Songs for Hetch Hetchy
The effort to restore Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park is continuing to swell. As testimony to how strongly people feel about the issue, see this list of songs in all kinds of musical styles – pop, blues, fiddle, country-western, folk, and more.
As songwriter Joyce Rouse (aka “Earth Mama”) observes: “Music is the jet fuel for every important movement!”
“Hooray for Hetch Hetchy” by Bill Oliver (2005).
Imagine yourself in Hetch Hetchy
On a sunny day in June
Standing waist deep in grasses and flowers
As John Muir often stood!
Original music and lyrics by noted eco-folk-rock musician Bill Oliver.
Listen:
Earth Songs
In This Section
Libby McLaren sings “Hooray for Hetch Hetchy”
Libby McLaren is a wonderfully talented singer and pianist. She grew up in a musical household and has performed across the country for the past 45 years. Libby is also a proud graduate of John Muir Elementary in Berkeley – class of ’67.
“Hooray for Hetch Hetchy” –
Performed by Bill Kirchen and Louise Kirchen (2018).
Additional lyrics added to Bill Oliver original in 2018 written by Bill Kirchen, Louise Kirchen, and Spreck Rosekrans.
Original words and music by Bill Oliver, © 2005 & 2018 Bill Oliver, Texas Deck Music, BMI; Some lyrics by John Muir. Additional words and music by Bill Kirchen, Louise Kirchen and Spreck Rosekrans. 2018 Produced by Gurf Morlix; Recorded and mixed by André Moran; Mastered by Mark Hallman; all at Congress House Studios, Austin, TX. Guitar and vocal: Bill Kirchen; Drums: Rick Richards; Bass: David Carroll; Guitar: Gurf Morlix; Harmony Vocal: Louise Kirchen.
“Hooray for Hetch Hetchy” – performed by Jenner Fox. Jenner Fox was invited to play at the 2020 Restore Hetch Hetchy Annual Dinner, which had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, Jenner here performs the song “Hooray for Hetch Hetchy” instead in the forest near his home in Sisters, Oregon. In the true “folk” tradition, Jenner modified the lyrics a bit for his version of the song. Introduced by Natalie Rosekrans for Restore Hetch Hetchy.
“Lament for Hetch Hetchy” by Alasdair Fraser, on Narada – The Wilderness Collection – a poignant melody by one of the world’s greatest Celtic fiddle players!
“A Valley Has a Soul” Music by Craig Bohmler, Lyrics by Mary Bracken Phillips from Mountain Days: The John Muir Musical. Muir agonizes over his ultimately unsuccessful efforts to save Hetch Hetchy Valley from destruction.
“John Muir’s Return to Hetch Hetchy” by Ron Good – another fiddle tune, written by the founder of Restore Hetch Hetchy. (Sheet music – PDF)
“A Couple of Dams” by Bill Oliver – vocal about Glen Canyon and Hetch Hetchy (from Oliver’s album, Friend of the River) Lyrics excerpt:
Let’s take out a couple of dams
The Hetch Hetchy and the Glen
That’s act like we know what we didn’t know then
And take out a couple of damsLet’s hike the Hetch Hetchy again
Yosemite’s Sierra twin
Was a trick from the start,
Broke John Muir’s heart
Let’s hike Hetch Hetchy again
“John of the Mountains” by Mariposa. Lyrics excerpt:
John of the mountains
Fought the damming of
Hetch Hetchy
But we damned ourselves when we let that valley go
“High Hopes,” the Frank Sinatra tune (also sung by many other 50’s performers, from Bing Crosby to Doris Day). Well, OK, this song isn’t really about Hetch Hetchy, but it sure expresses the high hopes for advocates of restoring Hetch Hetchy!
Lyrics Excerpt:
Once there was a silly old ram
Thought he’d punch a hole in a dam
No one could make that ram, scram
He kept buttin’ that dam!’cause he had high hopes, he had high hopes
He had high apple pie, in the sky hopes!So any time your feelin’ bad
‘stead of feelin’ sad
Just remember that ram
Oops there goes a billion kilowatt dam!
“Ballad of Hetch Hetchy Valley” words and music by Bernie Beldner © 2003
Lyrics
“If a Song Could Right a Wrong” lyrics by Barbara Mossberg, music by Shannon Foster © 2007.
Lyrics
Paradise: Hetch Hetchy Valley (John Prine Parody) by Ron Good
Lyrics
…won’t you take me back to Tuolumne County
Down to the great river
Where Hetch Hetchy lays …
“Paiutes Mourn and Pinyon Pines” by Cary Griffith (May, 2011) – A mournful country-western style tune lamenting not only the loss of Hetch Hetchy Valley, and its magnificent meadows and Black Oaks, but the loss of the Native American heritage and the Pinyon Pines planted there by Paiute tribe long ago. This song used to be posted on MySpace but is now nowhere to be found.
“Roll On, Tuolumne” by Coyote Angels, from their 2007 album Coyotes Sing All Night.
In this song Bart Koehler and friends lament Muir’s lost battle to save Hetch Hetchy, and opposes subsequent dams, asking us to instead celebrate how the Tuolumne River still flows to the sea.
“Tuolumne Yosemite” by Jim Bearden (March 2015)
Chorus:
Imagine that green valley, and those shining waterfalls:
A legacy of beauty that was stolen from us all.
She lies there, gagged and drowned, and only we can set her free —
Help us liberate the Tuolumne Yosemite!
“Two Yosemites: An Environmental Opera,” by Justin Ralls, 2014.
Composer Justin Ralls states: “Two Yosemites seeks to culminate history, conservation, music, drama and myth. The opera explores a pivotal moment in the history of the American environmental movement when two protean figures made a powerful alliance on the behalf of nature, also illuminating the fault lines of a society in increasing conflict with its environment.”
Preview video clips from the opera here.
Produced by Opera Theater Oregon, Sept. 16, 2017. Featuring Aaron Short and Nicholas Meyer. Justin Ralls, conductor. Details of the project with synopsis and program notes may be found at Opera Theater Oregon.
Do you know of other outstanding songs, albums, or links that are not listed here but should be? If so, please send information or a demo for review. Contact us.
“Music should be based upon a profound relationship with nature.”
– Toru Takemitsu.
“Some days there won’t be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.”
– Emory Austin