Songs
DO IT NOW
Tune: “Bella Ciao”
Key: A minor
We need to wake up; we need to wise up
We need to open our eyes and do it now, now, now
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now
We’re on a planet, that has a problem
We’ve got to solve it, get involved and do it now, now, now
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now
We’ll fight together, for just transition
With retraining, union jobs, we’ll do it now now now
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now
Make it greener, make it cleaner
Make it last, make it fast and do it now now now
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now
No point in waiting, or hesitating
We must get wise, no more lies; do it now now now
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now!
Repeat the entire song
PAZ Y LIBERTAD
Jose-Luis Orozco
Verse 4: Karen Szczepanski, 2024; Verse 5: Dottie Gutenkauf, 2004
Key C
Chorus (2X):
Paz, queremos paz
Y libertad en este mundo.
Para los niños, para los viejos,
Para los pobres, queremos paz.
For the children, for the elders,
For the poor, we all want peace.
Chorus
Ya no más hambre, ya no mas guerra;
Queremos paz en esta tierra.
No more hunger, no more war;
We all want peace on this earth.
Chorus
No mas sucio perforar
En vez uso viento y solar
Do away with dirty drilling
Instead use wind and solar power
Chorus
Ya no más bombas con radiación,
No más ideas d’exterminación.
No more bombs with radiation,
No idea of extermination.
Chorus
Ya no más a discriminación,
Eguales derechos en la nación.
Do away with discrimination;
Equal rights throughout the nation.
Chorus
Para los niños, para los viejos,
Para los pobres, queremos paz.
For the children, for the elders,
For the poor, we all want peace.
Chorus
SOON AND VERY SOON (CLIMATE CHANGE VERSION)
Music: Andrae Crouch
Words: San Francisco Labor Chorus and Diane Beeny
Key: E
Soon and very soon we are going to change the world.
Soon and very soon we are going to change the world.
Soon and very soon we are going to change the world.
It’ll last forever and ever! We’re going to change the world!
Soon and very soon, fossil fuels will be passé. (3X)
They’ll be gone forever and ever; we’re going to change the world.
No more exploding trains and no gas pipelines through our towns. (3X)
They’ll be gone forever and ever; we’re going to change the world.
Soon and very soon, clean energy will lead the way. (3X)
It’ll last forever and ever; we’re going to change the world.
Soon and very soon, solar and wind will rule the day. (3X)
It’ll last forever and ever; we’re going to change the world.
Soon and very soon, we are going to change the world. (3X)
It’ll last forever and ever! We’re going to change the world!
MY RAINBOW RACE
Pete Seeger, 1970
Key A
Chorus:
One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shores,
One earth so green and round, who could ask for more?
And because I love you, I’ll give it one more try,
To show my rainbow race it’s too soon to die.
Repeat chorus with leader “lining out” each phrase so the audience can sing.
Some people live like an ostrich,
Bury their heads in the sand.
Some hope that plastic dreams
Can unclench all those greedy hands.
Some people want to take the easy way,
Poisons, bombs, they think we need ’em.
Don’t they know you can’t kill all the unbelievers?
There’s no shortcut to freedom.
Chorus
Go tell, go tell all the little children.
Tell all the mothers and fathers too.
Now’s our last chance to learn to share
What’s been given to me and you.
Chorus
Coda:
And because we love you, we’ll give it one more try,
To show our rainbow race it’s too soon to die.
Let’s show our rainbow race it’s too soon to die.