Music, Words and Performance
- XR Music and Sounds
- Climate Choirs and Singing
- Music and Dance
- Reading, Writing and Spoken Word
- Red Rebels
XR Music and Sounds
There are many wonderful ways to make a difference to a protest by bringing music: make magic, hold space, add a celebration vibe, open hearts, be the soundtrack for change!
Since Jan 2023, Extinction Rebellion has made a commitment to take a break from disrupting the general public as a primary tactic. This makes our larger inclusive protests now a more favourable space for musicians who want to avoid arrest.
Is music in climate protest your life’s calling? Then why not apply to be part of our core volunteer team and help grow the UK community of musicians in climate protest. Email XR Music & Sounds with your name, relevant experience (max 200 words), number of hours per week you can offer.
There are groups to connect to Climate Choirs and Singing, other kinds of Musical Performance and Poetry/Writing.
XR Music and Sounds is always looking to expand. If you have something to contribute that isn't listed in those two sections above (e.g. Songwriters? Sound engineers? Steel pans? Symphony Orchestras?) then get in touch.
Contact us by email : xrmusicandsounds@protonmail.com
You can also find XR Music and Sounds on Facebook
Climate Choirs and Singing
You can learn songs online, join a singing group local to you if there is one, start one if there isn’t, or learn songs from the archive and come along to a protest and join in.
The XR Songbook
Collection of song lyrics curated by Marcus and Holly.
Watch a video of 'We Need to Build a Better Future' (for lyrics, see page 61 of songbook above):
Climate Choirs
Get involved with the Climate Choir Movement (not an XR group - but who often sing at XR events/actions).
Christmas Carols (with a rebel twist)
All the lyrics below as a 4-page pdf - click to download XmasCarols.pdf
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Ding dong merrily on high
The temperature is rising
With all the carbon in the sky
It isn’t that surprising
Fa-la-la…..
Our lifestyles are excessive ( x2)
And so here below, below,
The life on earth is dying
And "Io, io, io!"
The future’s terrifying
Fa-la-la…..
Our lifestyles are excessive ( x2)
Pray you, dutifully go
And partake in truth telling
May you beautifully show
Concern for this, our dwelling
Fa-la-la…..
Our lifestyles are excessive ( x2)
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night!
All are quiet, to the plight
On the TV, little is said
Of the crisis up ahead
Put our heads in the sand
Put our heads in the sand
Silent night, holy night!
Children quake at the sight.
Those in power show little concern
Fossil fuels continue to burn
When will our voices be heard?
When will our voices be heard?
Silent night, holy night!
May the world see the light.
Share the wisdom, start to act
And respond to science and fact
For the sake of this earth
For the sake of this earth
Hark the Herald
Hark the herald rebels sing!
Let the sound of protest ring
East to West, and every child
Old and young are reconciled
Joyful, all ye nations, rise
Join the peaceful rebel cries
With th' angelic host proclaim
Life can never be the same
Hark, the herald rebels sing
Let the sound of protest ring
For too long we have ignored
The great earth we all adore
Now the time has come for all
To respond to this great call
In our shared humanity
Hail the great calamity
Silent can we be no more
Rise as one, we all must soar
Hark, the herald rebels sing!
Let the sound of protest ring
Hail, The earth in all its grace
Hail! The beauty in this place
Light and life we strive to see
In bio-diversity
Join together, sing as one
Till our work is fully done
Till we’re taken seriously
In this stark emergency
Hark, the herald rebels sing!
Let the sound of protest ring
Once in Sweden’s capital city
Once in Sweden’s capital city
Stood a lowly girl on strike
Climate breakdown was her worry
World inaction she disliked
Strong she stood, placard in hand
With a message for her land.
It took time, for all to listen
To the worries she conveyed
Some did sneer, scorn with derision
Undermined the points she made
Resolute, she did persist
Unwilling to be dismissed
And the eyes of many opened
To the science that she shared
Children gathered in accordance
To show all, that they, too cared
And she leads the movement on
Worldwide voices speak as one
And she leads the movement on
Worldwide voices speak as one
O come all ye faithful
O come all ye faithful
Active and defiant
O come ye, oh come ye
And take a stand
Come and behold this
Climate crisis
O come let us demand change
O come let us demand change
Oh come let us demand change
For this our world
Sing choirs of protests
Sing in exultation
Sing all ye citizens of this great world
Treasure creation
Let us now preserve it
O come let us demand change….
