Songs for a better world H-L

Happiness comes***

Hearts and hands together***

Hearts of gold

Hineh ma tov / How good and pleasant

Hooray! The alien’s are coming***

Hymn for the Russian earth

I love to sit in silence

If I were a sunbeam

I’m so glad

In my bones

It feels good***

Kindness and care***

Leave no trace***

Let it be

Light a loving candle***

Little blue top

Little Pixie Pick-me-up ***

Little things

Look at the little things ***

Look for the silver lining

Lots of worms

Lullaby for a little bee ***

Lupin was a piggy-wig ***

Last updated: 2/13/2023 9:45 AM

The songs below are compiled and adapted by Dany Rosevear

*** Original songs by Dany Rosevear

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© Dany Rosevear 2008 All rights reserved

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Happiness comes 🔊

A reminder that happiness is appreciating the wonderful constants in our lives rather than yearning for fleeting and out of reach pleasures!

My inspiration for this song came from Ivan Turgenev’s On the Eve “I expect happiness. I demand happiness from the forest and the river and the earth and the sky and from every little cloud and blade of grass ... Happiness, happiness! So long as we have life, so long as we have power over our limbs, so long as we're going up the hill, and not coming down it. Why, damn it,' Shubin went on with a sudden outburst 'We're young, we're not monsters, not fools: we'll conquer happiness for ourselves.” How glorious to be young!!

The first three lines are taken almost verbatim from this quote, the other words and the melody are by Dany Rosevear. The red fox is a regular visitor to our garden!

Happiness comes in the heart of the forest,

The running river, the earth and sky;

And from every little cloud and blade of grass,

And the red fox stealing by.

Happiness runs with the waves on the seashore,

The teeming rock pools, the shifting sands;

And with every drop of rain and kindly word,

And when sweet love holds my hand.

Happiness comes in the rosy gold sunset,

When breezes whisper through trembling leaves;

And from ev’ry twinkling star and loving kiss,

And when blackbird sings for me.

Hearts and hands together 🔊

A hymn to friendship, love and song. Join in a neverending circle of regard, care and compassion for one another. A song for community singing: assemblies, campfires, guiding, scouting, woodcraft folk etc..

Only together with others is it possible change the world for the better in small or more impressive ways and it can start with a simple circle of friendship.

Words and set to music by Dany Rosevear.

With hearts and hands together,

In a circle steadfast and strong,

We make good friends together,

Together in song,

Together in song.

Walk, walk around together

For the circle cannot break,

When we help each other along

For life and love’s own sake,

For life and love’s own sake.

Come, come in peace together,

As we move towards the light,

Where truth, grace and hope surely gather,

Bright wings in flight,

To do whatever is right.

Sing, sing, sing on together,

Where each heart is loving and free,

To care for our world and each other

In the sweetest harmony,

In sweet, sweet harmony.

Hearts of gold 🔊

A virtue to be cherished.

What does it take to make a heart of gold, a person everyone wants to know?

Someone with a ‘heart of gold’ is compassionate and has a good and kind nature. It would be lovely to think we all have this at our core but sometimes the ‘selfish gene’ is in charge; we need to be gently reminded that kindness has its own reward making us too feel good.

‘Heart of gold’ is an idiom dating back to the 1500s or further, indeed Shakespeare used it in his play Henry V.

Words by Dany Rosevear to a traditional tune.

Hearts of gold are full of caring,

Hearts of gold are made for sharing;

All it takes is a kind and friendly face,

And a great big ladleful of loving.

Hearts of gold are full of giving,

Hearts of gold are made for listening;

All it takes is a kind and friendly face,

And a great big ladleful of loving.

Hearts of gold are full of feeling,

Hearts of gold are made for healing;

All it takes is a kind and friendly face,

And a great big ladleful of loving.

Hearts of gold are understanding,

Hearts of gold are undemanding;

All it takes is a kind and friendly face,

And a great big ladleful of loving.

Hearts of gold are tuned for singing,

Listen to the words they are bringing;

All it takes is a kind and friendly face,

And a great big ladleful of loving.

Hineh ma tov / How good and pleasant 🔊

A wish or plead for a kinder world based on the psalm 133 ‘Behold how good and pleasant it is for brothers and sisters to live together in unity.’ The Jewish song is about communities coming together and is popular in scouting.

