Songs for Species: Celebrating 50 years of the Endangered Species Act through music

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In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act in 2023, we are proud to bring you the Songs for Species playlist 鈥 a mix of original songs written, performed, recorded, and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees. This playlist features music created in 2023 for the ESA 50th celebration, as well as a selection of songs taken from the 2003 Songs of the System Refuge Centennial celebration music CD. All of these songs have an at-risk, threatened, endangered species and conservation-themed message. Our original U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service music is intended to be used as a way of connecting people to nature and the mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Enjoy!

Credits and lyrics

Peregrine

Music by Mason Wheatley

Wild Alaska

Words by Karen and Michael Boylan

Music by Karen Boylan

Published by Flying Jib Music

Karen Boylan, vocals, guitar

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

It鈥檚 a wild, wild country, my Alaska,

She鈥檚 a cold beauty when it鈥檚 forty below.

We got bears on Kodiak and moose on the Kenai,

We got mountain magic with the moon on the snow.

There are great lands in the Great Land

Where you scarce hear human sound,

Where musk ox, wolves, and caribou

Moose and bear abound.

Yukon Delta, Tetlin, Koyukuk and more,

Wild and free, a legacy for rich or poor.

Springtime, shaky calf is born, 

His mother standing guard.

In three days, with legs so strong

He鈥檚 running with the herd.

Late August, a man is mauled, 

While sleeping in his tent.

Grizzly landlord, in search of fish,

Dropped by to get his rent.

October the rut is on, bulls fighting in the dawn.

Ancient dance from long ago keeps new life moving on.

Aleutians, a lonely perch, a falcon scans for food,

A stoop, a strike, a puffin鈥檚 gone, to feed her hungry brood.

Piping Plover

Words by Greg Thompson

Music by Greg Thompson, Bill Jaaskelainen, Bill Zinni

Greg Thompson, vocals, mandolin, flute & tin whistle

Bill Jaaskelainen, acoustic guitar

Bill Zinni, vocals, bass guitar, mandolin

Kurt Snider, drums, percussion

Ocean and Gull sounds recorded at Eastern Shore of Virginia NWR

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Been coming to this beach

Since I was a child

But I鈥檓 the daddy now

Watching the kids run wild

It used to be a quiet spot

With plenty of room to roam

Zigging back & forth

In and out the foam

But now it鈥檚 a different place

With so many on the shore

With houses and tourists

And all those 4X4鈥檚

So move the beach towels over

For the piping plover

Look out in your land rover

For the piping plover

Turn the guitars over

For the piping plover

Some say plover, some say plover

Of this bird, I am a lover

Some say plover, some say plover

Let鈥檚 make sure it鈥檚 not over

For the piping plover

Gathering Waters

Music by Sean Killen

Sean Killen, classical guitar, fretless bass

Recorded at Digniova.com, Lakeland, MN
Engineered & mixed by Tyler Joseph

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Disappearing Eider Blues

Words and music by William Larned

William Larned, vocals, acoustic guitar

Recorded at Gamble Recording, Soldotna, AK

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Have you heard about our awful luck

The sad, sad tale of the eider ducks

Have you read about it, people have you heard the news?

This is a song about you and me

鈥榖out the diving ducks of the northern sea

We just call it the 鈥渄isappearing eider blues鈥

Now folks are askin鈥, 鈥渨hat鈥檚 the fuss?鈥

But that鈥檚 cause they鈥檝e never really studied us

Maybe that鈥檚 cause we鈥檙e not so good to eat

But the counts all say we鈥檙e losing ground

By the pair and by the pound

Something happened to put us in retreat

Now eiders are a breed apart

We鈥檙e cold of food but warm of heart

Riding out the winter on the icy stormy seas

We come in every size and hue

Our lives we鈥檇 like to share with you

We鈥檒l introduce ourselves, if you please

SPECTACLED EIDER:

I鈥檓 a spectacled eider, dig my safety glasses

We winter in the ocean in humongous masses

Diving deep in the northern Bering Sea

Our population took a downward turn

On the Yukon Delta, which caused concern

Now everybody鈥檚 busy protectin鈥 me

STELLER鈥橲 EIDER:

Steller鈥檚 eider, that鈥檚 my name

Invertebrate hunting is my game

Specially in lagoons and shallow bays

On Alaska coasts we used to breed

But there we now are rare indeed

We raise our young in Russia nowadays

KING EIDER:

They call me 鈥渒ing鈥 with very good reason

My head looks so cool in the nesting season

The high arctic coast is where I do my thing

Our migration鈥檚 wondrous to behold

Countless chains of living gold

The spirit o the Arctic on the wing

COMMON EIDER:

