Originally posted on PhillyH2o in 2010
John and Jan Haigis are Darby, Pennsylvania residents who have a great interest in history, music, and the environment. As former co-presidents of the Darby Creek Valley Association, they have a great concern for various issues affecting water quality in the creek, which flows from Chester County into the Delaware River at Tinicum, south of the Philadelphia International Airport. To help publicize the problems of stormwater runoff and promote better stormwater management, they have written new lyrics to a number of popular songs. Some can be found here; two others are posted below with permission. Please be aware that all lyrics are © 2006 by John Haigis. To help you sing the songs below, I have included links to original versions online.
You can also view a slideshow of images of Darby Creek (looking pretty and gentle as well as mean and overflowing), over which Jan and John sing a couple of their stormwater songs. To learn more about John and Jan and their work, to hear more samples of their music, or to book them for a performance for your school or organization, visit their website.
We Will Not Worry About Storm Overflow
Sung to the tune of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music“
Basins retentive and surfaces pervious
Makes us less anxious and somewhat less nervous
When we know rain has some place it can go
We will not worry about storm overflow
Drains that can handle the loads that they’re carrying
Greenways and trees on stream-buffers riparian
Landscaping techniques that slow down the flow
There are a few of the ways we can go
But with run off–and when drains clog–
When rain soaks the land
The streams and the rivers fill up to their banks
And oh how we wish we had planned!
Consider It All Up to Us
(Sung to the tune “Consider Yourself” from “Oliver“)
Consider the things, you do
Consider the impact on the environment
Think of the world, we share
Please care for our water and our air
Don’t let paper trash or anti-freeze or motor-oil
Run-off into the drain
Cause we know that all that stuff
from streets and parking lots
Runs off every time it rains
Consider the earth, your home
There’s so much to discuss
Think globally but please we must act locally
Consider it all up to us.
Planting Lots of Trees
(Sung to the tune of “Goober Peas“)
To help with global warming there is a simple tool
To make our homes more comfortable
And keep our planet cool
Slowing down storm water, a home for birds and bees
Goodness how refreshing, planting lots of trees
Chorus:
Trees trees, trees, trees
Planting lots of trees
Goodness eco-logical
Planting lots of trees
Trees start out from seedlings, they are so very small
They need sun and nutrients to help them grow up tall
Give them lots of water, then someday you’ll see
Goodness green and beautiful
A land with lots of trees
(Chorus)