No Name-Calling Week is a program aimed at elementary and secondary school students to promote acceptance and understanding of the differences among us.  Now in its eighth year, the program’s stated goal is to “end name-calling of all kinds.”

We support this effort with the following playlist of songs urging kindness, love and mutual respect:

1. Don’t Laugh At Me Mark Wills; Wish You Were Here (Mercury)
2. Good Left Undone, The Rise Against; The Sufferer & The Witness (Geffen)
3. If Everyone Cared Nickelback; All The Right Reasons (Roadrunner/IDJMG)
4. Let Me Be Myself 3 Doors Down; 3 Doors Down (Universal Republic)
5. Point Of Light Randy Travis; Heroes And Friends (Warner Bros.)

For some songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Character & Integrity and Teaching Values.

As we watch the aftermath of the political shootings in Arizona, it is clear that violence undermines our entire country.

GreenBookofSongs.com® has long gathered songs about protest, political dissension and and violence, in categories such as Protest, Politics: Social Injustice and Society: Criticizing Modern Society. Here are six songs culled from those lists, each with a different perspective, all leading to the conclusion that violence is not the way.

1. Black Shadow Symphony Westworld; Skin (Dreamscape)
2. Catalyst, The Linkin Park; A Thousand Suns (Warner Bros.)
3. Devil’s Right Hand Steve Earle; Essential Steve Earle (MCA)
4. Get Together Youngbloods; Best Of The Youngbloods (RCA)
5. Vote With A Bullet Corrosion Of Conformity; Vote With A Bullet (Relativity)
6. Winter In America Gil Scott-Heron; First Minute Of A New Day (Arista)

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Here are six songs on that topic, from the perspective of those who have suffered, those who are surviving and those who want to help.

1. Beautiful Again Martina McBride; Wake Up Laughing (RCA)
2. Drown John Cowan Band; New Tattoo (Pinecastle)
3. I’ve Got To Go Now Toni Childs; House Of Hope (A&M)
4. Tell Me Why Taylor Swift; Fearless (Big Machine)
5. There’s More To Me Than You Jessica Andrews; Now (DreamWorks)
6. Treat You Like A Queen Rahsaan Patterson; Love In Stereo (MCA) 

For more songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® category Domestic Abuse.

 

These five songs address fear, hope and determination — just a few of the emotions in the fight against breast cancer. For those in the struggle, may hope and determination conquer fear.

1. Be OK Ingrid Michaelson; Be OK (Cabin 24/Red)
2. Chemo Limo Regina Spektor; Soviet Kitsch (Sire)
3. Just Stand Up! Artists Stand Up To Cancer; Single-Just Stand Up! (Island Def Jam
4. Make It Go Away (Radiation Song) Sheryl Crow; Detours (A&M/Interscope)
5. Ride Martina McBride; Shine (RCA)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® topic Pain & Healing: Medical.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that Americans are not eating their vegetables — unless you count french fries as a vegetable.

Here are five songs to speak up for the rejected portion of our food pyramid. Eat up!

1. Addicted To Spuds “Weird Al” Yankovic; The Food Album (Volcano)
2. Chicken Cordon Bleus Steve Goodman; No Big Surprise: The Steve Goodman Anthology (Red Pajama)
3. I’d Eat It Anyway Imagination Movers; Good Ideas (Walt Disney)
4. Plant A Radish Original Cast; Fantasticks (Polydor)
5. Yes We Have No Bananas Spike Jones; Best Of Spike Jones-#2 (RCA)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Food & Beverages: Fruit, Food & Beverages: General and Food & Beverages: Vegetables.

As The Uncle Brothers sing in “It’s All There At The Library”, one of the best deals in town is available for the price of a free library card. Because September is Library Card Sign-up Month, we’ve selected these songs about books, poems, stories and imagination. Have a listen, and then go get (or renew) your card!

1. Dulcinea Original Cast; ST/Man Of La Mancha (MCA)
2. It’s All There At The Library The Uncle Brothers; Songs For Schools-Reading-C (Blackwater)
3. Librarian Jonathan Rundman; Public Library (Pastemusic.com)
4. Love Story Taylor Swift; Fearless (Big Machine)
5. Next Harry Potter Tommy Gardner; Kangaroo Waffles & Other Treasure (Blackwater)
6. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner Iron Maiden; Powerslave (Capitol)
7. Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? Green Day; Kerplunk! (Lookout)
8. Wuthering Heights Pat Benatar; Crimes Of Passion (Chrysalis) 

For more songs on this topic, visit GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Books, Books: Story Songs and Storybook Characters.

We add here to other lists we’ve posted in previous years, in remembrance of 9/11 and all that was lost.