Deck the Halls v1
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa la la la la, la la la la (after each line)
‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la…
Don we now our old apparel, fa la…
Sing this eco Yuletide carol, fa la…
See the crisis that’s before us, fa la…
Beat the drums & join the chorus, fa la…
Don’t delay, have high ambitions, fa la…
Stop the harm, reduce emissions, fa la…
Even as the year is ending, fa la…
Our demands are still in pending, fa la…
Tell the truth and work together, fa la…
Heedless of the wind & weather, fa la…
People of the world take warning, fa la…
Now reality is dawning, fa la…
Look around & face the facts now, fa la…
Tell the world it’s time to act now, fa la…
Deck the Halls v2
Pesticides, deforestation (or Climate Change, deforestation)
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Are a threat to all creation
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Global heating, endless plastic
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Hear the need for something drastic
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Save the human from this folly, fa la…
Mass extinction, not so jolly, fa la…
Quickly phase out fossil fuels, fa la…
Green new deal, we have the tools, fa la…
Carbon offset’s no solution, fa la…
To the growth in oil pollution, fa la…
Coal and gas and anthracite, fa la…
Dim the future’s guiding light, fa la…
Loss and damage, just transition, fa la…
Surely is no imposition, fa la…
Green jobs, justice, insulation, fa la…
Are the balm for devastation, fa la…
Pesticides, deforestation, fa la…
Are a threat to all creation, fa la…
Global heating, endless plastic, fa la…
Hear the need for something drastic, fa la…
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We wish you a greener Christmas,
We wish you a greener Christmas,
We wish you a greener Christmas
And an Eco New Year
Glad tidings we bring
We can still save your kin
We wish you a greener Christmas,
And an Eco New Year.
We all want a healthy planet
We all want a healthy planet
Now we all want a healthy planet
so join us right here
Glad tidings we bring
We can still save your kin
We wish you a greener Christmas,
And an Eco New Year.
And we won’t stop until we’ve got one
And we won’t stop until we’ve got one
And we won’t stop until we’ve got one
So join us right here
Glad tidings we bring
We can still save your kin
We wish you a greener Christmas,
And an Eco New Year.
12 years of crisis
In the first year of crisis, inaction gave to me
A forest without any trees
In the second year of crisis, inaction gave to me
Two hurricanes
And a forest without any trees
etc.
Three heatwaves
Four crop failures
Five rising seas
Six nations starving
Seven flood disasters
Eight coral die-offs
Nine glaciers melting
Ten million displaced people
Eleven wildfires raging
In the twelfth year of crisis, inaction gave to me,
(sing slowly) No turning back (pause)
[Optional: “There will soon be no turning back. Thank you and good night.”]
OR
Eleven wildfires raging, ten displaced peoples, nine glaciers melting, eight coral die-offs,
seven flood disasters, six nations starving.
Five rising seas.
Four crop failures, three heatwaves, two hurricanes and a forest without any trees.
12 days of vision
On the first day of Christmas, I see how it could be:
Clean air for children to breathe
On the second (etc) day of Christmas, I see how it could be:
2 more saved species, and clean air for children to breathe
3 April showers
4 smiling faces
5 billion bees
6 bright red corals
7 blue-flag beaches
8 drought-free summers
9 sparkling glaciers
10 Pacific islands
11 polar bears
12 cle-an rivers
Music and Dance
Drumming - with XR Rhythms
You can join a drumming group local to you if there is one, start one if there isn’t, or come along to a protest with your instrument and join in.
Morris
Connect to other Morris dancers on this Facebook page
You can contact MAYDAY morris group by email:
maydaymorrisdevon@gmail.com
MAYDAY performing at the Royal Courts of Justice
Jazz
Confident in improvising jazzy songs on the streets? Join Orchestrated Discontent (not an XR band but open to XR members). Find them at a protest on the streets and join in.
Folk
Confident in playing session tunes on the streets? Join the Climate Ceilidh Collective . There are no rehearsals, just brush up on the popular tunes, bring an instrument to a protest on the streets and join in.
We are a protest folk band open to musicians coming along to protest events and joining in on the fly, to create magical folk flashmobs to bring life to climate protest, and soothing folk vibes to calm activists and open hearts.
We are open to all kinds of folk music from many traditions, not only Irish music.
Brush up on our most played tunes before coming to a demo, or just turn up and join in! For more info, email xrmusicandsounds@protonmail.com to get in touch. We currently don’t have a comms team, but are looking for one, please get in touch if you’d love to volunteer for this!
Classical
Join XR Baroque - via their Facebook group or contact xrmusicandsounds@protonmail.com
Reading, Writing and Spoken Word
Rebel Library
Looking for a reading list for a Book Group ? "We are a group of writers, librarians and all-round bookworms who collect the best literature on the climate and ecological emergency." Visit the Rebel Library now
Writers Rebel
You can join the team, provide content - go to the Act page on the Writers Rebel website to learn more about how to get involved.
You can use their website to access an array of written and recorded content or join their email newsletter by signing up here.
You can also follow and share content from Writers Rebel on:
Red Rebels
The Red Rebels are an international performance artivist troupe illuminating the global environmental crisis.
Read more and maybe even get involved on the Red Rebel Brigade website.
Other colours are available!
