Music

“Air” (“Hello, carbon monoxide”) is one of the songs that “Hair” cast member Sally Eaton (above) performed at Independence Mall on April 21st, 1970. She performed it again the following day, Earth Day itself, in Fairmount Park for a crowd of an estimated 40 to 60,000. The audio player above is a radio spot that was created by legendary Philadelphia ad man Elliott Curson to advertise Earth Day, which includes a sample of the song. Philadelphia radio stations, which provided the Earth Week Committee free air time to do it, played the spot hundreds of times every day the week prior to and including Earth Week.

Native American band “Redbone” performing for the crowd of 40-60,000 at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia on Earth Day, 1970. Below are the haunting lyrics to the song “Red and Blue” (written and performed by lead singer Lolly Vasquez), which evokes the image of a Native American expressing sorrow about the destruction of the environment.

“Red and Blue” by Redbone River, Tree and Mountain Free in Time and Space A Day in the Red Dominion To Hunt on the Plains of Freedom Gone is the Life that God Meant for Me Nothing left that’s Free Oh! I’m Red and Blue. Wind the smoke replaces The Factory Wastes Fish Kill The Eye of the Sun is Closing In Shame at the Sight of Progress Lost in a World That’s not Really Me. Living on Like this Makes me Red and Blue. Crush of Steel and Concrete Hard and Cold NOt Warm A Beautiful Land is Dying What thanks to the Earth that Feeds Them Gone is the Life that God Meant to Be Nothing Left that’s Free Oh! I’m Red and Blue