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.

For 11/11/11, we suggest these great songs about the experience of veterans finding their place at home upon return. Remember to support as well as honor those who protected us!

1. Brothers Under The Bridge Bruce Springsteen; 18 Tracks (Columbia)
2. Hope Stephen Cochran; Single-Hope (Department Of Veterans Affairs)
3. I Just Came Back From A War Darryl Worley; Hear And Now (903)
4. My Dream Of The Big Parade Peerless Quartet with Henry Burr and Billy Murray; Single-My Dream Of The Big Parade (YouTube.com)
5. Sarge Rick Lance; Home Free-A Tribute To American Veterans-C (CD Baby)

You’ll find many more songs on this topic in GreenBookofSongs.com categories Holidays: Memorial & Veterans Day.

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!

These songs, drawn from our category Holidays: Memorial & Veterans Day, express our commitment never to forget those who gave their lives for love of country.

1. 50,000 Names George Jones; The Rock: Stone Cold Country 2001 (BNA)
2. Angel Flight Radney Foster; Revival (Devil’s River)
3. Just A Dream Carrie Underwood; Carnival Ride (Arista Nashville)
4. Snow White Rows Of Arlington Sammy Kershaw; Single-Snow White Rows Of Arlington (MCA)
5. Soldiers Drowning Pool; Full Circle (Warner Bros.)
6. Somebody’s Darling Cumberlands; Civil War Tribute Collection-15 Timeless Classics (Rural Rhythm)

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.

When faced with tragedy that leaves us at a loss for words, there is music. Our thoughts are with Japan.

1. Calling All Angels Jane Siberry with k.d. lang; When I Was A Boy (Reprise)
2. I Grieve Peter Gabriel; Up (Geffen/Interscope)
3. If I Rise Dido; ST/127 Hours (Interscope)
4. We Are Each Other’s Angels Chuck Brodsky; Fingerpainter’s Murals (Waterbug)
5. You Are Not Alone Mavis Staples; You Are Not Alone (Anti/Epitaph)

For more songs about coping with disaster, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Faith & Hope, Help, Losing & Loss and Trouble, among others.

For this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration, we chose a range of folk songs that express the history, accomplishments and passionate love of country of the Irish. On this day, the Green Book is all Irish!

1. Fields Of Athenry Paddy Reilly; The Sound Of Irish Folk (Digitalpressure/Dolphin Group)
2. Hills Of Donegal Peter Tomelty; Essential Irish Pub Songs Collection-C (Arran)
3. It’s A Great Day For The Irish Frank Parker; St Patrick’s Day Party (Sony)
4. Pat Works On The Railway Cottars; Forerunner (Rounder)
5. Song For Ireland Mary Black; Raised On Songs & Stories-Collected Irish Ballads-C (Digitalpressure/Dolphin Group)

For more songs on this subject, see GreenBookofSongs.com® category Countries: Ireland.

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.