This is often sung as a round.

The English interpretation of the words are by Dany Rosevear.

Oh, what a world this would be

If we could just live together;

How good and pleasant it would be

To live in peace together.

Chorus:

In peace and harmony,

Sisters and brothers together,

In peace and harmony,

Sisters and brothers together.

Hineh ma tov uma na'im

Shevet achim gam yachad.

Hineh ma tov uma na'im

Shevet achim gam yachad.

Chorus:

Hineh ma tov

Shevet achim gam yachad.

Hineh ma tov

Shevet achim gam yachad.

Hooray! The alien’s are coming 🔊

They come from afar and what do they see, not an Eden, not a paradise but a place that desperately needs a helping hand.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

In outer space there is a race,

To see who can set the fastest pace,

A fleet of aliens on their way,

Looking forward to a well earned holiday!

Chorus:

The aliens are coming!

The aliens are coming!

For a holiday!

Hooray! For a holiday!

To a blue and green world that’s ages old,

A jewel in the universe, they’ve been told,

It’s Earth, our planet, for they have heard,

Of snowy mountains high and little birds.

Of oceans wide and forests tall,

Rivers and streams and waterfalls,

With lots of animals, every kind,

What will they see there, what will they find?

Chorus

Oh, what a happy little band,

They jump up and down and clap their hands

As nearer and nearer to Earth they come,

Ready for adventure, and worldwide fun!

Excited creatures dressed in their best.

Look through the window and see - A MESS!

The air is polluted from chimneys tall

Cars on the motorways in thousands crawl,

Forests are burning, it’s far too hot

Ice caps are melting, Earth has LOST THE PLOT!

Plastic waste floats out at sea,

“Help us!” cry the animals “Help us please!”

Spoken

What will the aliens do, turn and zoom?

Away from the Earth and past the moon?

Off to Jupiter, Venus or Mars?

Away from the factories, waste and cars?!

Then down on Earth through a megaphone

A voice cries loud and clear, “Don’t go home

We’d love to see you, you’re welcome here,

We’ll clean it up together for a holiday next year?!!”

The aliens are coming!

The aliens are coming!

For a working holiday!

HOORAY! For a working holiday!

Hymn for the Russian earth 🔊

This Russian folk song has been credited to Yuri Zaritsky and Eugene Friesen but its origins are obscure; you can find a discussion here.

This song is usually sung as a four part round or danced in a circle getting faster each time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m-BufY_obk

If the people lived their lives

As if it were a song for singing out the light;

Providing music for the stars

To go dancing circles in the night.

I love to sit in silence 🔊

Silence and the peace it brings can be very calming for the soul even in these times of isolation.

This poem was written by anonymous. Music by Dany Rosevear.

I love to sit in silence,

Beneath the shady trees;

And listen to the song of birds

And to the buzz of bees.

I love to sit in silence,

And watch the Clouds roll by;

Then read a book or sing a song,

And hear the wild bird cry.

I love to sit in silence,

When the day is almost done;

And see behind the distant hill

The paint glow of the sun.

I love to sit in silence,

In the evening twilight;

And listen to the whippor-will

It sings with all its might.

I love to sit in silence,

Beneath the Starry sky;

And pray to all in earnest

(To live in silence all the while.)

For silence just the while.

If I were a sunbeam 🔊

The Spring sunshine is cheering us once again despite the lingering difficulties Covid has brought.

Each of us has within us the power to make others happy, we should use it.

This poem was written by Jerome McCauley. The original music is by W.E.M. Hackleman. Published in 1915 from ‘King of Kings’ a hymn book.

Words and music both adapted and arranged by Dany Rosevear.

If I were a sunbeam, I know what I would do;

I’d dance among bluebells

The shady woodlands through;

Peeping in and out the leaves,

The softest light I’d spread,

Until each little flower

Raised its drooping head.

Chorus: Sunbeams, sunbeams, we can be each day,

Sunbeams, sunbeams, we’ll chase the dark away.

If I were a sunbeam, I know where I would go;

In the darkest corners

Where love and care have flown;

Till every soul looked upwards

To see me beam and shine;

Then they’d think of blue skies,

Their sweet home and mine.

Are you not a sunbeam,

Dear child whose life is good;

You hold a glow inside you

That Sunshine never could?

