Thanksgiving in songs? It has to include some history, some food, and of course, gratitude. All are represented below. Happy Thanksgiving!

1. (I’m Gonna Eat) On Thanksgiving Day Laurie Berkner; Whaddaya Think Of That? (Razor & Tie)
2. Blessed Martina McBride; Greatest Hits (RCA)
3. My Mom’s Thanksgiving Dinner Children Of N.Y.P.S. 24; Songs For All Year Long (Folkways)
4. Sailing To America Saxon; Crusader (Carrera)
5. Thankful N’ Thoughtful Sly & The Family Stone; Fresh (Legacy)
6. Thanksgiving The Stuffing; Single-Thanksgiving (EMA)
7. Thanksgiving Song Dave Holiday Sylvester; Single-Thanksgiving Song (Jambox)
8. Thanksgiving Song Jessica Klee; Single-Thanksgiving Song (Jessica Klee)

For more songs for Thanksgiving, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Holidays: Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Countries: America, History and Love: Friends & Family.

As Occupy Wall Street protests continue, we look back at the songs that grew from and sustained earlier social movements. You’ll find many more in our category Protest. Here’s a small sample:

1. Bread And Roses Judy Collins; So Early In The Spring, The First 15 Years (Elektra)
2. Eyes On The Prize Mavis Staples; We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti/Epitaph)
3. Get Up, Stand Up Bob Marley & The Wailers; Songs Of Freedom (Tuff Gong)
4. If I Had A Hammer (The Hammer Song) Peter, Paul & Mary; In Concert (Warner Bros.)
5. Ohio Crosby, Stills & Nash; CSN (Atlantic)
6. This Land Is Your Land Woody Guthrie; Woody Guthrie (Vanguard)
7. War Edwin Starr; War & Peace (Motown)
8. What’s Going On Marvin Gaye; What’s Going On (Motown)

Before 9/11, the Green Book Of Songs By Subject listed songs about danger and disaster in one general category. Afterwards, we were compelled to create a category devoted solely to this tragedy. Here is a selection from the 72 songs in Danger & Disaster: 9/11/2001.

1. America Will Survive Hank Williams, Jr.; Patriotic Country-C (BMG)
2. Believe Yellowcard; Ocean Avenue (Capitol)
3. Bravest, The Tom Paxton; Looking For The Moon (Appleseed)
4. Let’s Roll Neil Young; Are You Passionate? (Rhino/Warner Bros.)
5. On A Clear Day Jack Hardy; Vigil-N.Y. Songs Since 9/11-C (Conscious)
6. On That Day Leonard Cohen; Dear Heather (Columbia)
7. Tuesday Morning (9/11) John Yarrow; Loss Of Self (John Yarrow)
8. You’re Missing Bruce Springsteen; The Rising (Columbia)

C = Compilation

Each year, we celebrate Independence Day with songs from the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Holidays: Fourth of July. Our choice this year isn’t about fireworks or picnics, but instead about flags, history and the qualities of freedom those Revolutionary War soldiers fought to secure for us.

1. Here Comes The Freedom Train Merle Haggard; Capitol Collectors Series-Merle Haggard (Capitol)
2. Ragged Old Flag Johnny Cash; Patriot (Columbia)
3. Shot Heard Round The World Creator Kids; Startup History (Creator Kids)
4. This Is My Country Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Greatest Hits (Columbia)
5. This Is My Country Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions; Curtis Mayfield-The Anthology-1961-1977 (MCA)
6. You’re A Grand Old Glad John Peterson; George M. Cohan Tonight! (Sh-k-boom) 

Happy Fourth of July!

We developed this list of songs as we watched reports of the river flooding its way down the middle of the country. We are thinking of those in the river’s path.

After The Flood Lone Justice; Lone Justice (Geffen)

Bridge Washed Out Warner Mack; Country’s Greatest Hits-#3-C (MCA)

Flood Of ’57 Stanley Brothers & The Clinch Mountain Boys; Classic Bluegrass (Rebel)

Homeless Blues Odetta; Blues Everywhere I Go (M.C.)

Ol’ Man River Paul Robeson; Ol’ Man River (Mbop Global)

River, Stay ’Way From My Door Ethel Waters; Stars Salute Sinatra-C (Horgi)

Story Of The Mighty Mississippi Ernest Stoneman; People Take Warning! Murder Ballads And Disaster Songs-1913-1938-C (Tompkins Square)

When The Levee Breaks Memphis Minnie; Queen Of The Blues (Columbia/Legacy)

C = Compilation

For more, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Floods, Rivers and Danger & Disaster.

In previous lists for Women’s History Month, SongsAbout.com has looked at female heroes, the feminist movement, and the spirit of women who will not be kept down. For Women’s History Month 2011, we focus on women at work – the discrimination, the low pay, but also the ability and determination to do whatever work they choose.

