129 Days to Go - Where Has All the Music Gone?

I don't think I'm alone in believing that music played an important role in the era that gave us the civil rights movement, women's liberation, and the environmental movement (in North America, at least).

So is it just because I'm older now? Am I missing out on a whole generation of music about saving the world, stopping climate change, and fighting climate inequity and injustice?

Or is the music lacking ... and that's one of the reasons we're just not getting into people's heads — and hearts?

Well, better late than never, I just discovered Take Our Planet Back, by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. (He's the fellow who did Yes, We Can for Obama.) He debuted it at Al Gore's January 2009 Green Ball.

So, here it is, with lyrics below. Please pass it on. Let's create a soundtrack that we can listen to when we're old and crotchety and proudly say, "Yup, we did it. We beat that global warming and saved the world. We stood up and took our planet back!"

p.s. Does this song resonate for you? It's pretty, but my sense is that we need one that we can all sing along to.

Calling all the leaders to lead us out the hole

Asking all deceivers the things I want to know

If we're so technological

Why're we still burning oil?

'Cause I got a car you plug into the wall that's faster than a GTO

We shot for the stars, put rovers on Mars, make planes like UFOs

So why are we borrowin' money from China to buy oil from the Gulf and destroyin' the world?

Now that's got to change

(Chorus x3)

We'll stand up

We'll stand up and take our planet back

You and me

Talkin' 'bout we

Talkin' 'bout we

Talkin' 'bout

Calling all the citizens

Citizens of the land

Ask your politicians

All these questions

If we fight another war on terror

Why aren't we fighting for the environment?

We spend a billion dollars on wars in foreign lands

But nothin' on education

Nikola Tesla turned the Niagara Falls into energy way back when

And we're still burning coal

When you can make electricity with solar and wind

Now who's getting played?

You and me

And who's getting paid?

(Chorus x3)

I'm askin' all the citizens to take action

Take action and take back the government

Tell the government to start taxin' pollution

Makin' laws 'cause that's the solution

It should be against the law to make pollution

So if they make products that do what the other products do

But they didn't pollute, what are you gonna choose?