Music hasn’t caught up with women’s equality, at least if you measure that by songs about famous and inspiring women. So GreenBookofSongs.com® has compiled this list of songs for Women’s History Month, representing the stories of five great women who deserve to be heralded in song.

• Clara Barton Country Joe McDonald; Thank The Nurse (Rag Baby).  Country Joe left politics out of this song about the famous Civil War nurse and humanitarian. He lets her heroism shine — whether reuniting families torn by the war, or in her later years, when she helped establish the American Red Cross. Click here to listen to a sample on Amazon.com.
• Eleanor Jonathan Sprout; More American Heroes (Sprout).  Sprout has written many children’s songs about American heroes, none better than this tribute to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who worked tirelessly to help others. Click here to listen to a sample on Amazon.com.
• Song For Rachel Walkin’ Jim Stoltz; Little Piece Of Earth (Wild Wind).  Folk singer Stoltz dedicated this song to Rachel Carson, an environmentalist whose book “Silent Spring” warned of the dangers of pesticides to the birds that herald spring. Click here to listen to a sample on Stoltz’s website
• True Story Of Amelia Earhart Plainsong; Plainsong (Water).  This aviation pioneer logged a lifetime of firsts. She was, for example, the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Both her courageous life and her tragic death are captured in this song. Click here to listen to a sample on Amazon.com.
• Who’s The Best Female Pitcher Phil Coley; Sports Songs And Beyond (King Of The Road Music).  Did you know that a 17-year-old female pitcher named Jackie Mitchell struck out the mighty Babe Ruth? AND the great Lou Gehrig? This little-known athlete will be an inspiration to anyone who’s ever thrown a ball. Click here to listen to a sample on Amazon.com.  

See the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Feminism for more songs about women heroes!

Read Me Week is an effort sponsored by the Tennessee non-profit Book ‘Em. The group’s goal is to provide books to lower-income children and teens and promote the joy of reading. You can learn more about the group and Read Me Week here.

In support of Read Me Week, GreenBookofSongs.com® selected the following songs from a list of 200 in our category Storybook Characters. Each song refers to a book or story young people may enjoy reading! Get them ready for book time with one of these:

• Beauty And The Beast Celine Dion & Peabo Bryson; ST/Beauty And The Beast (Disney)
• Hey Nancy Drew L Price; ST/Nancy Drew-Music From The Motion Picture (Bulletproof)
• I’ve Gotta Crow Original Cast/Mary Martin; Peter Pan-The 1954 Broadway Production (RCA Victor)
• House At Pooh Corner Loggins & Messina; The Best Of Friends (Columbia)
• Love Story Taylor Swift; Fearless (Big Machine)
• Next Harry Potter Tommy Gardner; Kangaroo Waffles & Other Treasure (Blackwater)
• We’re Off To See The Wizard Original Cast; The Wizard Of Oz (TVT)  

You’ll find more songs about stories and characters in our categories Books, Books: Story Songs and Cartoon Characters.

In a different economy, maybe we’d do what the commercials suggest, and buy our sweethearts expensive gifts for Valentine’s Day. Diamonds, vacations, dozens of roses — they all sound great. But is it necessary to spend a lot, just to let that special person know how you feel?

GreenBookofSongs.com® has another idea. Play your Valentine one of the following songs, selected from 254 in our category Love: Love & Money. They all express a common theme: Valentine’s Day is about love and devotion, tenderness and togetherness.

So hug your honey, and remember: It’s not about the gift. Happy Valentine’s Day!

• Alright Ledisi
• Can’t Buy Me Love Beatles
• Cool Anthony Hamilton featuring David Banner
• Give Me You Mary J. Blige
• It’s Good To Be Us Bucky Covington
• Livin’ On A Prayer Bon Jovi
• She’s Funny That Way Frank Sinatra
• Try A Little Tenderness Otis Redding

One of our subscribers, teacher Jo-Ann Trifiro of Millstone Twp. Elementary School, just told us how she used the GreenBookofSongs.com® database to focus her Fourth Grade students’ attention for a lesson on division with remainders.

