Hungry For The Sun
Matt Loosigian © 2009
 
I’m hungry for the sun to shine on me
I’m gonna soak it up and grow into a tall oak tree
I’ll put down roots and grow real strong
So let it shine on down. I’m hungry for the sun
 
When I was just a sapling on the forest floor
I dreamed of being huge like my relatives before
My grandma was the tallest. She had a million leaves
She said you’ve got to eat your sun if you want to grow like me
 
Well at first I stole the rays falling through the canopy
Sun flecks here and there, they’re as tasty as can be
I mixed them with some water and a little CO₂
And oh my my how my branches grew
 
Well I shot up like an arrow passing all the other trees
Now I’m the biggest one around, I’ve got two hundred rings
The understory trees ask me how I got so tall
Well you gotta eat your sun if you want to grow at all
 
Recycle It
Matt Loosigian © 2009

The trees are begging for mercy
Calling out to you:
Use one side of the paper
And use the other side too!
           
Just recycle it; let it live again:
Cardboard boxes, glass bottles,
Paper, plastic, and cans
Recycle it; let it live again:
Cardboard boxes, glass bottles,
Paper, plastic, and cans
 
You’ve got a plastic container
From your snack on the run
Wash it out and then recycle it
If it’s 7-6-5-4-3-2-1
 
Empty can or bottle
Metal, plastic or glass
Redeem it for some money
Never throw it in the trash
 
Bridge: Always remember
When you go to the store
To buy things that were made
With things you recycled before
 
Energy Detective
Matt Loosigian © 2009

I’m an energy detective looking for the clues
Trying to put an end to electricity abuse
 
Here and there and everywhere I listen for that hum
Electrical appliances: I catch them on the run
The computer and the printer, television and the DVD:
They’re glowing bright all through the night, wasting energy
 
I caught my dad red handed with the fridge door left agape
While he was looking for his food the cold air had escaped
When I go to the fridge I’m a sneaky private eye
I think ahead, and I’m in and out so fast the cold air stays inside
 
Can you hear that steamy hiss? Someone’s in the shower
It’s time to do a stakeout. They’ve been in there for half an hour
The hot water heater working overtime - Let’s give that thing a break
I holler through the bathroom door: Get out for goodness sake!
 
You can be an energy detective.  Look out for the clues
Just try and put an end to electricity abuse
Electricity abuse, electricity abuse

The Fox

Well the fox went out on a chilly night
She prayed for the moon to give her light
She had many a mile to go that night
Before she reached the town-o, town-o, town-o
Many a mile to go that night
Before she reached the town-o
 
She ran ‘til she came to a great, big pen
The ducks and the geese were kept therein
Said: A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o, town-o, town-o
A couple of you are gonna grease my chin
Before I leave this town-o
 
She grabbed the grey goose by the neck
Slung the little one over her back
And she didn’t mind that quack, quack
And the legs all dangling down-o, down-o, down-o
She didn’t mind that quack, quack
And the legs all dangling down-o
 
Well Old Mother Pitter-patter jumped out of bed
Out of the window she cocked her head
Cried: John, John the grey goose is gone!
And the fox is on the town-o, town-o, town-o
John, John the grey goose is gone
And the fox is on the town-o
 
Well John he ran to the top of the hill
Blew that horn both loud and shrill
The fox she said: I better flee with my kill
They’ll soon be on my trail-o, trail-o, trail-o
The fox she said: I better flee with my kill
They’ll soon be on my trail-o
 
Well she ran ‘til she came to a cozy den
They were her little ones 8-9-10
Said: Mamma, mamma better go back again
It must be a mighty fine town-o, town-o, town-o
Mamma, mamma better go back again
It must be a mighty fine town-o
 
Well the fox’s husband came out from kitchen
Wearing an apron, he’d been doing the dishes
And mending the clothes with fine stitches
And watching the kids all along-o, along-o, along-o
Mending the clothes with fine stitches
And watching the kids all along-o
 
He said: Mmm! That smells like grass-fed meat
Take off a load and put up your feet
And I’m gonna cook us a fine treat
While you just rest your bones-o, bones-o, bones-o
I’m gonna cook us a fine treat
While you just rest your bones-o

Storm Drain
Matt Loosigian © 2009
 
Storm drain,
Storm drain,
The storm drain sends polluted water
Straight into the lake.
 
When water from the rain and snow
Collects on parking lots and roads
It grabs a bunch of dirt, fertilizer and litter too,
Oil from a leaky car and some dog doo.
A poisonous river running down to...
 
The storm drain…
Straight into the river.
 
You may think the dirty water gets cleaned
In a waste treatment plant by big machines,
But the storm water takes a different course.
It squirts out pipe right into the marsh.
(The clams don’t like it very much).
 
Storm drain…
Straight into the marsh.
 
We have to clean the water
Or the fish will end up dead,
So listen to this free advice,
And help protect your watershed
Help protect your watershed.
 
Plant a buffer.  Don’t fertilize without a soil test.
Clean up after your doggy when it leaves a mess.
If your car is leakin’ tell your parents, “Get it fixed!”
I don’t want pollution to exist.
I don’t want pollution to exist.
 
Stormdrain, we can see it.
Stormdrain, we’ll make it better.
Let’s help stop pollution
From going down the drain.
Tell everybody that you see.
Don’t dump here. It drains to the lake.
Don’t dump here. It drains to the river.
Don’t dump here. It drains to the marsh.
Don’t dump anywhere near
The storm drain.
 
