# 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](https://rebeltoolkit.extinctionrebellion.uk/attachments/13) curated by Marcus and Holly.<br>
Watch a video of 'We Need to Build a Better Future' (for lyrics, see page 61 of songbook above): <br>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XGgBtHoIO4g?si=Wk8ktw6P-9IU4Rf5" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br><br>

#### Climate Choirs
Get involved with the <a href="https://climatechoirmovement.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Climate Choir Movement</a> (not an XR group - but who often sing at XR events/actions). 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6jZULYfW3tw?si=piPegCDSMOzLSIvj" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

#### Christmas Carols (with a rebel twist)

All the lyrics below as a 4-page pdf - [click to download
XmasCarols.pdf](https://rebeltoolkit.extinctionrebellion.uk/attachments/31)

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">Ding Dong Merrily on High</span></summary>

Ding dong merrily on high<br>
The temperature is rising<br>
With all the carbon in the sky<br>
It isn’t that surprising<br><br>
Fa-la-la…..<br>
Our lifestyles are excessive ( x2)<br><br>
And so here below, below,<br>
The life on earth is dying<br>
And "Io, io, io!"<br>
The future’s terrifying<br><br>
Fa-la-la…..<br>
Our lifestyles are excessive ( x2)<br><br>
Pray you, dutifully go<br>
And partake in truth telling<br>
May you beautifully show<br>
Concern for this, our dwelling<br>
Fa-la-la…..<br>
Our lifestyles are excessive ( x2)<br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">Silent Night</span></summary>

Silent night, holy night!<br>
All are quiet, to the plight<br>
On the TV, little is said<br>
Of the crisis up ahead<br>
Put our heads in the sand<br>
Put our heads in the sand<br><br>
Silent night, holy night!<br>
Children quake at the sight.<br>
Those in power show little concern<br>
Fossil fuels continue to burn<br>
When will our voices be heard?<br>
When will our voices be heard?<br><br>
Silent night, holy night!<br>
May the world see the light.<br>
Share the wisdom, start to act<br>
And respond to science and fact<br>
For the sake of this earth<br>
For the sake of this earth<br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">Hark the Herald</span></summary>


Hark the herald rebels sing!<br>
Let the sound of protest ring<br>
East to West, and every child<br>
Old and young are reconciled<br>
Joyful, all ye nations, rise<br>
Join the peaceful rebel cries<br>
With th' angelic host proclaim<br>
Life can never be the same<br>
Hark, the herald rebels sing<br>
Let the sound of protest ring<br><br>
For too long we have ignored<br>
The great earth we all adore<br>
Now the time has come for all<br>
To respond to this great call<br>
In our shared humanity<br>
Hail the great calamity<br>
Silent can we be no more<br>
Rise as one, we all must soar<br>
Hark, the herald rebels sing!<br>
Let the sound of protest ring<br><br>
Hail, The earth in all its grace<br>
Hail! The beauty in this place<br>
Light and life we strive to see<br>
In bio-diversity<br>
Join together, sing as one<br>
Till our work is fully done<br>
Till we’re taken seriously<br>
In this stark emergency<br>
Hark, the herald rebels sing!<br>
Let the sound of protest ring<br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">Once in Sweden’s capital city</span></summary>

Once in Sweden’s capital city<br>
Stood a lowly girl on strike<br>
Climate breakdown was her worry<br>
World inaction she disliked<br>
Strong she stood, placard in hand<br>
With a message for her land.<br><br>
It took time, for all to listen<br>
To the worries she conveyed<br>
Some did sneer, scorn with derision<br>
Undermined the points she made<br>
Resolute, she did persist<br>
Unwilling to be dismissed<br><br>
And the eyes of many opened<br>
To the science that she shared<br>
Children gathered in accordance<br>
To show all, that they, too cared<br>
And she leads the movement on<br>
Worldwide voices speak as one <br>
And she leads the movement on<br>
Worldwide voices speak as one<br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">O come all ye faithful</span></summary>

O come all ye faithful<br>
Active and defiant<br>
O come ye, oh come ye<br>
And take a stand<br>
Come and behold this<br>
Climate crisis<br>
O come let us demand change<br>
O come let us demand change<br>
Oh come let us demand change<br>
For this our world<br><br>
Sing choirs of protests<br>
Sing in exultation<br>
Sing all ye citizens of this great world<br>
Treasure creation<br>
Let us now preserve it<br>
O come let us demand change….<br><br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">Deck the Halls v1</span></summary>

