Many years ago, I wrote a simple parody of the beautiful song “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” and I’m proud to say that it has since become an Earth Day anthem used all over the world.
From Singapore to South America, from Scotland to China and all across the USA, people are humming this familiar tune and have added new verses about what it means to care for and protect the Earth. Although you can hear the recorded version on Spotify and Apple Music (free links below) plus check out the official video, I’d like to encourage you to write your own unique version. The chorus is oh-so-simple:
We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands
To write your own version of the song, ask your kids or classroom to suggest their with ideas for protecting and nurturing Mother Earth. They can be as simple as “don’t throw trash” or “make more parks”. Or they can share more complicated ideas such as “stop global warming” or “use more solar power”.
After you have a list of ideas, pick one phrase and work it into a sentence for the verses. For instance, the suggestion of “use more solar power” could turn into a verse like this:
Use the power of the sun or the wind for our homes.
Or the idea of having more parks:
Build more parks where all the people can play.
You get the idea. Each line is about 10 – 12 syllables long, but if you sing it out loud, it’s so easy to adjust any phrase until it becomes a singable sentence!
Whatever you do this year, remember that these little changes can make a big difference. We do have the whole world in our hands!
We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands
Links and Resources
Listen Free on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/6r6nx4qzUtWCZeXhejdxtP
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/daria-sings-for-earth-day-ep/428500463
Lyric Sheet Freebie From TPT: – We’ve Got The Whole World In Our Hands: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Earth-Day-Song-Lyric-Sheet-2451013
Earth Day CD and CD Plus 10 Recycled Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/EARTH-DAY-CD-PLUS-E-BOOK-OF-10-RECYCLED-MUSICAL-ACTIVITIES-658096
DARIA’s free resources for Earth Day http://www.dariamusic.com/earthday.php
Official Earth Day Site: http://www.earthday.org/
Earth Day Song in Spanish https://makingmulticulturalmusic.wordpress.com/2014/04/15/an-earth-day-song-in-spanish/
