Earth Day Playlist for 2009

Earth day - one holiday that everyone in the world can relate to. There are many things that tie us all together, though most of them are not quite as apparent as a national holiday.

Every culture has deep-rooted traditions, including art, food, and music. The last of the three, music, is an aspect of life we are all familiar of, and one that most of us partake in. While singing in the car may not really count as participating, the songs we hear have an impact on our lives.

The following is a guide to Earth-friendly or "green" songs that you might want to compile into a play-list as we celebrate our world and act as environmentally friendly as we can.

The first song on the list is "Big Yellow Taxi", by Joni Mitchell. It was recently covered and received a lot of radio play, but it has a truly important message.

Number two on the Earth Day play-list is titled, "O Green World" by the Gorillaz. This song is a much more modern take on our world's state, and offers an alternative perspective - in terms of genre.

"Sweet Leaf" by Black Sabbath is generally considered an all-encompassing environmentally minded song. Black Sabbath isn't generally known for their efforts to clean up the Earth, but many acknowledge this song's message.

Louis Armstrong once wrote a song called "What a Wonderful World", and though he didn't know it at the time, he was writing a song that would stay current for generations to come. I chose this song not because it promotes alternative fuels, or vegetarianism, but because it is the most well known, down-to-earth song that has a message we can all agree with. More importantly, it's meaning is what Earth Day is all about.

The fifth song on the Earth Day play-list is "Pollution" by Tom Lehrer, who was mostly known for his satire. The song is meant to make people laugh, but carries very serious lyrics when given the time to notice them.

Rolling Stone has dubbed Johnny Cash's "Green, Green, Grass of Home" one of their top green songs, and with lyrics like Cash's, one would have to agree. The idea behind this song is simple; after being out in the world, in walls that surround us all, it's a natural thing to want to go home to feel the ground you once knew.

John Denver makes our list at number seven, with his song "Calypso". John was known for songs that painted pictures of mountains and other landscapes, and in his memory, we see a singer/songwriter who valued the world he lived in. "Calypso" focuses on the oceans rather than the land.

"Earth Day Every Day", also by John Denver, had to make the list somewhere. It's self-explanatory as to why it's number eight on this list.

Jack Johnson, who is beloved by many, has recorded a kid's song called "The 3-R's (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle"). It was first heard on the Curious George soundtrack, but it's really applicable everywhere in life! Teachers might want to consider this song on Earth Day.

The last song on the Earth Day play list is "Mercy Me (The Ecology)" by Marvin Gaye. With lyrics like "Oh Mercy me/ Things ain't what they used to be/ Where did all the blue skies go?", and more, it makes it the perfect song to end this list.