Long time ago, when the west was young and free, Buffalo herds roamed the plains as far as the eye could see. Then progress came to stay and by the millions cut ‘em down, Hides were packed for sale and skulls were piled upon the ground. And mighty herds soon vanished from the land. Chorus: Well, say a prayer for the mountains so tall As the long western winds come to blow. For tomorrow, will they stand so proud at all Or follow the way of the old buffalo. Now many years have gone, times have come to change, Automobiles roam the lands the buffalo herds did range. And the chips all 'round are different now, they speed our lives along. (revised) And we scour the earth for ways and means and keep things rolling on. With scarce a thought to where it all will end. Repeat Chorus: And many clever companies and bales of dollar bills, Are racing to the mountains with dynamite and drills. And they say it’s for our country and claim it’s what we need, And they always call it progress though many blame man’s greed, As they work their ways across the mountain lands. Repeat Chorus: And when tomorrow’s winds have blown and days to come have gone, Will monuments then mark the trails the pronghorn had run upon? Will evergreens have given way to prime suburban lands? Will wild flames and climate change have left unhealing brands? As they work their ways across the mountain lands. Repeat Chorus: © M. Bressler

Times are tough in this town Prices up and pay is down Works are jammed, nothing goes Just brown-nose crooked CEOs What’s the Grand Old Party doing? Chorus Greed, Oilbucks and Pollution, That’s the GOP solution Greed, Oilbucks and Pollution, That’s the GOP solution Mass deception, no relief! Vanity beyond belief! Bless the rich and bash the poor, Trash the planet to its core, What’s the Grand Old Party brewing? Repeat Chorus: Smearing sprees and homilies, Needless war and casualties, Cover up each new disgrace, Shove it up the human race. What’s the Grand Old Party proven? Repeat Chorus: © Michael Bressler

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He’d loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword. He was filled with mighty fury at deeds done in his name, As these words he proclaimed: Chorus: Glory, Glory Hallelujah, Don’t let the Trump party fool ya. Oh, they know their lines so good But they don’t mean quite what they should Half-truths go marching on. He’d seen through all the pretense when they shouted out for war. The host of shady campaigns where they showed their moral core. The mighty zeal for power, and the massive mess they made, And these words he hath said Repeat Chorus: Well media hordes were marching forth to orders from their kings, Talk show hosts ranted like some parrots on a fling. But the Lord almighty roared in wrath, then laughed at what he’d seen, As these words he did say. Repeat Chorus: So, we’ll stand up for our country, and freedoms that we prize, In the face of all the fear-mongers’ richly worded lies. Keep watchfires blazing ‘til the dawn of brighter days And these words we shall say: Repeat Chorus: Glory, Glory Hallelujah, Don’t let the Trump party fool ya. Oh, their tweets are mighty good But they don’t mean quite what they should Half-truths go marching on. © Mike Bressler

A brightly shining tropic sea, gleaming wide and blue, Kaleidoscopic unity alive in every hue. Eyes rise in disbelief, wondrous realms of coral reef, Splendid schools of neon fish fool away the time. Further ‘long, picture’s wrong, Reefs are bleached, fish are gone, Water growing way too warm with the planet’s changing clime. Chorus What will be our legacy, set to dawn down the bend? The vision that’s been brought to be, or a gift we pawned and brought to end Where prisons, fakes and fools unfold an earth ablaze for oil and gold? Blinding lies and dying tides, right before our eyes, What will be our reply? A mighty flow of ice and snow tumbling down to sea, A monument of cold and white and bracing majesty. A glacier reaching past the shore, greets the ocean with a roar, Leaves a strand of ice caps, the restless waves to ply. But swiftly now they’ve all gone down Ancient glaciers turning around, In a world growing way too warm with the planet’s changing clime. Chorus What will be our legacy, set to dawn down the bend? The vision that’s been brought to be, or a gift we pawned and brought to end Where tyrants reign and dark clouds roll an earth in chain for oil and gold? Ice sheets slide and oceans rise, right before our eyes, What will be our reply? ‘Neath northern lights and midnight sun an Inuit family’s home On wild and windswept tundra where caribou herds still roam. They span the timeless arctic land, pry some food from nature’s hand, Share in what the earth provides each soul passing by. But troubled times are setting in, Ice and game are getting thin, In a land growing way too warm with the planet’s changing clime. Chorus What will be our legacy, set to dawn down the bend? The vision that’s been brought to be, or a gift we pawned and brought to end Where sirens wail and storm winds blow, an earth betrayed for oil and gold? Dice roll live through northern skies, right before our eyes, What will be our reply? © Michael Bressler

Tides are turning, fires burning, all across the land Hustlers grinnin', hucksters spin and say they understand. All across the whole creation fools are fueling devastation, Achin' for their payouts from a world they set aflame Chorus Can you say that’s ok? No Way! Junk spamming, Trump scamming, every single day. Gears jamming, doors slamming, block most every way. Paradise burned to the ground, polar ice melting down In a world of heave and hurry with heads buried in the sand. Can you say that’s ok? No Way! Time’s flying, cons lying, right over the top. Dripping spite and bigot blight that never seems to stop! Snatching young ones from their folks, pass the buck and smirk and boast, To serve those sharks and oligarchs who sold their souls away Can you say that’s ok? No Way! Denial rules! Fakes and fools and charlatans of gold Hail the lout who’s freaking out his story might get told. Bag the money, hide the bucks and drag the country through the muck And bring home lots more bacon for some bellyaching billionaires Can you say that’s ok? No Way! Tons of cheats and Trumped up tweets, bringing this world down Take your stand and lend a hand, to get it all turned 'round Demagogues are running loose, dinosaurs rule the roost And leave this world so much the worse with every dawning day. Can you say that’s ok? No Way! © Mike Bressler