Celebrate Earth Day with These Top 10 Songs

April 22, 2010 marks the 40^th Anniversary of Earth Day. Celebrations will be done around the world and in various forms. But what will matter most are our daily acts of saving mother earth. Our conscious efforts within our homes and community are our first steps. In order to inspire us more, here are top ten environment themed songs that will let us celebrate Earth day everyday.

10. Beautiful Day by U2

Released in 2000, this song is not really intended as an environmental song. In an interview by Bill Lamb, Bono described the song as about a man who lost everything, but finds joy in what he still has. Yet, I also see the song as a reminder to us to appreciate nature in all its wonder and beauty. As men pursues commercialism and always think in terms of profit, we degrade the value of nature. We turn beaches into resorts and fields into housing projects not seeing their importance and contribution to our natural habitat.

9. Only Human by Jason Mraz

Indeed, we are only human with a limited time on earth. A point we all ought to consider as we create technology and ways for our convenience without thinking about its ecological implications. Our children and grandchildren will reap the consequences of these actions. The global warming and natural catastrophes happening around the world are warning signs to us.

8. Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell

Originally performed by Joni Mitchell in 1970, this song was inspired during Mitchell's first visit to Hawaii. She disclosed in an interview an instance during her visit when while looking at the beautiful scenery from her room, she looked down and saw a parking lot as far as the eye could see. As I mentioned earlier, commercialism degrades nature as we fail to appreciate nature's beauty as they are.

7. When You Gonna Learn by Jamiroquai

This song is another call against commercialism. Jamiroquai refers to greedy man who upsets the balance of nature by taking more and more from it much faster than nature's capacity to regenerate.

6. You Say the Battle is Over by John Denver

Most people abhor war. We grieve for the loss and casualties it cause especially to those innocent. But violence, I guess, is inherent to everyone. It is our control over that violent nature that makes the difference among us. And as man advances, so does our capacity for violence. Guns and nuclear weapons became major tools for destruction leaving trauma and health complications to innocent victims. But we also forget that these also destroy nature. Some hunt animals for trade while others bomb our mountains and summarily cut our trees. Either consciously or unconsciously, we are waging war against nature. And if we continue to abuse nature, it will strike back very bad.

5. Animals by Michael Learns to Rock

"In the name of progress everybody's gone too far. In the name of money... who do we think we are?" These lines say it all. We are not the only living creatures in this world. And even the non-living thing that balances our world and provides us food and shelter deserves our care and gratitude.

4. Colors of the Wind by Vanessa Williams

This 1995 award winning songs from the movie Pocahontas celebrates earth as a living planet. Where everything in it is interconnected and deserves respect. It reminds us humans that instead of thinking like we are above nature we must live in harmony with it along all living creatures.

3. Earth Song by Michael Jackson

"Earth Song" was a plea to recognize the destruction of the environment and for us to do something about it. Accompanied by a highly depicting music video, this song earned various environmental recognitions. The video also mentioned the Michael Jackson's Heal the World Foundation as an example and venue to concretely participate in saving the environment.

2. The Rape of the World by Tracy Chapman

This is indeed what we are doing to the world. We indiscriminately destroy our natural environment from our mountains down to the depth of the sea. Technology and greed made it possible and we become less conscientious about our ecology.

1. Heal the World by Michael Jackson

The main call on Earth Day is to heal the world. Let us all reflect on the damage we have done as an individual and as a race on the environment and recognize nature's beauty and power. Keep in our minds that the earth is not there only to supply the needs of humans but rather we are just a part of the earth. And unless everyone one of us participates in healing the world, even in the smallest of ways, we will surely regret it for generations to come.

References:

Earth Day 2010. http://www.earthday.org/

Hilburn, Robert (1996-12-07). "Joni Mitchell looks at both sides now: her hits -- and misses". Los Angeles Times.

Lamb, Bill. "Top 40 Pop Songs of All Time - The Top 40 Songs That Make Pop Music Great". About.com. http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/top40essentialsongsalltime.02.htm.

Metrolyrics. www.metrolyrics.com