Deck the halls with boughs of holly<br>
Fa la la la la, la la la la (after each line)<br>
‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la…<br>
Don we now our old apparel, fa la…<br>
Sing this eco Yuletide carol, fa la…<br><br>
See the crisis that’s before us, fa la…<br>
Beat the drums & join the chorus, fa la…<br>
Don’t delay, have high ambitions, fa la…<br>
Stop the harm, reduce emissions, fa la…<br><br>
Even as the year is ending, fa la…<br>
Our demands are still in pending, fa la…<br>
Tell the truth and work together, fa la…<br>
Heedless of the wind & weather, fa la…<br><br>
People of the world take warning, fa la…<br>
Now reality is dawning, fa la…<br>
Look around & face the facts now, fa la…<br>
Tell the world it’s time to act now, fa la…<br>


</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">Deck the Halls v2</span></summary>

Pesticides, deforestation (or Climate Change, deforestation)<br>
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la  <br>
Are a threat to all creation<br>
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la<br>
Global heating, endless plastic<br>
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la<br>
Hear the need for something drastic<br>
Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la<br><br>
Save the human from this folly, fa la…<br>
Mass extinction, not so jolly, fa la…<br> 
Quickly phase out fossil fuels, fa la…<br>  
Green new deal, we have the tools, fa la…<br><br>
Carbon offset’s no solution, fa la…<br> 
To the growth in oil pollution, fa la…<br>  
Coal and gas and anthracite, fa la…<br>  
Dim the future’s guiding light, fa la…<br><br>
Loss and damage, just transition, fa la…<br> 
Surely is no imposition, fa la…<br> 
Green jobs, justice, insulation, fa la…<br>  
Are the balm for devastation, fa la…<br><br>
Pesticides, deforestation, fa la…<br>
Are a threat to all creation, fa la…<br>  
Global heating, endless plastic, fa la…<br>  
Hear the need for something drastic, fa la…<br>  


</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">We Wish You a Merry Christmas</span></summary>

We wish you a greener Christmas,<br>
We wish you a greener Christmas,<br>
We wish you a greener Christmas<br>
And an Eco New Year<br><br>
Glad tidings we bring<br>
We can still save your kin<br>
We wish you a greener Christmas,<br>
And an Eco New Year.<br><br>
We all want a healthy planet<br>
We all want a healthy planet<br>
Now we all want a healthy planet<br>
so join us right here<br><br>
Glad tidings we bring<br>
We can still save your kin<br>
We wish you a greener Christmas,<br>
And an Eco New Year.<br><br>
And we won’t stop until we’ve got one<br>
And we won’t stop until we’ve got one<br>
And we won’t stop until we’ve got one<br>
So join us right here<br><br>
Glad tidings we bring<br>
We can still save your kin<br>
We wish you a greener Christmas,<br>
And an Eco New Year.<br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">12 years of crisis</span></summary>

In the first year of crisis, inaction gave to me<br>
A forest without any trees<br><br>
In the second year of crisis, inaction gave to me<br>
Two hurricanes<br>
And a forest without any trees<br>
etc.<br><br>
Three heatwaves <br> 
Four crop failures<br>
Five rising seas<br>
Six nations starving<br>
Seven flood disasters<br>
Eight coral die-offs<br>
Nine glaciers melting<br>
Ten million displaced people<br>
Eleven wildfires raging<br><br>
In the twelfth year of crisis, inaction gave to me,<br>
(sing slowly) No turning back (pause)<br><br>
[Optional: “There will soon be no turning back. Thank you and good night.”]<br>
OR<br>
Eleven wildfires raging, ten displaced peoples, nine glaciers melting, eight coral die-offs,
seven flood disasters, six nations starving.<br>
Five rising seas.<br>
Four crop failures, three heatwaves, two hurricanes and a forest without any trees.<br>

</details>

<details><summary><span style="color: purple;">12 days of vision</span></summary>

On the first day of Christmas, I see how it could be:<br>
Clean air for children to breathe<br><br>
On the second (etc) day of Christmas, I see how it could be:<br><br>
2 more saved species, and clean air for children to breathe<br><br>
3 April showers<br><br>
4 smiling faces<br><br>
5 billion bees<br><br>
6 bright red corals<br><br>
7 blue-flag beaches<br><br>
8 drought-free summers<br><br>
9 sparkling glaciers<br><br>
10 Pacific islands<br><br>
11 polar bears<br><br>
12 cle-an rivers<br><br>