Spread that cheer and comfort

Wherever you are bound;

A kind word, smile, or good deed,

Will scatter joy around.

I’m so glad 🔊

Celebrating the joy of being oneself.

We all need to accept who we are and be happy with what we have.

By Sisters Julian and Peter and Rev. Hind from ‘Joy of living’.

Music arranged by Dany Rosevear.

I’m so glad, so very, very glad,

To be just simply me.

I’m myself and nobody else,

Just me, yes, simply me.

In my bones 🔊

Living the simple life; a wistful memory of a gentler world.

Written in 1986 by Nancy Schimmel.

There once was a time when people were gentle,

We talked to the trees and were never alone,

And all that we owned were our baskets and digging sticks,

I still remember it,

in my bones.

And sometimes we quarrelled and then we forgot it,

For all to keep living we needed each one,

And all that we owned was the skill in our fingers,

I still remember it,

in my bones.

We never had locks so our lives were not hidden,

Our tears and our laughter were shared all around,

And all that we owned were our dreams and our stories

I still remember it,

in my bones.

There once was a time when people were gentle,

We talked to the trees and were never alone

And all that we owned were our baskets and digging sticks….

I still remember it,

in my bones.

It feels good 🔊

Make the world, and yourself feel happier by looking out for each other. Appreciate how good it feels when you are considerate and loving to others.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

It feels good helping others,

It feels good being kind.

When we all come together,

Keep those wise, wise words in mind!

It feels good to think of others,

And do the very best we can,

When we’ve all worked together,

There’ll be love throughout the land.

For it warms our hearts just like the sun,

It makes sweet flowers grow;

It makes the little birds sings their songs,

It makes the rainbows glow;

A world we’d like to know!

A world we’d like to know!

Kindness and care

For a dear lady whose life has been well lived with dedication and purpose.

It has been poignant to see so many people, in a queue stretching for miles along the River Thames, waiting for hours to give thanks and to honour Queen Elizabeth’s role, deeds and good humour.

Last line of this traditional nursery rhyme is by Dany Rosevear.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?

I’ve been up to London to visit the Queen.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?

I said, “Bless you, Ma’am! Thank you!

For your kindness and care!”

Leave no trace 🔊

Why should we keep our planet clean? So we and those creatures that live with us can thrive without danger. Show that you care for our world and the health of all the wonderful creature that cohabit the earth. Keep our earth healthy, keep us healthy. https://www.communitycare.com/News/Articles/Healthy-Earth-Healthy-Life#:~:text=When%20we%20mistreat%20the%20earth,our%20planet%20happy%20and%20healthy. Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Leave no trace of any waste, in Eden’s garden fair,

Earth our mother needs your help, so show how much you care;

Where creature crawl or prowl or fly,

Where forests grow up to the sky,

In swampy ground or deserts dry, show that you care.

Leave no trace of any waste, in Eden’s garden fair,

Earth our mother needs your help, so show how much you care;

Where waters flow down mountain streams,

Where oceans blow in sailor’s dreams,

On beaches where the fish come in, show that you care.

Leave no trace of any waste, in Eden’s garden fair,

Earth our mother needs your help, so show how much you care;

Where’er you go to work and play,

In neighbourhoods down your way,

For those that follow, day by day, show that you care.

Let it be 🔊

Nature thrives without our help as long as we don’t bother it.

A delightfully thoughtful song by Malvina Reynolds.

When you walk in the forest, let it be.

There's a flower in the wood, let it be.

There's a flower in the wood, and it's innocent and good,

By the stone where it stands, let it be.

Let it be, let it be,

It's so lovely where it is, let it be.

Tho you want it for your own,

If you take it from its home,

It will not be what it was when you loved it

Where it stood in the wood.

Let it be, let it be,

It's so lovely where it is, let it be.

It's a thoughtful child, innocent and wild,

By the stone, by the reed,

Let it bloom, let it seed, let it be.

Light a loving candle 🔊

A universal song for those who weep and feel helpless.

There is so much beauty in this world but it still comes as a shock to those of us from the post WW2 generation, to see how quickly ugliness can take centre stage time and time again in fair and lovely lands.

This song is a universal one but is inspired by the terrible war happening now in Eastern Europe and refers to the symbolism of that land.