Here’s what she said:

I wanted the kids to carefully examine each division number story to understand how to use (or not to use) the remainders. I started by making “spy glasses” out of tin foil; this got them motivated to zoom in, and when I added the “Theme To ‘Mission Impossible’”, it really got them moving as detectives!

That ran into some working songs as they circled around the room: “Across the Great Divide” [by The Band] and “Biggest Part of Me” [by Ambrosia].

Next, I just continued some fun music as they completed their carousel: “ABC” and “Enjoy Yourself” [by the Jacksons]. My Fourth Graders also love “Shakable You”, by Imagination Movers.  This song directs the kids to shake certain parts of their bodies, and it’s just long enough for them to loosen up and get some movement. 

Here are two more ideas for activity songs:

• “Shout”, by the Isley Brothers.  There’s a point in the song where the volume is dropped to a whisper, which offers a good way to ease into quiet time.
• “Peanut Butter Jelly Time”, by the Buckwheat Boys, is a silly song that’s great for letting energy loose!

Ms. Trifiro also suggested the following for class dismissal:

• “Who Let The Dogs Out”, by the Baha Men
• “Saved By The Bell”, the television theme song 

Here are some other songs to help illustrate division with remainders:

• “One”, by Three Dog Night. With its well-known line, “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do,” it’s a great match for problems with a remainder of one.
• “Sole Survivor”, by Asia, is another good choice for remainders of one.  
• “I’m Henry VIII, I Am”, by Herman’s Hermits, helps illustrate eighths specifically, and fractions generally.
• “Two Divided By Love”, by the Grass Roots, has hooks that can help demonstrate the division process.

For more songs for teaching math and science, check out the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Science & Math. For activity songs, try our categories Carefree, Dance, Fun and Party.

Are you using songs to teach science or math? Please add your comments!

As relief efforts continue in Haiti, we offer this list of songs about compassion and need, despair and faith. May each hour bring some comfort to those who suffer there.

• Calling All Angels Train
• Closer To Love Mat Kearney
• Cry Out To Jesus Third Day
• My Baby Needs A Shepherd Emmylou Harris
• Help Somebody Maxwell
• My God Marc Broussard
• We Are Each Other’s Angels Chuck Brodsky

Happy New Year from GreenBookofSongs.com®!

Auld Lang Syne Beach Boys

Brand New Year (My Revolution) SHeDAISY

Bringing In A Brand New Year B.B. King

I’ll Stay Home New Year’s Eve Jaynells

Let’s Start The New Year Right Bing Crosby

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? Bette Midler

It’s all about being with the ones you love! Here are a few songs from our List of the Week about being together for the holidays.

SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS:  Together for the Holidays

Candle In The Window Alabama; Alabama-Christmas (RCA)

Coming Home For Christmas Jim Brickman; Homecoming (Savoy Jazz)

Home On Christmas Day Cyndi Lauper; Merry Christmas…Have A Nice Life (BMG Spec. Prod.)

Merry Christmas, Here’s To Many More Relient K; Let It Snow Baby, Let It Reindeer (Capitol)

To Someone That I Love B.B. King; A Christmas Celebration Of Hope (MCA)

We all love the traditional Christmas songs. Can’t hear “Silver Bells” too many times, right? But admit it, sometimes holiday madness calls for a good laugh.

That’s why GreenBookofSongs.com® created the category Christmas: Humor & Satire, one of more than 20 categories that cover every aspect of Christmas.

For those times when the fa-la-la gets to be too much, here are 10 songs sure to put the merry back in you.

• Carol Of The Meows Guster
  Yes, it’s ridiculous. But come on, it’s funny.
• Christmas Is Almost Here Arrogant Worms
  If you haven’t even started preparing, give up and listen to this. You’re not as behind as they are!
• Decorations Bob Rivers
  The legendary spoofster puts the danger in decorations, and gives you an excuse to quit and sit down.
• Elf’s Lament Barenaked Ladies
  2,000 years in the same job? Elves have career aspirations, too!
• I Broke My Arm Christmas Shopping At The Mall Housewives On Prozac
  Black Friday gone wild, or, Best reasons to shop online.
• Jingle Bells The Singing Dogs
  Because this is an equal opportunity pet lovers’ list.
• Nuttin’ For Christmas Spike Jones
  Your little darlings won’t behave? Don’t let them hear this traditional humor hit - they’ll get new ideas.
• Stop At The Nearest Mall Hollytones
  Remember the days of irresponsible credit card spending? Here’s some holiday nostalgia for you!
• Suddenly It’s Christmas Loudon Wainwright III
  Wonder why your holiday spirit is frayed? It’s because Christmas isn’t just 12 days anymore.
• Twelve Days Of Christmas Bob & Doug McKenzie
  Beer. Trees. Beer in a tree. Just a normal Christmas.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins annually on September 15, GreenBookofSongs.com ® has selected five songs about famous Hispanics in history. While there are numerous leaders to choose from — elected officials, scientists, social activists, actors and musicians – we focused on heroes whose stories translate well into song.

