Freegal Songs for Earth Day

Earth Day: flowering crabapple  image credit: Ellen Mackey 2012

I’ve been searching the web for the best Earth Day songs and then searching Freegal to see what was available there.

Some of these songs celebrate nature; others lament what we’ve done to it.

Kansas                         Death of Mother Nature Suite

 John Prine                   Paradise

 Yardbirds                     Shapes of Things

 Johnny Cash                Don’t Go Near the Water

James Taylor               Traffic Jam

Woody Guthrie            This Land Is Your Land

Bruce Springsteen       This Land Is Your Land            

 Michael Jackson          Earth Song

Nitty Gritty Dirt           Fishin’ in the Dark

   Band

 John Mayer                 Waiting on the World to Change

 Dave Matthews           One Sweet World

   Band

 Kenny Loggins             Conviction of the Heart

                                    This Island Earth (album)

 John Denver                Calypso

                                    The Wind

                                    Annie’s Song

                                    Sunshine on My Shoulder

                                    Rocky Mountain High

 Walk Off the Earth      Little Boxes

 Pete Seeger                 God Bless the Grass

A Song for Earth Day 2013: “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie

Guanella Pass, Rocky Mountains, Colorado  Image credit: Ellen Mackey 2012

I saw Woody’s son Arlo in concert about 20 years ago.

He told us about how his dad had written a song about the Gulf stream waters and the redwood forests.

And he also told us about another verse,

“I saw a sign that said no trespassing

But on the other side

It didn’t say nothing.

That side was made for you and me.”

To see other “subversive” verses written by the champion of the common man, see this story by NPR.

Lots of Woody Guthrie’s work is available for free download on Freegal. So are versions of “This Land is Your Land” by Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.

2013 Grammy Predictions: “We Take Care of Our Own” and Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen

Spruce’s song is nominated for Best Rock Song, and Best Rock Performance.

EW says “All the whippersnappers here have a shot; still, the Boss will likely prevail.”


Will this anthem that juiced the crowds for Obama be selected? Stay tuned and see.

All the songs on Springsteen’s album are available for free download on Freegal, including the Grammy-nominated “We Take Care of Our Own.”

The Final Speech: “We Shall Overcome”



Martin Luther King, Jr. leaning on a lectern. Library of Congress. photo credit


The folk song “We Shall Overcome” encapsulated the civil rights movement and was the theme of Martin Luther King Jr.’s last speech in 1968, before he was assassinated.

Its roots were in African-American hymns of the early 20^th century. Its themes were echoed by both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson.

It has been sung all across the globe in protests, from the US to Beijing to South Africa.

Interestingly, it was brought to prominence by folk singers of the 1960’s, most notably Pete Seeger and Joan Baez.

You can find both of their versions on Freegal, along with dozens of others, including Bruce Springsteen.

"You'd Better Watch Out": "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" by Bruce Springsteen

Santa skis into town? Why not? Photo credit

I'm pretty sure this is the only Christmas song that starts with a threat. (OK, maybe it’s a warning.)

Listen to The Boss kids, he knows what's comin' down.

I had always thought this was a B-list song. But Springsteen's version gives it heart and attitude.

And you can download it free, from Freegal.

Predictions for Obama’s Election Night Playlist: “We Take Care Of Our Own” by Bruce Springsteen

Crowd at rally for Obama in Aurora, Colo.

It’s his number one campaign song & The Boss has been touring with him.

This photo reminds of an op-ed piece that I read.

If Obama wins, it will be because so many varied people voted for him: working class, big-city coastal residents, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, GLBTQ, young and old.

Let’s hope that someday Congress will look more like this crowd, too.

The following posts cover some of Obama’s playlist regulars which are available on Freegal. (All of Springsteen’s newest album is there, too, by the way.)

I’m predicting they’ll be played at some time during election night.

A Song for Obama Rallies: Bruce Springsteen plays “We Take Care of Our Own”

Photo: Roxanne Jo Mitchell

According to the New York Times Bruce Springsteen has been playing at several rallies for President Obama.

The Boss’s songs are regulars on Obama’s playlist.  In addition to “We Take Care of Our Own” he plays  "Land of Hope and Dreams” at the end of every speech. 

Both songs are from Springsteen’s newest album Wrecking Ball, which is available from Freegal.

Got a Wife and Kids in Baltimore Jack—Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen



Photo: Goldwyn Pictures

 The Boss is on Freegal!

How come no one told me before? Actually, that’s the thing I like about Freegal: I’m constantly finding new things.  I knew about Elvis and Michael Jackson, but can’t believe I missed Springsteen.

 “Hungry Heart” was on The River, his first album to hit the number one spot on Billboard’s charts.

The title is taken from the line in Tennyson’s poem, Ulysses “For always roaming with a hungry heart.”
The photo is from a 1922 movie called Hungry Hearts, which is about the hopes and hardships of an immigrant Jewish family.

I wonder if the title also alludes to Springsteen’s early life. He had always wanted to be a musician, but his father was dead set against it. On the other hand, his mother bought him a $60 electric guitar, an enormous sum for the family in those days.

Fortunately for mom, this rock and roll gig turned out all right for Bruce.