The flag of Ukraine has two horizontal bands of yellow and blue to represent the wide blue skies and the far ranging wheat fields; blue also symbolizes calm and yellow joy. Sunflowers are Ukraine national flower and a symbol of strength and resistance; the poppy symbolizes beauty and youth.There is so much beauty in this world but it still comes as a shock to those of us from the post WW2 generation, to see how quickly ugliness can take centre stage time and time again in fair and lovely lands.

My family, like many others, got caught in the tides of history. During the Russian revolution my grandmother escaped from Russia to Poland where she set up a sewing school and married a Polish officer.

In 1940 my Polish father, a young man, with 1,700,000 other Poles was deported to Siberia after an agreement between Stalin and Hitler;The WWII Polish deportations – still an untold story – Polish at heart

Later a pact between Russia with Britain enabled the release of thousands of Poles who traveled with ‘Anders Army’ to fight in the British war effort, here my father became a pilot. There were scars left, of frostbite on his nose, not being able to return to Poland during the Cold War and he was never able to eat cabbage again!

Out in the moonlit garden there’s a birch tree so fair,

It’s tiny leaves are trembling in sorrow and despair;

For far away there’s weeping and sadness through the land,

As old bear rants and rages in his dark and lonely den.

Chorus: Oh, light a loving candle,

A precious, flickering candle;

Hold it steady for the brave and strong.

Lullay lullay, lullay lullay,

Hold it for peace and its silent song.

Oh, where are hopes and dreams and where has freedom gone,

And where are dancing children as springtime days grow long?

Will poppies greet the waving wheat as blue skies come and go,

Will fields of sunflowers rise again, will rolling rivers flow? Chorus

May shoots of life and beauty among the ruins grow,

May wanderers return to the home they love and know.

May those who seek to conquer find in their soul a nobler way,

May each child awake to happy times and welcome every day. Chorus

Little blue top 🔊

We need to show some respect for our beautiful world.

Hear Tony Hughes who wrote it in 1970 singing the original here: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/kgreels_unk/518/ .

Since that time it has been adapted in particular to address gender issues; I have also made slight changes, including the third verse, with diversity and young children in mind.

And around and around goes the little blue top,

Whirling and turning with never a stop,

Dappled with white, dappled green and brown,

And the little blue top keeps a-turning around.

There's wild raging oceans and proud mountain chains,

Green, peaceful valleys and wide grassy plains,

Families of life that each setting contains;

Tigers and spiders and dolphins and cranes.

There's a rainbow race, you can find every hue,

There’s good folk and kind folk to name just a few,

Folk with green fingers and some play the blues,

Folk past a century, babies just new.

Doctors and lawyers and teachers who sing,

Places to go to and people who've been,

There’s folk who stay home to tend to the shop,

And they all whirl and turn on the little blue top.

But there's some who are greedy and some who don't care,

They've messed up our rivers and polluted the air,

Well it's you and it’s me and we've all gotta stop,

And show some respect for the little blue top!

Little Pixie Pick-me-up 🔊

Keep our world from being overwhelmed by waste; too much affects all living things including us. Learn from Little Pixie Pick-me-up how you can change your wasteful ways.

Little Pixie Pick-me-up has a bag so wide;

Everything of use that’s found, goes right inside,

Finding once an elephant with a dimple on its chin;

One, two, three and izzy whizz!

We watched it stuffed right in.

Little Pixie Pick-me-up with your bag so wide;

Can you pick the litter up that others drop outside?

“My dear children I have seen you drop it on the ground;

One, two, three and izzy whizz!

It blows around and round.”

Says Little Pixie Pick-me-up, “I’ll help each one of you,

For a clean and healthy world, here’s what we must do;

Sort your rubbish carefully; glass, paper, plastic, tin;

One, two, three and izzy whizz!

Just put it in a bin.”

Says Little Pixie Pick-me-up, “I can be your guide.

Everything of use you find, you must set aside,

Then recycle, mend, reuse your waste with care and speed;

One, two, three and izzy whizz!

You’ll help our world indeed.”

Little things O

These words are adapted from a hymn written by Julia Carney in 1845. I have adapted the second verse.

Little drops of water,

Little grains of sand,

Make the mighty ocean

And a pleasant land.

Little seeds of friendship

Sown by little hands,

Grow to feed the nations

In near and far-off lands.

Little deeds of kindness,

Little words of love,

Make our earth an Eden,

Like the heaven above.