1. 9 to 5 Dolly Parton; 9 to 5 And Odd Jobs (RCA) Don’t be fooled by the humor. Parton’s description of harassment, low pay and underappreciation is no joke.
2. Company Time Linda Davis; Shoot For The Moon (Arista) This song describes the classic bind: a single mother torn between caring for her children and the discriminatory workplace where she earns the paycheck to support them.
3. Dirty Sheets Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women; Hot Flash (Alligator) A blues song about cleaning women who labor all week, yet can’t afford rent — all the more tragic because it is just as true as it was when released 20 years ago.
4. I’m Gonna Be An Engineer Peggy Seeger; Period Pieces-Women’s Songs For Men And Women (Tradition) Remember the bad old days, when girls were discouraged from careers in science? Let’s not go back.
5. Mill Worker Cris Williamson; Circle Of Friends (Wolf Moon) The soul-killing drudgery of factory work leaves this single mother wondering how she ended up in a dead-end life.
6. She’s Not Just A Pretty Face Shania Twain; Up! (Mercury) To close the list, a song in the spirit of women’s independence. Women can do any job!

For more songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Feminism and Work: Women in the Workplace.

If Wisconsin governor Scott Walker wants to defeat collective bargaining, he’d better hope teachers, police and firefighters aren’t listening to these inspiring tunes. They chronicle the challenges, and sometimes the deaths, of workers in the mines, factories and mills, birthplace of the unions Walker seeks to sideline. Those who remember what it cost to get unions may work that much harder to keep them. 

1. Come All You Coal Miners Sarah Ogan Gunning; Harlan County USA-Songs Of The Coal Miner’s Struggle (Rounder)
2. Death Of Harry Simms Pete Seeger; American Industrial Ballads (Smithsonian Folkways)
3. Death Of Mother Jones Gene Autry; Freedom: Songs From Heart Of America-C (Columbia/Legacy)
4. It Goes Like It Goes (Theme From “Norma Rae”) Jennifer Warnes; Best Of Jennifer Warnes (Arista)
5. Joe Hill Paul Robeson; Don’t Mourn-Organize! Songs Of Labor Songwriter Joe Hill (Smithsonian Folkways)
6. Join The C.I.O. New Lost City Ramblers; Songs From The Depression (Folkways)
7. Shuttin’ Detroit Down John Rich; Son Of a Preacher Man (Warner Bros. Nashville)
8. There Is Power In A Union Billy Bragg; Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (Yep Roc)
9. They’ll Never Keep Us Down Hazel Dickens; Hard Hitting Songs For Hard Hit People (Rounder)
10. Union Burying Ground Woody Guthrie; My Dusty Road (Rounder)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® category Work: Unions.

A recent tweet by The Gateway to 21^st Century Skills, an NEA-supported site that gathers educational resources online, asked a question that intrigued us: “Anyone have ways to incorporate events in Egypt and Middle East into different subject areas?”

Naturally, we thought about using songs! Freedom and protest songs have a rich history, and GreenBookofSongs.com® has catalogued hundreds of songs from Civil Rights, peace and other political movements that are relevant to Egypt’s fight for democracy. And of course, music is a great way to get students involved and bring subject matter to life.

We compiled the following list from a variety of Green Book categories, among them Freedom; Protest; Politics: Political Classics; and Politics: Social Injustice. Whether you’re using music as a background to discussion, connecting American history with the Middle East, or helping students learn to put their own thoughts into words, you’ll find something useful here.

1. Eyes On The Prize Mavis Staples; We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti/Epitaph)
2. (For God’s Sake) Give More Power To The People Chi-Lites; Greatest Hits (Epic)
3. Get Up, Stand Up Bob Marley & The Wailers; Songs Of Freedom (Tuff Gong)
4. Power To The People John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band; Shaved Fish (Capitol)
5. Revolution Beatles; Hey Jude (Capitol)
6. Rhythm Nation Janet Jackson: Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (A&M)
7. Something In The Air Thunderclap Newman; ST/The Strawberry Statement (MCA)
8. Stand! Sly & The Family Stone; Greatest Hits (Epic)
9. Takin’ It To The Streets Doobie Brothers; Takin’ It To The Streets (Warner Bros.)
10. We Didn’t Start The Fire Billy Joel; Storm Front (Columbia)

If you’re teaching about Presidents Day, here are five songs that may help bring history alive. What student will forget James K. Polk after listening to They Might Be Giants?

1. All Across The Land [Abraham Lincoln] Jonathan Sprout; American Heroes (Sprout)
2. James K. Polk They Might Be Giants; Factory Showroom (Elektra)
3. Obama Song Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring SoliLLaquists Of Sound, Cherine Anderson & Anthony B; Single-Obama Song (Anti/Epitaph)
4. Roosevelt The Cry [Theodore Roosevelt] Oscar Brand; Presidential Campaign Songs-1789-1996 (Smithsonian Collection)
5. We Remember You, George Washington Children From N.Y.P.S. 24; Twelve Songs for All Year Long (Folkways)

Find more songs on this topic in the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Presidents.

Last month, we featured songs about civil rights leaders. This month, we honor Black History Month with this brief selection of songs from the Civil Rights movement itself. Each one helped strengthen and motivate those in the fight.

1. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize Pete Seeger; We Shall Overcome-Complete Carnegie Hall Concert (Columbia)
2. Move On Up Curtis Mayfield; Curtis (Rhino)
3. Oh, Freedom Joan Baez; How Sweet The Sound (Razor & Tie)
4. Say It Loud-I’m Black And I’m Proud-Pt. 1 James Brown; 20 All-Time Greatest Hits! (Universal Motown)
5. We Shall Not Be Moved Mavis Staples; We’ll Never Turn Back (Anti/Epitaph)
6. Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed On Freedom Sweet Honey In The Rock and James Horner; Freedom Song (Sony Classical)

For more songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® category Politics: Civil Rights.