Water: Our Blue Gold
Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean Arlene D. Kanno,
Wisconsin
for the Abuelitas Furiosas en Caracas -- World Social Forum 2006
We humans are part of the system
The overall picture we see
The wetlands, savannas and forests
We know that the water is key.
Our water stays here for our children
For nature, the foxes and trees
The frogs and the cranes and the pheasants
The dragonflies, turtles, and bees.
Chorus:
Water--it’s blue gold! Remove and all life will fail, will fail!
Water! It’s blue gold! Our water is NOT FOR SALE !
Nestle came and they wanted our water
They said that they needed it NOW
But we know the value of water!
Together our towns took a vow.
The pumping they planned was massive
The aquifer would go way down
The well levels would be diminished
The lake bed, exposed and brown.
Chorus --
We squawked and we marched and wrote letters
Repeatedly got in the news
Grassroots was the process that saved us
Driven by what we could lose.
Now if somebody wants your water
For profit, they’ll tell lots of lies
Garner support from your neighbors
And get them to open their eyes!
Chorus--
from the Sonoma County Raging Grannies
Gaggle of Grannies
Oh, we are a gaggle of grannies
Urging you off of your fannies
We're telling you boys, we're sick of your toys
We want No More War!
So, join this gaggle of grannies
Get up off of your fannies
And we're telling you now that we're angry and how!
We want No More War!
We really mean it - NO MORE WAR!
We mean precisely - NO MORE WAR!
We'll say it nicely - NO MORE WAR!
Read our lips: (silently) NO MORE WAR!
"Save the Water"
(Tune: "Cool, Clear Water")
words by Granny Joan
All day I face the mounting bills
just to drink my fill of water
cool water (water, water, water)
Damn corporation bought the rights
An' raised the prices out of sight. (water, water)
Cool (water)
Clear (water )
Water (water)
Keep an eye on Sam (water)
Don't you listen to his plan (water, water)
It's a devil of a scam
To rob us of our land (water)
Man, can't you see the necessity (water)
To keep our water running free (water)
Available to me ... and you
Cool, clear water (water, water)
Raindrops
(Tune: ‘This Land Is Your Land’ by Woody Guthrie)
words by Granny Joan
chorus:
Rain falls on our land, rain falls on our sea.
>From Cochabamba to Californie,
The corporations try to grab our water.
Raindrops belong to you and me.
Big farmers waste our precious water
Growing rice on desert land.
It’s time for us to take a stand,
Raindrops belong to you and me.
(repeat chorus)
When Bechtel told the Cochabambans
Collecting rain was now a no-no,
They rose up, said, [shout] “Bechtel’s
got to go!
Raindrops belong to you and me!”
(repeat chorus)
In Stockton town, the mayor and council
Sold the city’s water to the highest bidder,
Folks got riled, said, [shout] “Reconsider,
Raindrops belong to you and me!”
(repeat chorus)
Dump, Dump, Dump
Led by San Jose (CA) Raging Grannies
Tune: Row, Row, Row your Boat
Lyrics from Raging Grannies songbook
Dump, dump, dump your junk, into every brook
Who cares, why care, No one needs to look
Throw, throw, throw your trash into very stream
Who cares, why care, Who needs water clean
Toss, toss, toss your litter into every river
Who cares, why care, The fish can shake and shiver
Fling, fling, fling your filth into every lake
Who cares, why care NOT US for goodness sake
Drop, drop, drop your slop into every ocean
Who cares, why care The Public has no notion
Spill, spill, spill our waste into every sea
Who cares, why care? YOU - ME
Clean, clean clean our water We demand a say
I CARE – WE CARE – We drink it every day.
We’ve Been Throwing all the Garbage
Tune: I’ve been working on the Railroad
We’ve been throwing all the garbage
Don’t throw away your baby’s diapers
“Cause they’ll sit there in a lump
The water’s getting polluted
And there’s not enough to drink
If we sit her doing nothing
Our world will really stink!
CHORUS:
The water is so polluted
The water is so polluted
It will make us sick
The water is so polluted
The water is so polluted
We’d better do something quick!
Water Chant - Take the Pledge (Against Bottle
Water)
by Granny Charlotte Casey, San Jose WILPF
1st round – repeat each line AFTER song/chant
leader
2nd round – say pledge in UNISON with song/chant
leader
Take the pledge, take the pledge…
Say NO to bottled water – Crystal Geyser, Arrowhead,
Aquafina, Evian – drink from the tap instead!Water is a public good
And not a source of profit
H2O’s for all of us – keep corporate hands off it!Take the pledge, take the pledge…
Boycott bottled water
You won’t die of thirst
Water’s not a source of profit
The planet’s needs come first!