I鈥檓 the common eider, but let me make it clear

I鈥檓 the biggest duck in the hemisphere

Our down has warmed you folks since time began

We nest near the ocean in great big groups

Raise our young together like army troops

Then head offshore to molt with our whole clan

We eat clams, mussels, krill and crabs

But our future鈥檚 really up for grabs

Time鈥檚 getting short for help to come our way

Our prey鈥檚 declining and so are we

It鈥檚 lead cuisine in the deep blue sea

No more smorgasbord of bygone days

Our numbers reflect the health of the ocean

Without us you would have no notion

Indicator ducks, just watch us and you鈥檒l see

We too have a right to exist

If we were gone we鈥檇 sure be missed

We鈥檙e all part of the master strategy

This world鈥檚 a great place to be alive

Keep our oceans healthy and we鈥檒l survive

We all can win, none of us has to lose

So maybe on some future day

We won鈥檛 feel the need to play

Our sad song, the disappearing eider blues

Our sad song, the disappearing eider blues

Hope

Music by Liz Dawson

Liz Dawson, Piano

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

I'm a Fish

Joe McCauley-lyrics & vocals

Greg Thompson - Electric guitar

Bill Zinni-Bass guitar

Bill Jaaskelainen-Acoustic guitar

Kurt Snider-Drums

Al Averill from NRCS-Harmonica 

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

When I was a young fish  

Just a little Fry 

I knew by the way I was growing 

I鈥檇 be the greatest fish alive 

Now I鈥檓 grown 

And swimming upstream 

All these dams in my way  

Are making me kinda mean 

Cause, I鈥檓 a Fish! 

Gonna spawn till I die 

I鈥檓 a Fish! 

I need free flowing water to survive 

Now it wasn鈥檛 that long ago 

That Atlantic salmon did abound 

But now I look around me 

There ain鈥檛 many of us left around 

Without no decent habitat 

It鈥檚 mighty tough to stay alive 

I鈥檓 afraid we鈥檒l need your peoples help 

If we鈥檙e going to survive  

Cause, I鈥檓 a Fish! 

Gonna spawn till I die 

I鈥檓 a Fish! 

I need healthy rivers to survive 

-solo- 

Well I鈥檝e gone upstream  

About as far as I can go 

Been up ladders and elevators 

The goin鈥檚 been mighty slow 

But, now I鈥檓 up here 

I鈥檓 gonna find me a mate 

I鈥檓 just a lonely fish 

Lookin for a date  

Cause, I鈥檓 a Fish! 

Gonna spawn till I die 

I鈥檓 a Fish! 

I need clean water to survive 

-solo- 

I know all you fisher-people  

Would like to see me on a plate 

Well the way I see it brother 

There is much worser a fate! 

I鈥檇 rather end up on your table 

Loved by one and all 

Than to be shredded by a turbine 

Where there used to be a waterfall  

Cause, I鈥檓 a Fish! 

Gonna spawn till I die 

I鈥檓 a Fish! 

I need all your peoples help if I鈥檓 going to survive 

Children's Dance

Written, performed, and recorded by Richard Guadagno

We are honored and humbled to include this instrumental piece written and recorded by our former colleague Richard Guadagno.  Richard is well known to the world as one of the fallen heroes of flight 93 on 9/11/2001. To us, he will always be a bet365下载ios colleague, biologist, conservationist, family person, and friend first. He was very private about his music and playing and we thank his family for providing us this rare and precious recording.  May his music and love for conservation shine through and bring you peace and inspiration as you listen to it.

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Diversity

Words by Greg Thompson

Music by Greg Thompson, Bill Jaaskelainen, Bill Zinni

Greg Thompson, vocals, lead guitar

Bill Jaaskelainen, acoustic guitar

Bill Zinni, bass guitar

Kurt Snider, drums, percussion

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

This Web of life 

Means we are all connected 

Each tug on the strand 

Means we are all affected 

We are all so much the same 

Monkey or man, it鈥檚 just a name 

Can you hear what I say? 

Just look at our DNA! 

Diversity, Biology 

Tell you what it means to me 

Diversity, Biology 

It only means the world to me 

Just a small part in a system 

So complex in its rhythm 

Who can stay and who can go 

Is not our decision 

We must take care of each other 

The birds and the trees are your brother 

We must take care of each other 

Cherish all life and your Earth mother! 

Keeping different, keeping it real 

Is how it鈥檚 supposed to be 

We must all come together 

To protect Biodiversity! 

