Picture courtesy of sojo.net
A Hymn for Justice is published by Sojourners and written by Caroline Winfrey Gillette who has written over 400 hymns. The hymn describes justice, mercy, kindness, love, and peace and references Luke 1:46-55. To view the entire hymn, click here.
Picture courtesy of greenchurches.ca
Green Churches Network offers songs and hymns to follow the biblical tradition to sing praise to God for creation. The songs come from various Christian traditions, and they accept suggestions for other songs to add. To listen to all of the creation songs and hymns offered, click here.
Picture courtesy of jackjohnsonmusic.com
Song Picks by Natalie
Ones and Zeros is song by Jack Johnson that starts out by saying,
“There’s a black hole pulling me in
I slowly bend until I see the back of my own sins
I stole my soul from myself now I wonder”
I believe that he is referring to being sucked into a state of oblivion and not even realizing what is a sin and what is not. At this point, man is no longer himself. He then says,
“In the future we’ll be laughing at who we were right now
As man plays god with the land that he plunders”
“To the one unknown no one can know nor see
That’s resistant to greed
If we listen to time after time, time can never go under”
Here I think he starts out by saying that when future generations look back, they will laugh at how man treated the land. People in the future will see how absurd it is that man tried to play God and take control of the land. I believe he is then referring to people ignoring God. He is referring to God by saying “the one unknown no one can know nor see” and that if people listen to Him, we can never go under.
He makes several other references to people being oblivious and ignoring the problems of the planet.
“Into a world of boys and girls
Are holding their handheld devices
While they’re eating and they’re sleeping
And they’re dreaming of the prices
We’ll be paying down the line
When the ice melts maybe it will turn to wine”
“And a lot of people like to have a feast
Not so many could stomach the killing”
At the end he says,
“Lot of traffic on the streets, so who’s really doing all the drilling
Keep on filling what can never be full”
I believe he is saying that people must take responsibility for our actions. We are the ones constantly wanting more and never being satisfied with what we have already been blessed with. We can never be content and that is the true problem.
To read the lyrics, click here.
To listen to the song, click here.
Picture courtesy of genius.com/
Song Picks by Natalie
Lose My Soul is a song that focuses on consumption and religion. The lyrics say,
“Man I’m not gonna let these material thing’s, get in my way, you all.”
“I don’t want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul”
I think these first two lyrics are discussing consumption and gaining stuff at the cost of losing yourself. When he says he won’t let material things get in the way, I think he is talking about societies obsessions with buying things and finding comfort in that instead of finding comfort in God. The song then says,
“Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on you.
Grant us the privilege of your world view,
And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down.”
In these lyrics I believe that he is talking about being appreciative for what God has given us as opposed to looking for more. When he says “And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down,” I think he is talking about Gods creation and to be happy with the world around us. This kind of appreciation comes from spending time in nature and in God’s kingdom, which is what I think he is alluding to in this song.
To read the lyrics, click here.
To listen to the song, click here.
Picture courtesy of genius.com
Song Picks by Natalie
I believe that The Prophet’s Song by Queen is telling the story of Noah and the flood that washed over the earth. It begins by saying,
“Oh oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning the seer he said
Beware the storm that gathers here”
I believe they are saying that there is a storm coming and that people have been warned and need to listen to the prophet’s words. They then say,
“Summoned by your own hand
Ah ah children of the land
Quicken to the new life take my hand”
“Fly and find the new green bough
Return like the white dove”
In these lyrics, I think they are saying that the storm was summoned by people themselves and they are urging them to come with him in order to be saved. In the next lines, they are referring to Noah sending out a white dove to see if the water had moved back from the land. The dove returns with an olive branch, letting Noah know that the water had receded from the earth.
“Late too late all the wretches run
These kings of beasts now counting their days”
“The earth will shake in two will break”
“Oh oh oh oh and two by two my human zoo
They’ll be running for to come
Running for to come out of the rain”
“Deceive you not the fires of hell will take you
Should death await you”
These last lyrics are describing the Great Flood that comes. At first, they say that everyone now believes Noah and wants to join him but it is too late. Noah collects his “human zoo”, referring to the two of each animals he brings with him. The last lyrics are referring to the hell that awaits those who did not believe him and are now left behind.
To read the entire lyrics, click here.
To listen to the song, click here.
Picture courtesy of jah-lyrics.com
Song Picks by Natalie
Globe all Warming is a song by NiyoRah. The title of this song pretty much sums it up; he is talking about global warming. He discusses how society has played a part in ruining the environment and in order to survive, people must purify themselves and their bodies. The lyrics say:
“Global warming, the cry is out
The earth is getting hotter, without a doubt
The glaciers are melting in the north and south
Our lives are about to change
There is only one way, to survive this
You got to purify your body, get rid of toxins
Pray unto the Father, who lives within
The ego you have to tame”
I think he is saying that people must stop being selfish and egotistic in order to save the environment. In order to do this, he is says to purify your body and pray unto the Father. He also says:
“To serve Jah, is the reason why you are made
The heat beneath the ocean, it a bring hurricane
Attitude inside a people out of context and live”
I think he is saying that people are living with the wrong mindset. The human race is no longer putting God first and respecting what has been given to us, and this is what is causing global warming and the overall destruction of nature and the environment.
To read the lyrics, click here.
To listen to the song, click here.
Picture courtesy of michaelfranti.com
Song Picks by Natalie
Hey World (Don’t Give Up) is a song by Micheal Franti & Spearhead. In this song he describes many of the problems that the world faces. He begins by saying:
“Tell me why the grass was greener,
Years ago, I swear, it used to grow here,
But no more here.”
“Tell me why on this hill,
All the birds they used to come to fly here,
Come to die here.”
I think that is him talking about the decline of our environment and how quickly it is going downhill. He then says:
“And tell me why it’s okay to kill in the name of the Gods we pray”
He also talks about war in this song which I think is part of what he means by this lyric, but I also think that they are talking about the earth. They are asking why people think that it is okay to kill what God has given us, which includes nature like the grass and birds described earlier in the song.
To read the lyrics of this song, click here.
To listen to this song, click here.
Picture courtesy of risingappalachia.com
Song Picks by Natalie
Medicine is a song by Rising Appalachia. The song is describing the medicine that is found all around us. I believe that they are describing nature, religion, and music and their healing possibilities.
“Remedies are bountiful and surround us from the garden to the farthest prayers made of star dust find your healing in the music that calls”
I believe that these lyrics are talking about ways to heal outside of traditional medicine. They are talking about “the garden” which is nature, and then they say “to the farthest prayers made of star dust,” which I believe is them saying to find remedy in the deity you pray to. When they say “find your healing in the music that calls,” I believe they are saying to find your healing in whatever speaks to you. I interpret the word “music” as the belief, whether it be nature or religion, that heals your mind.
To hear the song click here.
To read the lyrics click here.