1. God Bless This Mess Sheryl Crow; Detours (A&M/Interscope)
2. Have You Forgotten? Darryl Worley; Have You Forgotten? (DreamWorks/SKG)
3. Him Lily Allen; It’s Not Me, It’s You (Capitol)
4. If I Had A Time Machine, That Would Be Fresh MC Lars; The Graduate (Horris)
5. You’re Missing Bruce Springsteen; The Rising (Columbia)

For more songs on this topic, see the GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Danger & Disaster: 9/11/2001 and War: Middle East.

Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas. The images of Americans calling for help from rooftops and flooded streets will stay with us forever.

In our post on this topic last year, we looked at songs from the personal, the political and the practical perspectives. This year, we list songs of rebuilding and renewal, of strength and hope. New Orleans — indeed, the entire Gulf Coast – will not be washed away.

1. How’s Your House Ian Hunter; ReDefine 8/29-C (NOMRF.org)
2. Let Your Light Shine R. Kelly; Single-Let Your Light Shine (Jive)
3. Poor Man’s Paradise Subdudes; Street Symphony (Narada)
4. Washed By The Water Will Hoge; Draw The Curtains (Rykodisc)
5. We Got Each Other (The Evacuation Song) Imagination Movers; Eight Feet (Walt Disney)

For all 64 songs on this topic, see GreenBookOfSongs.com® category Danger & Disaster: Hurricane Katrina.

Country artist Jimmy Wayne completed his 1700-mile walk from Nashville to Phoenix on August 1, 2010. The goal of his “Meet Me Halfway” project was to raise awareness of the plight of foster youths. These teens — often refugees from abusive, neglectful homes — are left homeless and alone when they “age out” of the foster care system at 18.

To honor Wayne’s commitment to this important cause, GreenBookofSongs.com® compiled this list of songs about adoption and foster care. Wayne will soon be on his way home to Nashville, where he plans to write songs about this experience. We look forward to adding them to this list.

1. Happy Adoption Day John McCutcheon; Family Garden (Rounder)
2. I Am Your Mother Too Keb’ Mo’ with Brenda Russell; Big Wide Grin (Sony Wonder)
3. I Love You This Much Jimmy Wayne; Jimmy Wayne (Dreamworks)
4. Independence Day Martina McBride; The Way That I Am (RCA)
5. Nobody’s Child Sword & Spirit Band; Single-Nobody’s Child (SwordSpirit.net)
6. State Of Massachusetts Dropkick Murphys; The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred)
7. Temporary Home Carrie Underwood; Play On (19/Arista Nashville)
8. This Is My Forever Family Chuck Kent; Same/Same-Songs For Adoptive Families (Chuck Kent)

A sad entry into the GreenBookofSongs.com® catalog is its newest category, Danger & Disaster: Oil Spills. Spurred by the ongoing tragedy of the Gulf oil spill, the Green Book has now begun collecting songs about this and other oil-related disasters.

The Green Book Of Songs By Subject has a long history of cataloging songs about disasters, both man-made and natural. Examples include songs about shipwrecks, road accidents and train disasters; floods, hurricanes and ecological woes; and more recent categories devoted to songs about 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. In addition, two rich categories for Protest and Politics: Social Injustice contain numerous songs decrying war, poverty and prejudice.

This new list differs from most Green Book categories in that it contains several grassroots contributions, including several homemade videos. Many of the songs we’ve gathered so far have been donated in order to raise money for the human and animal victims of the Deepwater spill. In keeping with that spirit, we are printing here the entire initial list of 14 songs, with links where available to a source where you can purchase and contribute.  Your suggestions for additions to this category are welcome.

1. Black Gold Dr. John; Video-Black Gold (DirtyCajuns.com)
2. BP Blues dirtycajuns; Video-BP Blues (DirtyCajuns.com)
3. Cry For The Fishermen Acoustic Fusion; Gulf Coast Relief-C (Global Green USA)
4. Don’t Go/BP Amoco Pearl Jam; Video-Don’t Go/BP Amoco (YouTube.com)
5. Drill Baby Drill Gil; Gulf Coast Relief-C (Global Green USA)
6. F.BP Revolving EffeX; Video-F.BP (YouTube.com)
7. Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick John Fahel; The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick (Water)
8. Hole In The Ocean, A Joe Monto; Video-A Hole In The Ocean (AHoleInTheOcean.com)
9. It Ain’t My Fault Gulf Aid All Stars featuring The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, Tim robbins and Trombone Shorty; Video-It Ain’t My Fault (Gulf Aid)
10. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) Marvin Gaye; What’s Going On (Motown)
11. Oil Is Blood Anfo Merc; Road Rage (Aluminum Legion)
12. Oil Song Steve Forbert; Best Of Steve Forbert-What Kinda Guy? (Nemperor)
13. Our World (Gulf Spill Awareness Version) Buckcherry; Video-Our World (Gulf Spill Awareness Version) (Geffen)
14. Sex Kills Joni Mitchell; The Beginning Of Survival (Geffen)