♫ Earth Song ♫ (Redux)

Posted on by under animals, Environmental Issues, music, Social commentary

Sometimes music is just for fun, other times to stir memories, and sometimes it is to make a statement.  In recent years, the environment has been a hot-button topic, with scientists telling us that we are destroying the only planet that is capable of sustaining human life as we know it, and others claiming it’s all a hoax, that we should go on filling the air and seas with toxins and trash.

Michael Jackson, known for his socially-conscious music, released this song, dealing with the environment and animal welfare, on November 27, 1995.  The music video you are about to see was shot in four separate geographical locations, including the Americas, Europe and Africa.  According to Michael Jackson …

“I remember writing ‘Earth Song’ when I was in Austria, in a hotel. And I was feeling so much pain and so much suffering of the plight of the Planet Earth. And for me, this is Earth’s Song, because I think nature is trying so hard to compensate for man’s mismanagement of the Earth. And with the ecological unbalance going on, and a lot of the problems in the environment, I think earth feels the pain, and she has wounds, and it’s about some of the joys of the planet as well. But this is my chance to pretty much let people hear the voice of the planet. And this is ‘Earth Song.’ And that’s what inspired it. And it just suddenly dropped into my lap when I was on tour in Austria.”

The song has won numerous awards, perhaps none more important than the Genesis Award: 1995 Doris Day Music Award, given each year for animal sensitivity.

In 2008, a writer for the Nigeria Exchange noted, “Earth Song drew the world’s attention to the degradation and bastardization of the earth as a fall out of various human activities”.  Ten years later and we still haven’t gotten the wake-up call.

The video, directed by fine art photographer Nick Brandt had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution, poaching, poverty and war. Jackson and the world’s people unite in a spiritual chant—”Earth Song”—which summons a force that heals the world. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, war ends and the forests regrow.

Earth Song
Michael Jackson

What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things that you said
We were to gain
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said were yours and mine

Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we’ve shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying Earth, these weeping shores

Aah, ooh

What have we done to the world
Look what we’ve done
What about all the peace
That you pledge your only son

What about flowering fields
Is there a time
What about all the dreams
That you said was yours and mine

Did you ever stop to notice
All the children dead from war
Did you ever stop to notice
This crying earth, these weeping shores

Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh

I used to dream
I used to glance beyond the stars
Now I don’t know where we are
Although I know we’ve drifted far

Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh

Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh

Hey, what about yesterday
(What about us)
What about the seas
(What about us)
The heavens are falling down
(What about us)
I can’t even breathe
(What about us)
What about apathy
(What about us)
Drowning in the seas
(What about us)
What about the promised land
Preachin’ what I believe
(What about us)
What about the holy land
(What about it)
What about the greed
(What about us)
Where did we go wrong
Someone tell me why
(What about us)
What about baby boy
(What about him)
What about the days
(What about us)
What about all their joy
Do we give a damn

Aah, ooh
Aah, ooh

Songwriters: Michael Jackson
Earth Song lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

41 thoughts on “♫ Earth Song ♫ (Redux)”

    • I loved much of his music, and the causes he stood for, though I wasn’t always pleased with some of the things he did in his personal life. But, this song … it says so much … breaks my heart every time I hear it and see this video. ❤

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  2. Even now 26 years later this song resonates with all those who think we strip mine too much land, remove too many trees, the lungs of the earth, pump too many poisons into the atmosphere and into groundwater. We kill off too many animals and end species on a whim like a certain Governor killing a collared wolf this week of a species under threat. Some of us won’t forget and want to see justice for this and other actions. They may think Global Warming a myth but what does it cost them to treat the world as though it isn’t a myth, nothing. To treat the world as though it’s important to preserve for the future of mankind, nothing. We can’t afford to take more chances, we must commit to saving Earth and its inhabitants.
    Cwtch

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    • I was hoping you would see this one, for I played it with you in mind. Yes, I think that 50 years from now this one will still resonate with those of us who care more about the state of the planet, the wildlife, the vegetation, the air/water quality than we care about corporate profits.

      Believe it or not, I hadn’t heard about Gianforte killing the wolf, so went “in search of” after reading your comment, and naturally my blood pressure escaped through the top of my head. This is not the first time this jackass has been on my radar, nor likely the last. I may well go to Montana and kill that asshole myself!

      People are too greedy to voluntarily give up a few ‘conveniences’ to help heal the planet, I think. They just don’t care, as long as they sit in their air-conditioned houses, eating their steak and drinking their beer, traveling in their gas-guzzling SUVs to wherever they wish to go. How long now have we been aware of climate change and the ultimate price if we don’t change, and yet people are still denying that there is a problem. I don’t really have much hope left at this point. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop fighting, only that I realize I’m fighting a losing battle.
      Cwtch

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      • It’s easier to listen to if I don’t watch, but then not watching would have been useless as far as the message of the song goes. He was a great humanitarian, and such a cute little boy. I think my favorite of all his songs will always be “Ben”. He was what? five years old? Gina was in love with him and thankfully I liked the song as well because it was played constantly for months in our house.

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        • He was a great humanitarian, and I don’t think I realized it until sometime after his death, sadly. The media kept his indiscretions in the forefront and it was only later we realized the man that was under the surface. I’m not sure I remember “Ben” … I’ll have to check it out. I did love the Jackson Five when Michael was but a little kid … such charisma!

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          • Ben was his first single while still with the Jackson Five. I’m just very grateful it was a good song. I sometimes get a song stuck in my brain and it keeps going around in circles. That one was a pleasure to hear, even when they were all in bed and it was going around in my brain. I think the worst one I ever had like that was “Swanging” by John Anderson. Now I wish I hadn’t remembered that! I’ll have some trouble sleeping tonight! Kenny Rogers “Lucille” was another one, but not as irritating as Swingin”, which he pronounced “swangin'”. AAArrrrggghhh!

