Five Songs Dedicated to Mother Nature

Music has always been a force of nature in its impact. When it’s dedicated to Mother Nature herself, it takes on a whole new level of meaning. Given its incredible power to reach millions of people worldwide, it’s a valuable tool that can be used to spread important messages—all to the backdrop of an irresistibly catchy tune na hindi mo maaalis sa isip mo.

As sea levels continue to rise and temperatures skyrocket, climate change has become an even more pressing issue. Fortunately, many popular artists have used their talents to dedicate a song to our greatest resource, and here are five of them: 

1. All good girls go to hell by Billie Eilish

Scary ba yung title? Huwag kang matakot! Her brother and co-writer Finneas confirmed that it’s about climate change! The Gen Z superstar is known for eschewing bubblegum-pop imagery in favour of darker, more subversive concepts that she always pulls off with finesse. 

In this verse that clearly highlights the critical state of climate change in the world: 

Hills burn in California
My turn to ignore ya
Don’t say I didn’t warn ya

…in which she references the numerous California wildfires that devastated the Sunshine State over the last few years.

2. Feels Like Summer by Childish Gambino

The light, breezy track starts with a rhythmic intro that transitions into relaxing guitar strums. Kapag narinig mo ‘to, parang nasa beach. With its feel-good beats, he sings about the current state of the world, hoping it will make more concrete actions towards its impact on the environment.

Every day gets hotter than the one before
Running out of water, it’s about to go down
Go down
Air that kill the bees that we depend upon
Birds were made for singing
Waking up to no sound
No sound

I know
Oh, I know you know that pain
I’m hopin’ that this world will change
But it just seems the same

3. The 1975 by The 1975 (Notes on a Conditional Form)

The English pop rock band has changed their sound over the course of four albums, with Notes on a Conditional Form being their longest and most experimental one yet. It’s most obvious in their self-titled opening track, The 1975. Nagfe-feature siya ng speech from the famous teenaged environmentalist, Greta Thunberg. 

She describes the sobering reality of the world today set against an atmospheric melody, punctuated by harmonious tinkling. Greta makes serious pleas, pulling no punches in the serious state of the planet:

And yes, we need a system change rather than individual change
But you cannot have one without the other
If you look through history
All the big changes in society have been started by people at the grassroots level
People like you and me
So, I ask you to please wake up and make the changes required possible

It’s definitely a wake-up call to the alarming condition of our environment, emphasizing the drastic change everyone must take.

4. All Star by Smash Mouth

The hit song, which shot to fame thanks to the Shrek movies, has definitely remained popular even more than twenty years later. It’s such an earworm that it has even been described as an “unkillable hit.” Napaka-recognizable niya, all you need to hear is the first second to name it.

Unbeknownst to many, the smash—pun intended—song dedicates a verse to our very own Mother Nature: 

It’s a cool place, and they say it gets colder
You’re bundled up now, wait ’til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water’s getting warm so you might as well swim
My world’s on fire, how ’bout yours?
That’s the way I like it and I’ll never get bored

Although it was made while millennials were growing up, the blasé acceptance about a burning world—cue that meme with the dog saying “this is fine” while surrounded by flames—resonates very much with Gen Z.

5. Kids by MGMT

The electronica song was a hit in the early ‘10s, but little did anyone know that it contains a plea to take care of the environment.

You pick the insects off plants, no time to think of consequences

Control yourself, take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted

The water is warm but it’s sending me shivers

It’s also about moderation while being aware of the consequences of our actions, which definitely applies to our approach to Mother Earth. Take only what you need, and nothing more!
There are plenty of other songs out there that talk about the environment. And while we enjoy the music, let’s take time to get to know Mother Nature’s vibes too. Share your favorites in the comments!