By Rebecca Rubin and Melanie Mow Schumacher
The month of February brings thoughts of Valentine’s Day, and love … and also of cold weather, rain, clouds, and the ideal day staying home where it’s warm and dry and cozy.
In honor of wet weather that we certainly love (and need!), this month I thought we’d offer a fun list of some songs about water, and love.
Some are classics from a variety of music genres, but I also include a list of educational songs for children to help them understand the importance of this most-precious natural resource.
Adults will love being reminded of these classics, and kids will love learning about water in a fun, interactive way.
First, a quick list of popular water music and love songs, one from each of the last five decades:
Hold Back the River (2014)
James Bay
This acoustic guitar-driven, Grammy-nominated song is a bittersweet reference to a relationship lost to the passage of time — and a desire to rekindle that connection, if only one can “Hold back the river so I can stop for a minute and be by your side.”
Water (2009)
Brad Paisley
The lyrics for this “love affair with water” country tune describe various situations involving water, like playing in a kiddie pool as a child, jumping from a riverside rope swing with friends, and later having fun on spring break and swimming with a girlfriend.
The Water is Wide (1995)
David Sanborn with Linda Ronstadt
From his album “Love Songs,” smooth-jazz saxophonist David Sanborn teams up with singer Linda Ronstadt for “The Water is Wide,” a slow-tempo love song about love overcoming obstacles.
Purple Rain (1984)
Prince
A huge hit from the 80s, this rock/R&B/gospel power ballad still resonates with each new generation. It’s a love song of sorts, about facing life’s misfortunes together with the one you love.
Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Simon & Garfunkel
Despite being five minutes long (exceeding that era’s three minute radio-play maximum), this folk/rock classic became a number one hit, staying at the top of the charts for six weeks.
It’s important for kids to learn the role of water in our world and why we need to preserve and protect it. That’s why the District works to educate students and families about water with our:
- Mobile education trailer (winner of the National WateReuse Association’s “2018 Award of Excellence in Outreach and Education”)
- Education programs and materials for schools
- `Displays and interactive tools in our Community Water Plan Learning Center
- Annual Water Harvest Festival education event
Here’s more music: a short list of educational songs that will spark your kids’ interest and understanding of the value of water:
The Water on the Earth Goes Round
Jack Hartmann
This video and song teach kids about the water cycle and its three stages: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, using realistic visuals and clear, science-based information.
We All Live Downstream
The Banana Slug String Band
The Banana Slug String Band has a variety of releases focusing on learning about our environment – including water. Their song “We All Live Downstream” reminds kids that to keep our streams clean and be careful about what we put in them.
Save Water!
Nooshi
Here’s a high-energy, catchy song that points kids to saving water in their everyday lives – taking shorter showers, turning off the tap, using less water for dishes, and more.
Please Take Care of the Water
Nancy Kopman
This song teaches children that enjoying our planet’s natural resources starts with our understanding that water belongs to creatures of all kinds, in the water, land, and air.
We Are Water Wise
Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority
This is an entire set of great water education songs for kids, produced by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority in New Mexico. These easy, engaging sing-along songs include “Water Travels in a Cycle,” “Things We Should Not Flush,” “Save 2 (Gallons of Water Each Day),” “Working at the Drinking Water Plant,” and others.
I hope you enjoy your February music with some of those classic hits about water and love, and get your kids dancing and singing with these fun water-education songs!
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As always, if you have any questions about this month’s topic or anything else related to Soquel Creek Water District, feel free to contact the District at [email protected] or visit www.soquelcreekwater.org.