Best Songs You Never Knew Were About The Ecology!

We All Know Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) By Marvin Gay but Did You Know These Hits Were About The Ecology As Well? Songs To Add To Your Earthday Playlist!

April 1970 marks the beginning of the modern environmental movement in America. Earth Day, the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson, has been a worldwide celebration of nature and conservation every year since.

1.“Earth Song” was written and composed by Michael Jackson as a passionate plea for environmental awareness in the face of unchecked global development.

2."Big Yellow Taxi" is Joni Mitchell's most well-known song. Not only was a tremendous hit in 1970, but it also brought environmental concerns to the popular radio waves. Mitchell blazed a trail for other rock artists! The remake became an even bigger hit 35 years later for The Counting Crows and Vanessa Carleton

3."Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" is the second single from American singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, What's Going On. Following the breakthrough of the title track's success, the song, written solely by Gaye, became regarded as one of popular music's most poignant anthems of sorrow regarding the environment.

4."Octopus' Garden" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written and sung by Ringo Starr (credited to his real name Richard Starkey), from their 1969 album Abbey Road. George Harrison, who assisted Starr with the song, commented: "'Octopus's Garden' is Ringo's song. It's only the second song Ringo wrote, and it's lovely." Inspired by a boating trip and information Ringo was told about the life of the Octopus the song and Children's book has inspired generations of kids to love the ocean and sea life through shows like The Muppet Show and Sesame Street. Making its debut in 1969, the beloved children's television show was shaped by the African-American communities in Harlem and beyond and the song brought the love of the ocean to them.

5. "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" The song's lyrics detail Tears For Fear's and the desire humans have for different scenarios to have importance rather than greed and lust for power such as the health of the environment and safety from nuclear war. Song was released in 1985 and is considered a modern classic.

6. "Eyes Without A Face" Billy Idol's iconic hit "Eyes Without a Face" suggests a sense of emptiness or lack of humanity. The lyrics describe a protagonist who feels disconnected from the world around them, as if they are just going through the motions without truly feeling alive. This is the attitude that allows people to do things that destroy the planet unconcerned. The song inspired a dark film about a disfigured pure soul whose guilt driven father does heinous acts to relieve his guilt over her loss of beauty. In Gus Van Sant's wickedly funny tale of suburban depravity, Nicole Kidman plays a vacuous weather reporter with a hunger for fame."

7. "The First Person On Earth" Tracy Chapman's lyrics proclaim From the water. From the rock and the dirt. You were. The first person on earth. Oh the mountains. And the oceans. Witnessed your birth. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, from the aftermath of a disaster. “The First Person on Earth” offers sympathy for those victimized by natural disasters, as a ghostly sounding violin occasionally underlines the sadness and loss.

8."AS" By Stevie Wonder this beautiful ode to lasting love “As,” chronicles Wonder’s promises to always demonstrate his love, using examples from nature to make his point. His love would last "until the rainbow burns the stars out in the sky / Until the ocean covers every mountain high / Until the dolphin flies and parrots live at sea." Or "until the day is night and night becomes the day / Until the trees and seas just up and fly away."

9. "Trouble Of The World" Black popular music has always been protective and predictive. Looking at the decades surrounding the civil rights movement, it was not uncommon for Black artists to champion social causes in their music, and many of the leading soul singers of the era, like Mahalia Jackson, were part of the movement themselves., she was one of the first singers to take gospel out of the church, drawing white audiences and selling millions of records. She inspired generations of singers, including Aretha Franklin, Della Reese, Albertina Walker and Mavis Staples of The Staples Singers.

10. "Whiskey" Nigerian superstar Burnaboy has released a documentary on the environmental damage caused by oil on his hometown; the black river "Whiskey" Documentary and song sees affected individuals, including a mother who lost her son to a pollution-related sickness, open up about the harsh realities they face. Burna also hopes the mini documentary helps to draw a picture of the environmental issues in not only his hometown, but also other parts of Nigeria, Africa, the Caribbean and the rest of world. The documentary also highlights the organization called R.E.A.C.H., or Reach Every Available Communal Household, a Nigerian-based charitable organization that provides resources to the community.