In November and December 2019 we ran a two part songwriting workshop with Glenn Koppany which tackled environmental themes from plastic waste to the climate emergency. Here are some of the songs that came out of the workshop. We believe voicing your concerns and wishes for our future and our environment can take a wide variety of form the key thing being that you feel that your voice matters! If you have a song or a piece of work that you feel could be used to influence others to act to help our environment please share it with us.
DON’T LET THEM DRILL
Where orange flares light up the sky
And myriad stars are dimmed,
The air we breathe is choking us,
Defiled our ocean wind;
The food we grow is poisoning us,
Our water isn’t fit to drink;
The ground is quaking from the shocks,
Our homes collapsing in landslips.
Chorus
Don’t let the greedy cowboys drill
Our precious land for liquid gold;
They promise fortunes from the spoils
But only THEY will gain.
When sky turns black and wind whips up
And rain begins to pour,
Gigantic waves like battering rams
Advance upon the shore;
Storm after storm will lash the coast
Till it can take no more;
The sea wall breaks and waves smash through,
Submerge our homes and stores.
Chorus
Don’t let the greedy cowboys drill
Our precious land for liquid gold;
They promise fortunes from the spoils
But only THEY will gain.
There isn’t time for apathy,
We have to change our path:
Reduce demand for energy,
Keep oil in the earth;
Step up our use of sun and wind,
Make buildings carbon-free;
Use international law to end
All rampant corporate greed.
Chorus
Don’t let the greedy cowboys drill
Our precious land for liquid gold;
They promise fortunes from the spoils
But only THEY will gain.
Maggie Nelmes
November 2019
Songwriter Peter Ellis heard about My Planet My Voice from Steve Peake and shared this song about the climate emergency with us.