Rewiring With Nature through Most-Loved Country Songs Part I

Being with nature heals our well-being, soothes our pain and discomfort, restores balance in our life, and helps us connect to the outside world. Yet, we have disconnected ourselves from nature and forgot that nature remains as giving as ever, even as it wipes out bit-by-bit. Let us try to get that attachment back to nature. Even when you are home, you can enjoy its spirit by listening to country songs while looking at the greens outside your window. This special edition features our Top 10 picks of country songs about nature.

“Call of the Wild”, Chris LeDoux

Sometimes, all we want to do is get away from the city. We want an escape from work and our all-day computer screens. We try to find a find our way into the peaceful wilderness of nature. Singer-songwriter Chris Ledoux and the Saddle Boogie Band vaunt vivid imagery in this song. You can almost feel thunder crashing and wind whistling. The chorus expresses this desire beautifully,

“Storm clouds are building above the timber line
The lightning’s flashing across the mountain side
The thunder’s rollin’ down the canyons of his mind
Somewhere beyond the great divide.”

“Keep Texas Beautiful”, Jerry Jeff Walker

Walker released “Keep Texas Beautiful” as a single in 1994, from his record Viva Luckenbach. The song embodies his Texan pride in a big way. The lyrics point to Texas’ beauty that “gets more beautiful with every passing day.” The simple chorus is a cry for the preservation of that beauty as Walker sings,

“Keep Texas beautiful, keep Texas free
Keep her wild and natural, just the way she ought to be.”

“Gone Green”, Brad Paisley

The word “green” is often used to signify hope. Primarily, it is used to call a community to action in achieving a clean and healthy environment. Paisley’s “Gone Green,” from his 2014 album Moonshine in the Trunk, proposes a lighthearted yet hard-hitting view on “going green”: The song tells the tale of an old redneck choosing to go green for the sake of the environment. With examples of smart cars, solar power, and tree hugging, “Gone Green” speaks plainly. Also, this nature-friendly song features Emmylou Harris whose voice is always welcoming.

“It’s the little things we take for granted
When we sacrifice to save the planet
The darndest thing you’ve ever seen
This old redneck has done gone green.”

“Sweet Summer Loving”, Dolly Parton

“Sweet Summer Loving” takes some of the best summer experiences and summarizes them into a song about summertime love. Parton sings about “a stream in the country” and “running barefoot and feeling free”. She describes the sun and sunset so vividly.

“When that big red balloon sets
Like a painting across the West
As the sky turns a crimson blue
As the world turns for me and you.”

“Fishin’ in the Dark”, Nitty Gritty Band

The song induces bright memories of summer nights. Of course, “Fishin’ in the Dark” is not exactly a song penned for ecologists, but it does seize the magic of the open air at night, even if the couple in the song is not getting ready to stargaze.

“You and me going fishing in the dark
Lying on our backs and counting the stars
Where the cool grass grows
Down by the river in the full moon light.”

Did we miss your favorite song? What are your favorite country songs about nature and the outdoors? Let us know in the comments. Visit our website for the Part II.