Diversity, Biology 

Tell you what it means to me 

Diversity, Biology 

It only means the world to me 

A Moment of Rest

Music by Liz Dawson

Salmon Song

Words & music by Rhona Barron 1993

鈥淪ilvee鈥檚 Salmon Band鈥

Rhona Barron, vocals, percussion

Dave Kruse Coste, bass

Stan Fishburn, drums

Ahna Sandberg, backup vocals

Fern Noland, backup vocals

Michael Nash, piano

Chris Fairbanks, electric violin

Sherry Krebs, percussion

Recorded and mixed at Derek Peet Productions, Wenatchee, WA

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Salmon, salmon, you鈥檙e a fish!

Salmon, salmon, don鈥檛 you wish

That boats and birds and people too

Would get out of your way 鈥 so you can get through

You start out in a hatchery or maybe in a stream

Where the water鈥檚 cold and flowing, but most of all it鈥檚 clean.

You grow and develop, until you get a notion

To start swimming downstream, tail-first to the ocean!

Once you鈥檙e in the ocean you swim and play and eat,

Trying to avoid those who want you for a treat.

In a couple years, you鈥檙e shiny big and strong

Your instincts are calling, pulling you along.

On that final journey, you鈥檙e swimming back upstream.

Back to the spot where you began to dream

Of that final moment, when eggs and milt would blend

Making more salmon, salmon without end!

Salmon, salmon you鈥檙e a fish!

Salmon, salmon, don鈥檛 you wish

That boats and birds and people too 

Would get out of your way 鈥 so you can get through.

Soaring

Music by Liz Dawson

Liz Dawson, Piano

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Working for Tomorrow

Music and lyrics by Gina Swoope

It鈥檚 hard to believe

that it鈥檚 been around

our refuges 

for a century

there鈥檚 so much 

to be proud of

so much beauty to see

and all because

of people like you and me

so it鈥檚 time

it鈥檚 time to come together

to celebrate the time of our lives

appreciating

the things that mean so much

and sharing with our friends and family

our family

Our partners and communities 

Are helping us out

With helping hands

And through it all

So much is improved

Our plants, our fish and our wildlife

Our wildlife

So it鈥檚 time 

It鈥檚 time to come together

To celebrate the time of our lives

Appreciating 

The things that mean so much

And sharing with our friends and family

Our family

Do your part

You got to do your part

For tomorrow

Do your part

You got to do your part 

For tomorrow

Do your part

Crystal River

Music by CQ 

Homeward Bound

Words and music by Tom Jasikoff

Tom Jasikoff, acoustic guitar

Bill Zinni, bass guitar, mandolin

Greg Thompson, mandolin

Kurt Snider, drums, percussion

Tony Leger, backup vocals

Liz Dawson, backup vocals

Mary Jennings, backup vocals

Blair Ramsey, backup vocals

This song comes from Songs of the System, a collection of fish and wildlife songs created and donated by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees and originally released in 2003 in celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge System centennial. The effort was led by Greg Thompson and produced by Danny McKeown, Paul Piccari, and Sandy Perchetti at Studio 2000 at the Omniplex in Camden, NJ thanks to the Friends of E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Wild lands, Wild places, Wild things, Wild me

The winds of the refuge whisper to me

Let the rivers run wild

Let the Blue Goose fly free

Let our voices unite

And our spirit delight

In the wild legacy

Misty morning, teeming wildlife, islands, cattails and trees,

The stage of creation 鈥 a masterpiece to see

Together we journey

This circle of life

Geese call out their name, as we hear them proclaim

Of their flight coming home!

Changing seasons, changing colors, songbirds, on the migration way

From fields, bogs and treetops, they sing and display

Puffins and plovers

Kestrels and cranes

Find a beautiful home, every refuge they roam

From California to Maine

On the wings of an eagle, we lift our heads high

As our dreams and our prayers reach sunshine and sky

We鈥檙e a family of one, a network begun on a promise to fly

100 years strong, the refuge system lives on, with a spirit of pride

Oh the wild life

On the refuge

Longing to be

Homeward and free

Like you and like me

Crown jewels like pearls,  

Up and down the flyway,

For all who forever will find, protected all times

Of the land of our home we call Refuge

Story Tags

Aquatic connectivity
Art
Biodiversity
Birds
Climate change
Connecting people with nature
Diversity
Ecological resilience
Education outreach
Employees (USbet365下载ios)
Endangered and/or Threatened species
Environmental education
Fish passage
Habitat restoration
Migratory birds
Outreach
Partnerships
Visitor services
Wildlife
Wildlife refuges
Work of the Service