And the little moments,

Humble though they may be,

Make the mighty ages

Of eternity.

Look at the little things 🔊

Find delight in those things that might seem insignificant. Many things are beyond our control especially in these difficult times so concentrating on the small things can give us pleasure and lift our spirits. These are some of the less significant things I’ve noticed this year in lockdown; I’m sure you’ll have many more to add.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Look at the little things, little things, little things,

A leaf as it whirls and spins, In wonder delight!

Round and round it floats like a russet brown boat.

If we look for those little things, each day will be bright.

Listen to the little things, little things, little things,

A blackbird that sweetly sings, In wonder delight!

Up high in a tree, it trills merrily.

If we listen for those little things, each day will be bright.

Feel, feel the little things, little things, little things,

A breeze blowing softly brings, Such wondrous delight!

Feel the kiss of the air as it sweeps away care.

If we feel, feel those little things, each day will be bright.

Gently touch the little things, little things, little things,

The pussy willow so dear in Spring, In wonder delight!

Stroke the soft silver down with its tiny green crown.

If we gently touch those little things, each day will be bright.

Notice each little thing, little thing, little thing,

A feather from a magpie’s wing, In wonder delight!

The perfume of a rose, that ant on your toes!

Notice each and everything and your day will be bright.

Look for the silver lining 🔊

A song for difficult times.

This one was written in 1919 just ten years before the Great Depression for which it became an anthem. It is not always easy to be positive when there is regular distressing news in the media but singing certainly helps to lift the spirits and give our hearts good cheer.

With music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by B.G. DeSylva. This is the chorus, I have omitted two verses that you can easily access online.

Look for the silver lining

When e’er a cloud appears in the blue.

Remember somewhere the sun is shining,

And so the right thing to do,

Is make it shine for you.

A heart, full of joy and gladness,

Will always banish sadness and strife.

So always look for the silver lining,

And try to find the sunny side of life.

Lots of worms O

What would our world do without worms?!

A song with swing by Patty Zeitlin.

Wiggle fingers for worms and make up actions to fit the words; digging with a spade, bending knees and pointing down etc.

Just use the rhythm of the music and your imagination!

Well there’s lots of worms way under the ground,

Lots of worms that I've never found,

But I bet they’re just there a-diggin' around

Way under the ground.

I dug the biggest hole I ever did dig.

The biggest hole, it sure was big!

And then I got to the bottom, you know what I found,

Way under the ground?

I found a worm to go on a fishing pole

Way down there in that deep dark hole.

But I left him alone ‘cause he liked his own home

Way under the ground.

I found a bumpety bug with big black dots,

Three pairs of legs and twenty two spots.

But I left him alone ‘cause he liked his own home

Way under the ground.

I found an old sow bug curled up in a ball,

He didn't move from there at all.

But I left him alone ‘cause he liked his own home

Way under the ground.

Lullaby for a little bee 🔊

All parents and other living creatures, want the very best for their young but always within their capabilities so they can be contented with life and play their part.

This little prayer / lullaby encapsulates some of those things we wish for our children, ‘seeds of love’ we would gladly bestow on them.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Be busy, be happy,

Be the very best you can.

Be wild my child,

Be full of life,

Explore and learn and plan.

Be helpful, be caring,

To all that fly your way.

And together then,

As the summer ends

Make honey every day.

No hurry, don’t worry,

Just be all you’re meant to be.

The sun’s in the West,

The flow’rs at rest,

Sleep softly my sweet honeybee.

Lupin was a piggy-wig 🔊

Oh for the simple life. What do we need to be happy? Food in our tummies and time with those we love. No allusions here!! Just a wolf in pig’s clothing.

Words and music by Dany Rosevear.

Lupin was a piggy-wig who always wanted more,

He had a plane, a yacht, the lot and golden gifts galore.

But he squealed, “Give me MORE, I want MORE,

Give me MORE! MORE! MORE!”

Lupin was a piggy-wig who ruled across the land,

He had a bear, he had a palace, it was oh so grand.

But he squealed, “Give me MORE, I want MORE,

Give me MORE! MORE! MORE!”

One day the rain came tumbling down and washed it all away,

For everthing was made of mud and dreams that never stay.

But Lupin ate an apple and Parrot came to tea,

A happier pig you’ll never find, “Wee! Wee! Wee!”

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