Writing songs about hot-button issues is no easy task. While it’s admirable when songwriters tackle subject matter they feel is important to them and to the world, doing so without coming off as strident or hectoring can be difficult. These four songs address concerns over the environmental issues of their time. And they all do so in ways that manage to engage the listeners without making it seem like medicine is being served.
“Nature’s Way” by Spirit
Spirit emerged from the West Coast with a somewhat undefinable sound that nonetheless resulted in the early hit single “Got A Line On You”. In 1970, the band went for broke on their third album with the conceptually driven The Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus. The horror movie title was more a feint than an indicator of what was inside. Chief songwriters Randy California and Jay Ferguson delivered a song cycle that was very in keeping with the sentiments of that era, including a concern for ecological issues. California created “Nature’s Way”. The song insists that those who neglect Mother Nature’s initial warnings won’t be able to hide when she really makes her presence known.
“Before The Deluge” by Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne poured all his hopes, dreams, and concerns into Late For The Sky. In so doing, the singer-songwriter also captured the similar strivings and heartbreaks of much of his generation. Like others who wrote about the environment at this time, Browne was doing so before it became quite as much of a hot-button issue. “Before The Deluge” offers a somewhat general condemnation of those who betray their ideals for the easy way out. Browne specifically castigates those who would try to “forge her beauty into power.” He keeps coming back to the image of a flood that will sweep away all those who don’t realize their folly.
“The Last Resort” by Eagles
Hotel California earned plenty of plaudits for the hit singles that poured out of it. Those included the title track, “Life In The Fast Lane”, and “New Kid In Town”. But “The Last Resort”, the final song on the record, might just be its finest achievement. Although credited to Glenn Frey and Don Henley, most reports on the making of the record peg Henley as the main writer. Henley generally bemoans the way that California’s pristine beauty became nothing more than a haven for power players. But he gets specific about the damage done to the environment on several occasions as well. That includes when he pointedly sings, “Some rich men came and raped the land/Nobody caught ‘em.”
“Take It Back” by Pink Floyd
When Roger Waters left Pink Floyd, many wondered if the band could continue to put out music that did more than just float off into ether. After all, Waters had been the driving force behind the band’s concepts. But David Gilmour, whether working with lyricists or on his own, managed to stave off those concerns. Division Bell, released in 1994, featured a full return from keyboardist Rick Wright to join Gilmour and Nick Mason. Wright’s phalanx of keyboards lends lovely textures to “Take It Back”, written by Gilmour, his wife Polly Samson, and Nick Laird-Clowes of Dream Academy. The trio paints a compelling portrait of Earth, wronged by man, eventually deciding to recapture her domain.
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