gear.
We already have the facts,
now we really need the acts
of love
and heart
get cracking
get smart.

Getting smart means don't pollute,
in your jeans or in your suit.
Don't make too much CO2 -
if you do we're in the poo.
Too much
CO2
leaves us
in the poo.

Cannot wait for those who doubt;
world's already crying out
for green electricity
no fossil complicity.
No more
pretence:
ethical
investments.
No more
stupor:
ethical
Super.

Don't be a contrarian,
be more vegetarian.
Try to take a bus or train,
and offset your aeroplane.
Insulate
your place.
Cut down
on waste.

Individual acts are nice -
make a little sacrifice;
but for the collective good,
legislation's what we should
enact,
endorse,
follow,
enforce!

Voluntary codes are lame -
greedies treat them like a game.
World will soon slap tariffs on
products that have cost carbon.
Greenwash
is not enough -
time to
get tough.

Soon or later, without doubt,
everyone will figure out
we need a pollution price -
pricing sooner would be nice.
Sooner -
better;
later -
danger.

Can't afford to wait too long,
or too much will go too wrong.
Trouble coming to our doors:
burning homes and Water Wars.
Not enough
humanity -
dangerous
for you and me.

Green is what we're aiming for.
Every year we can do more.
If pure green we can't yet be
do not worry overly.
Green sales
growing:
green costs
falling.
Battery power
too dear??
Gets cheaper
ever year!
Electric cars
too dear??
Gets cheaper
ever year!

Smart investment bankers knowin'
know which way the wind is blowin'.
Bankers with a 10-year plan
know old fuel will hit the fan.
Green profit -
no doubt.
Green's in
fossil's out.

Mining lobby pots of gold:
politicians have been sold -
sold out for a lump of coal,
now with gas they'll try to roll.
If they
sell out
they'll be
kicked out.
Green Sheen:
fake spiel -
time to
get real.

We don't want tax-payer dollars
propping up polluting squalor.
We won't be a fossil dupe.
We no fossil's nincompoop.
We won't
pay for
fossil
dinosaur.

Green jobs are the way to go,
can't afford to be too slow.
Make our top priority:
get a green majority.
Don't be
afraid;
need to
persuade.

[[slowing down...]]
Give us strength and fortitude
to persuade and not be rude.
Keep us in a happy mood
otherwise we'll all be screwed.
Help us
find a way
gently
to say:
No more
thick fog,
no more
boiled frog.
Effective action,
now.
[[At this point the march momentarily halts to support each other and affirm what we can do.]]

This song is lovingly dedicated to anyone worn out from the climate-equivalent of trying to persuade that cigarettes are bad. Thank you for all your work.

Here are some Spare Climate Marching Verses - any good song needs to leave a lot on the editing floor.''

Climate Rhapsody

to the tune of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody

[[for the first line, chose the most recent one-syllable weather eccentricity, or if the weather is currently boring, choose "calm":]]
Is this heat[[/rain/cold/drought/fire/wind/calm]] normal?
I think it's really strange.
It seems quite weird - are we
already in climate change?

I've opened my eyes,
looked up to the skies and seen:
too many rain storms, droughts, fires and hurricanes.

And has it gotten warm?
I don't know -
Little high, little low.
Every way the wind blew never really mattered to me, to me.

Bugger, what have we done?
We were inattentive gits
now we're really in the s@#t.
Bugger, we've been really dumb
and now we may have thrown it all away.
Bugger, ooh,
didn't mean to make Earth die,
if we can't get to world to care real soon
it will die, we will fry, as if people do not matter.
Too late (for Tony) your time has come,
society has judged, now you're really in the fudge.
Goodbye, goodbye Tony, you're got to go
to a Retirement Home on sunny Tuvalu.

Bugger, ooh (you should have listened better)
I don't wanna drown.
I wish I'd never ignored the climate science...

[[guitar break]] 

I see a little silhouette of a man,
just a hoax, just a hoax, yeah climate change is bullshit
a little bit of lightning really won't be frightening me
(Galileo) Galileo.
(Galileo) Galileo,
Galileo Figaro
Magnifico-o-o-o-o.
I'm just a moron, no science persuades me.
He's just a moron, full of stupidity;
Spare us from him and his monstrosities.

Easy coal, easy cash, gotta dig it up.
This Villain! No, he doesn’t understand (understand)
This Villain! he doesn’t understand (understand!)
This Villain! he doesn’t understand (understand!)
doesn’t understand(understand!)
Doesn’t u understa a a aaaand
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh, mama mia, mama mia (he just doesn’t understand)
Ridiculous how he can never can begin to see, to see, to see...

[[head banging]]

. So you think you can mine coal and spit in our eyes?
. So you think you can bullshit and leave us to fry?
That's crazy, don't be so bloody crazy,
Just gotta stop you, stop you from mining that coal.

[[guitar & piano breaks]]

Climate really matters,
Anyone can see,
Climate really matters,
Climate really matters to me.

Every way the wind blows

Climate Oddity

to the tune of David Bowie's Space Oddity''

[[Human voice:]]
Planet Earth to Outer Space
Planet Earth to Outer Space
We're in trouble can you help the human race
Planet Earth to Outer Space
Global Warming's getting strong
Tipping Point's been reached, and the heat keeps rising Up...
[[ascending blast-off music]]

[[Dalek voice:]]
This is Outer Space to Planet Earth
we've heard your sorry songs
and we're sad to see your terracide go on
humans seem to be a bunch of silly nongs.

Human Race you know what you must do
to keep your planet cool.
Yet you waste your time with uninformed debate
so the human race we must Exterminate.

[[Dalek continues singing, now plaintively:]]
For Earth is the finest of all planets
in the Milky way
delicate and rare
we will 'Help' it, please prepare!

[[vigorous music]]

[[Human voice:]]
Though our leaders talk more than they act,
most humans aren't that dumb
and we ord-in-ary folk can one-by-one
take the necessary steps, we'll get it done.

Human Race to Outer Space
we promise we will not disgrace
Can you hear us Outer Space?
Can you hear us Outer Space?
Can you hear us Outer Space?
Can you
[[Dalek voice:]]
Earth is the beauty of all beauties
in the Milky way
A beauty in disgrace,
'Help' will come from Outer Space...

Download printed version

You can download a printable version of these songs, arranged into 3 columns (suitable for windy days, and for when it is too bright to view your phone). To download, click on the 'Files' button just below.