Pancho Villa Billy Walker

Villa may have been a bandit before becoming a revolutionary leader, but Walker’s song sees him through the eyes of the Mexican villagers whose cause he championed: “He put down gold and silver, and food for us to eat / Said, ‘I didn’t come to harm you,’ and our hearts fell at his feet.”

Viva Zapata! Andy Irvine

You might not expect a Celtic folk singer to write a song of praise for a Mexican revolutionary, but Zapata’s commitment to the poor transcends such divisions. Using Zapata’s famous saying, Irvine captures his heroism well: “Isn’t it better to die on your feet than live upon your knees? / 400 years of bondage, that’s enough.”

Manos, Huesos Y Sang / Hands, Bones And Blood (Waltz For Frida Kahlo) Tish Hinojosa

Kahlo expressed through her brilliant art the tragedy of her life, marked by physical pain and heartbreak. Hinojosa portrays both the beauty and sorrow in this haunting song: “Thousand words painted by love’s broken stroke…Women would dream by your name.”

Picasso And Me Gretchen Peters

Picasso’s life included not just groundbreaking art but also many romantic partners, so it is fitting that Peters tells his story from a lover’s point of view. She watches him struggle with the conventional art world, which can’t yet grasp his genius: “Who made this game, who made these rules?…They’ll never understand him, they don’t know what I know.”

Roberto Clemente Phil Coley

The first Latin American elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Clemente was also a humanitarian. He died tragically in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This story song asks us to recognize both aspects of Clemente’s heroism: “He threw out runners from the outfield while on his knees / Though his right arm was great, honor all of him, please.”

In the four years since Hurricane Katrina, we’ve catalogued more than 40 songs about the disaster and its aftermath. Artists of every genre have written about the storm and the suffering it caused.

On this anniversary, we look at three common ways that popular songs have told the story of Katrina: the personal, the political and the practical. The examples below range in focus from story-telling to political anger to survival.

1. The personal

Big Easy Raphael Saadiq

This is the tragedy of Katrina from the view of someone left to wonder whether his lover is dead or alive. He hasn’t seen her in two days; is she one of the many floating in the river? “Somebody please tell me what’s going wrong / They say them levees broke, and my baby’s gone.”

Any Other Day Wyclef Jean featuring Norah Jones

This heartbreaking cry for help vividly recalls the images we watched in horror on television: “I hear the engine on the boat / But y’all can’t see me waving the flag / Somebody please wave the flag.”

2. The political

Wide Awake Audioslave

Audioslave faults the government not only for failing those at home while fighting overseas, but also for placing the burden on America’s most vulnerable: “The poor and undefended left behind / While you’re somewhere trading lives for oil.”

Gov Did Nothin’ John Butler Trio

Similar themes here - a government distracted by war ignores the neediest as the death toll rises. The message of racial inequality is more clearly drawn: “Do you really think the gov would do nothin’ if all those people were white?”

 3. The practical

Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On Jimmy Buffett

After the struggle of the storm came the struggle to go on. Buffett’s lyrics are for them: “Don’t try to explain it, just nod your head / Breathe in, breathe out, move on.”

Houston R.E.M.

Some have moved on, literally. This song is about relocating to Houston, ready or not. “And some things, they fall to the wayside / Their memory is yet to be still / Belief has not yet filled me / And so I am put to the test.”

There should be a fourth perspective here — songs of rebuilding and renewal. Maybe next year.

The New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund still needs your help!