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            • Ahhhhh … “Ya picked a fine time to leave me Lucille … four hundred children and a crop in the field …” 🤣 Or how ’bout “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”??? Sigh … don’t mind me … I’ve fallen into a deep rabbit hole and am trying to pull myself out, since my usual helping hand is unavailable at present!

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              • Um, I think that should be “four hungry children”, although they can appear to be four hundred when hungry enough. Or when dad is in charge. I’m in that rabbit hole also and I think I might have pulled the hole in after me when I fell. I think I’ll change my name to Alice!

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                • Heh heh … yeah, I knew … but believe it or not, some people did hear that line as “four hundred”! I wish I could pull you out, my friend … if I find that rope that was left for me to pull myself out, then I will come pull you out as well. I do understand, though … you are going through a lot right now. Hugs, my friend. ❤

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                  • I can remember hearing words wrong when I was a kid. My grandmother always called my grandpa Randall. I heard “Rattle” and one day when told to call him in to lunch I stood at the door calling “Rattle, Rattle, dinner time!” In front of about 25 family members, of course. They got a good laugh and I ran home and hid the rest of the day.

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                    • Ahhhhh … isn’t it fun? That is funny about calling your grandpa ‘Rattle’, though! I mis-hear most everything, and today I thought my daughter (a tea-totler) said she ‘drank the last of the margarita’ when she actually said she was getting sleepy. This is a daily occurrence and it keeps the girls laughing, if nothing else!

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                    • I hate to laugh at this since it hits pretty close to home for me as well, but that’s a pretty big divide there. At least it makes me feel better about my own tries to understand things now. Most of the time I can just add “oh yeah?” or “really?” and they at least pretend they believe I know what they are talking about.

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                    • I’ve tried that many a time, just grinning and nodding. But the girls are wise to my ways, and inevitably one of them will say, “What did I just say?”, and then I’m at a loss. Easier to just admit that I have no clue what they said and ask them to turn toward me and move their lips more, please. 🤣

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                    • I asked my son once what I had said. We were talking about something on TV, I said “I’m dying to know what happens!” His answer was, “well mom, we’re all going to die sometime.” I asked him what I had said then ti make him say that and he told me I had said I was dying. He was surprised to find out that was only the first part and that I had said more about it. I told him then that he should listen to the entire message, not just the first few words. He actually apologized,, something nearly unheard of when it comes to the Wink men.

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                    • Mine always wondered how I knew what they were doing when my back was turned, Gina was behind me once,, parting my hair and playing with it. When I asked her what she was doing she said she was looking for the eyes that were back there. Told her she had to be a mom before she could see them.

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                    • Mine told me that also. I still believe she did. She also had a spy system working for her because no matter what I did or where I went she knew it all the next morning. I spent a lot of time trying to justify my time out since I was already 21. “As long as you live in my house…..” was the usual answer. And then one day I became my mother when my own kids grew up.

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                    • Heh heh … I believed that for years, but once I had children of my own, I realized that it wasn’t a super-power, wasn’t even a drone or spy, but she just knew what I was up to based on her own experiences back when she was my age! I learned how to outwit her by the time I was about 12, though!

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                    • Mine had someone reporting to her. She knew and told me where I had been the night before every time I went out. And I seldom went to the same places because of that, but still, she named every one of them! “You were seen” being the first words out of her mouth. Later, I discovered that I have a double living in the same town, but until I walked into Sears one day while she was working and faced a very angry mother who asked me why I hadn’t said hello to her the first time I was in there, I had no idea. That was my first time in there that day, but she insisted I had been there during my lunch hour. Fortunately, I had been having lunch with my uncle at the job site, and since it was her brother she could check it out — something she did immediately. She still seemed to know where I was, but after that some friends were telling me they couldn’t understand why I hadn’t spoken to them when they saw me at different places in town. Really hinky feeling!

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                    • Sure wish I could find that old coffee can. After my weekend I need the cash! Spent yesterday at emergency room, most of it waiting for doc, but then wishing I was still waiting as he tried to extract a needle that is embedded in the foot! Hopefully it will work its way out after he enlarged the hole it left when it went in. I wear shoes now.

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                    • Now what on earth have you done … oh, never mind … I see. HOW the heck … ??? Between you and David, you guys are going to be the death of me yet!!!!! I’ll try to write later tonight, else tomorrow for sure. Love U!!!!

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                    • I just lost a nice long annswer here. I think I’ll just give up computers and all other ways of communication and stick to regular mail service. Writing letters is old fashioned and not as easy as this, but at least they don’t disappear while I’m writing them. I give up!

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                    • Hah! With the regular mail service in the state it’s in today, you might never get a letter! Keep hanging in with the computer, my friend. They need discipline … I smack mine occasionally and it seems to help for a little while! 😉

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                    • Be careful, my friend, for if you hit them too hard, they could die! I just use a gentle fist. I slammed my mouse, that was misbehaving, on the table tonight and he’s been working perfectly ever since!

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                    • My mouse has been everywhere except in a trap and I might try that next. It’s the laptop that has been misbehaving, but today so far it is acting like a nice little red machine. I probably should get off here now before it realizes what I just said and comes after me!

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  6. Michael’s Magnum Opus. He was just beginning this mission when neglect and apathetic mismanagement took him from the Earth. Thanks for playing it. When I saw what happened to all those wolves, something in my heart broke away and withered. 😞

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