Source: Markus Spiske | Pexels
One of the objectives of this website is to document music’s link to different protest movements. Music often mirrors what is happening in the world, so it is no surprise that many protest tunes address environmental concerns. Here is a small sampling of songs that deal with climate change.
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Marvin Gaye
“Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” is from Marvin Gaye’s 1971 socially conscious soul classic What’s Going On. Just like the album’s title track, it was a mournful questioning. Sadly the song is even more poignant than ever.
If a Tree Falls – Bruce Cockburn
“If a Tree Falls” is from Bruce Cockburn’s 1988 album Big Circumstance. As far as environmental protest songs go, no one can accuse Cockburn of being subtle. Both the song lyrics and video shed direct light on the adverse effects of deforestation on climate change.
According to Cockburn, “a lot of critics didn’t like that song. They felt it was too pedantic and I was being too literal and I was “stretching my metaphors too far”. Others such as fellow Canadian and famed environmentalist David Suzuki praised it, stating that both the song and video “had a profound impact upon everyone who saw it and heard it.”
Monkey Gone to Heaven – Pixies
“Monkey Gone to Heaven” is from the Pixies 1989 landmark album Doolittle. Even though it may not explicitly be a protest song, environmentalism is the focal point. The lyrics make strong statements about how humans are damaging the ocean and causing damage to the ozone layer. It also refers to Biblical numerology, which further adds to the song’s quest for humans’ place in the universe. Rolling Stone’s critic David Fricke aptly described the song as “a corrosive, compelling meditation on God and garbage”.
Save Our Planet Earth – Jimmy Cliff
“Save Our Planet Earth” is the title track of the 1989 album from legendary reggae artist Jimmy Cliff. The song’s irresistible groove doesn’t take away from the directness of the song’s message. The song lyrics highlight how our actions will impact future generations. It also promotes the idea of climate justice by linking the actions of those destroying the planet as being criminal.
The video posted is a live version of the song which is a different arrangement from the studio arrangement. The spoken word and down-tempo musical arrangement at the beginning of the song add extra poignancy to the song’s message.
Mother Earth (Natural Anthem) – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
Over the years Neil Young has been no stranger to addressing environmental concerns in his music. He addresses it in the title song of his 1970 classic album After The Goldrush. He also released a couple of environmentally themed albums, the 2003 concept album Greendale and 2009’s Fork in the Road. Fork in the Road was inspired by Young’s 1959 Lincoln Continental which was modified to run entirely on alternative energy. He also addressed environmental concerns in his 2015 album, The Monsanto Years and his 2016 live album Earth features performances of his environmentally conscious tunes.
“Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)” is originally from Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s 1990 album Ragged Glory. Concerning man’s relationship with Mother Earth it raises the pertinent question: “How long can you/Give and not receive/And feed this world/Ruled by greed?”
When You Gonna Learn – Jamiroquai
“When You Gonna Learn” is from Jamiroquai’s 1993 debut album Emergency on Planet Earth. Along with the album’s title track, this song promotes environmental awareness. The lyrics address how environmental issues can be linked to apathy (“We gotta wake this world up from its sleep”) and greed (“Greedy men been killing all the life there ever was”). Like many other environmental awareness songs it also addresses the issue of what kind of planet our children will inherit. The tune also proves that socially conscious tunes can be funky. Who says that the revolution can’t have a beat that you can dance to?
Excuse Me Mr. – Ben Harper
“Excuse Me Mr.” off Ben Harper’s 1995 album Fight for Your Mind is broader in scope than just addressing climate change, but poignantly addresses that issue with the line “Excuse me Mr, is that oil in the sea/Pollution in the air, Mr what could that be”. The tune also links the social ills that we face (such as climate change) with corporate greed.
Just as a note, the version of the song in the video is from the 2001 live album Live from Mars recorded by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals.
Idioteque – Radiohead
Climate change is a topic that Thom Yorke has frequently written about. For example, his 2006 solo album The Eraser dealt heavily with the issue. “Sail to the Moon (Brush the Cobwebs out of the Sky)” from Radiohead’s 2003 album Hail to the Thief was also cited by Yorke as being about climate change.
“Idioteque” from the band’s 2000 album Kid A features the pointed lyrics “Ice age coming/Throw it in the fire” and “We’re not scaremongering/This is really happening.” The song features a sample from a 1976 computer music composition called “Mild and Leise” by Paul Lansky, which gives the song an ominous and apocalyptic feel.
Kyoto Now! – Bad Religion
“Kyoto Now!” is from Bad Religion’s 2002 album The Process of Belief. The “Kyoto Now!” referenced in the lyrics is a student-led protest movement that has emerged in many United States universities. The Kyoto refers to the Kyoto Protocol which is an international treaty designed to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. The U.S. failed to sign an agreement to ratify the Kyoto Protocol which is part of what the “Kyoto Now!” movement is protesting. Interestingly, the movement got its start at Cornell University which just happens to be the alma mater of Bad Religion’s Gregg Graffin.
It Takes Time to Build – Beastie Boys
This tune from the Beastie Boys‘ 2004 album To the 5 Boroughs, is a scathing indictment of then U.S. President George W. Bush and his administration’s environmental policies, including failure to sign the Kyoto Protocol. It poignantly examines how commercial greed contributes to irreparable damage to the planet.
4 Degrees – ANOHNI
This haunting tune off ANOHNI’s 2016 album Hopelessness, is a reference to scientists warning that the planet could warm by 4 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, changes which would lead to environmental catastrophe. The repeating refrain “It’s only 4 degrees” is also a stark reminder of the widespread complacency concerning climate change.
Planet B – King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
The prolific and eclectic Australian band has regularly addressed environmental themes in their music. For example, their 2019 thrash metal album Infest the Rats’ Nest has a cli-fi narrative concerning future ecological disaster. The track “Planet B” is a sobering reminder that “there is no Planet B”.
The 1975 – The 1975
This track off the UK band’s 2020 album Notes On A Conditional Form features spoken word from climate activist Greta Thunberg. It is a scathing indictment of the status quo (“We can no longer save the world by playing by the rules. Because the rules have to be changed.”)
Break Up – Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is a novelist, poet, scholar, and singer who is also a member of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg people, native to southern Ontario, Canada. A prominent theme of her stunning 2021 album Theory Of Ice is climate change. For example, the album opener “Break Up” features the poignant lyrics “There is euphotic rising and falling. Orbits of dispossession and reattachment. Achieving maximum density: 39 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Mondo Tempo – Freak Heat Waves
It is fitting that a group called Freak Heat Waves has a tune dealing with climate change. The title track of the 2023 album by the Canadian electronic duo that features the lyrics “One degree worldwide, one degree worldwide…/Let’s realize it’s a crime/I think it’s a sign that it’s on the rise” resonates in the continued increase in wildfires in their native country and elsewhere.
Feel free to check out a playlist of climate change songs featuring tunes featured on this list and previously mentioned on the site.