Earthworm Dance
Matt Loosigian and Nancy Schimmel © 2009
 
Well the earthworms dance with a wiggle and a bend
Soil goes in the front and comes out the other end
It comes out the other end and it’s better for the trip
You know the earthworms dance with a slide, slip, slip
 
It’s the earthworm dance wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
It’s the earthworm dance. Get down
It’s the earthworm dance wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
It’s the earthworm dance. Get down
 
Well the earth worms dance with a slip, slide, slide
They tunnel through the soil, let the air up inside
You know it’s good for the roots and it’s good for the shoots
And it’s good for all the people who eat the fruits
 
You know a worm looks simple just a head and a tail
But without the worms all the farms would fail
So let’s hear it for the earthworms all in a coil
You know their dance is deep
            Their dance is deep
                        Their dance is deep
And they elevate the soil
 
You know earthworms dance with glide and a curve
Worms never get the credit they deserve
You gotta get yourself on best of terms
So come on everybody, let’s dance with the worms
 
Good Garbage
John Forster & Tom Chapin © 1990
 
I had a turkey dinner, threw the bones away
They hauled them to the county dump without delay
By the following Thanksgiving they had turned to clay
They’re bio-de, bio-de, biodegradable garbage
 
Good garbage breaks down as it goes
That’s why it smells bad to your nose
Bad garbage grows and grows and grows
Garbage is supposed to decompose
 
Styrofoam is bad, it lasts a thousand years
Once a packing peanut’s born it never disappears
So crumple up your comics when you ship your chandeliers
‘Cause comics are bio-de, biodegradable garbage
           
Bridge: Well every time that you buy food you also buy the package
Bottles, boxes, cans, and bags; they end up in the garbage
 
Half of all our cash we’re spending on our trash
For the sake of Mother Earth let’s get our money’s worth!
Only buy bio-de, biodegradable garbage
 
Turn Off The Lights
Matt Loosigian © 2009

Mom was angry when she got home from work today
To a four billion kilowatt lighting display
Every bulb in the house was burning bright
And I was playing outside, nowhere in sight. She said:
 
Turn off the lights when you go outside
Turn off the light when you go for a bike ride
Turn off the lights, just do what’s right
Save electricity and turn off the lights
 
When Dad got home he heard the news and he said to me:
Electricity costs money son, can’t you see
If the lights are on when you’re in the room
When you leave just flip the switch, it’s easy to do
 
My science teacher said that we burn coal to make power
Black smoke pollutes the air and acid rain makes rivers sour
If we use less power then we’ll burn less coal
Global warming will slow down and cleaner water will flow
 
So turn off the lights when you go outside
Turn off the lights when you go for a bike ride
Turn off the lights when you go to school
Turn off the lights when you go to the swimming pool
Turn off the lights when you leave the room
Turn off the lights, it’s never too soon
To turn off the lights, to turn off the lights
Just save electricity and turn off the lights
 
The Green Grass Grows All Around
 
The other day I saw a tree
The prettiest tree that I ever did see
A tree in a hole and a hole in the ground
 
And the green grass grows all around and around
And the green grass grows all around
 
Well on that tree there was a branch
The prettiest branch that I ever did see
A branch on a tree and a tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
 
And the green grass grows…
 
Well on that branch there was a limb…
Well on the limb there was a stick…
Well on that stick there was a leaf…
Well on that leaf there was a nest…
Well in that nest there was a bird…
Well on that bird there was a feather…
Well on that feather there was a flea…
Well on that flee there was an atom…
 
Go With The Flow (CFL)
Matt Loosigian © 2009
 
CFL, CFL go with the flow, go with the flow
CFL, CFL go with the flow, go with the flow
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I’m a CFL
 
Well I’m a curly, swirly light bulb
On an conservation kick
I want to brighten up your life
With my energy saving trick
You know normal light bulbs burn so hot
They’re down with that live wire
But I’m a real cool dude
Energy into light not fire
 
Some people laugh at my twisted shape
And they say that I look funny
But they always stop their laughing
When I save them so much money
I can save you 80%
On all of your lighting bills
You know the whole world will be cooler
When we use some CFLs
 
You know someday when I fade away
Handle me carefully
Take me to the hazardous waste pickup day
Cause I got a little mercury
I just want to be recycled
To make a brand new CFL
But if you toss me in the trashcan
I’ll end up in the landfill
 
Habitat
Bill Oliver © 1995
 
Habitat, habitat, have to have a habitat
Habitat, habitat, have to have a habitat
Habitat, habitat, have to have a habitat
Have to have a habitat to carry on
 
Well the ocean is a habitat, a very special habitat
It’s where the deepest water’s at
It’s where the biggest mammal’s at
It’s where our future food is at
It keeps the atmosphere intact
The ocean is a habitat that we depend on
 
Well the forest is a habitat, a very special habitat
It’s where the tallest trees are at
It’s where the bear can scratch its back
Keeps the ground from rolling back
Renews the oxygen in fact
The forest is a habitat that we depend on
 
Well the river is a habitat, a very special habitat
It’s where the cleanest water’s at
For people, fish, and muskrat
But when people dump their trash
The rivers take the biggest rap
The rivers are a habitat that we depend on
 
Well people are different from foxes and rabbits
We junk up the world with our bad habits
Better to love it while we still have it
Or A-rat-a-tat-tat, our habitat’s gone