Saved Paradise remake

In an earlier post I submitted new lyrics for the song "Big Yellow Taxi."  Since then I've worked on fine tuning it, and still have much more work to do.   But since this has been stagnant for a while I will post the revised yet still flawed version.   Hope it is entertaining, insightful, inspiring, or any other positive description other than "I read it one night when I couldn't sleep and it did the trick!" 

Perhaps if I "put a bird on it," it will be more enjoyable (yard bird of course). Here you go!

A half century ago the song “Big Yellow Taxi,” rocked the environmental movement.  It’s lyrics showed us the impact our actions have on our natural world.  Half a century later we are still struggling to live responsibly and create awareness about the fragility of the world ecosystem.  We have all put up a few parking lots in our life by our actions, or sometimes even by our inaction, which has allowed the environment to be “paved,” over for our human endeavors.   But we can atone for this fact by creating positive change in our own yards.  Encouraging wildlife on our property can help compensate for the wildlife we displaced when our home was built.   Who knows, if everyone focused on changing their own yard for the benefit of wildlife it could naturally cause a deeper awareness and change in the world.  In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “It may seem insignificant, but it is most important that you do it.”  With that thought, here are some new lyrics to an old, unforgettable tune.

Saved Paradise

We saved paradise,

And created a birding spot

Using native plants and trees,

It’s now a migration hotspot!

Don’t you know, you need to know

Where others reap we’ve got to sow,

We can save paradise,

By creating a birding spot

Plant your desert trees

With understory grasses and plants,

Perhaps a water feature,

and places for lizards, toads, and ants,

Don’t it always seem to go

That we don’t know what we’ve got ‘til it’s gone

But we can save paradise

By creating a birding spot!

Stack wood in the corner

a cover of leaves on the ground

a stone wall’s crevices

keeps towhees and wrens comin’  round

As you know and studies show

The food chain for birds starts pretty low

We can provide habitat

Creating our birding spot!

Hey homeowners

Please don’t spray your yard

It contaminates our water

And on nature it’s oh so hard, Pleeeease,

If you have a weed, then grab a hoe,

The insects outside just leave them alone,

They support wildlife

When creating a birding spot!

When we live with nature

Everything has a role

There are no pests or varmints

When species diversity is the goal!

Then we’ll know in our very soul

How each life on this earth is so valuable

We can save paradise

By creating a birding spot!

Hey Kittie Kittie

We need to keep you inside

Cause when we leave you out,

The birds and lizards tend to hide!

Oh, even though we love you so,

The impact you have just can’t be ignored

Help us save paradise

By creating a birding spot!

Use a gray-water system,

To water your trees and plants,

Water harvesting techniques

creates a naturescape totally enhanced

Then we’ll know, our efforts will show

When the washes run with perennial flow,

We saved paradise,

and created a birding spot!

Create your own mini refuge,

Become a wildlife fan,

Let your neighbors see

Living with nature is no scam,


Then we’ll know, we all will know,

That we’re saving this earth for after we’ve gone,

Saved nature’s paradise,

And created a birding spot!

So you’d like to get started  

On creating a birding spot!

Tucson Audubon can help

Check out their cool workshops

Then we’ll know, we all will know,

We’ll sing it out like a warbler’s song,

We saved paradise,

By created a birding spot!