Medicine Songs

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Littlebird songs

singing parts

rising Appalachia

Recorded in a medicine ceremony in Pisaq, Cusco on July 2012.
Jarah Tree and Diego Palma. Original song from Jarah Tree. Love you brother!

Lyrics:

We’re shedding our skins, we’re calling it in
we’re weighing it up, and we’re breaking it down
we are filling our cup as we pass it around	
...as we pass it around. 

There’s no turning back now , you’ve come way too far
seen through the illusion, you know who you are
for you are the one, you carry the sun
the light of the world, a new day has come

You are soul conscious divine, eternal soul conscious divine. 

For is it any wonder how we should meet here in this song
and did you ever wonder how the earth, the moon and the sun
keep turning in your (our) sky, did you ever wonder why
we move with the rhythms, we change with the tides
all is forgiven and there is nothing to hide 

Remember wherever you go, wherever you are in your day 
the gods and the angels are cheering you on every step of your way 
for you are the one, you cary the sun 
the light of the world, a new day begun 

We are soul  conscious divine, eternal soul conscious divine 

And I pray hold to your visions, and I pray that you follow your dreams	
and I pray you flow with the river, and I pray that your praying for me

And if you don’t mind I’ll take my time 
to give to myself just a moment inside

For is it any wonder how we should meet here in this song
and did you ever wonder how the earth, the moon and the sun...

Medicine songs

Conscious Divine

Recorded in Pisaq, Cusco in a medicine ceremony on March 2012, with Jarah Tree, Diego Palma and Eduardo Santana.
Original song from Shimshai.

Lyrics:

Pure, pure like the water, let it run forever more
to be clean, clean as the waves come 
crashing to the shore, it leads me.
Smooth, smooth as a pebble polished in the depth of love and	
carried by the wings of grace on the wings of a dove. 

So shine, shine as a diamond projects the light of One
from the source we are sent through the center
as the moon reflects the sun
arise and awake from your slumber kindle the ancient flame
as witness through the waves of what’s to change
though the essence remains the same

... all finds the way 
... all fades away

Medicine song

Pure

Recorded in a medicine ceremony in Pisaq in May 2012.
Singing Claire Ludwig & Jean Piel. 
Original song by Mirabai Ceiba.

Lyrics:

The ocean refuses no river (x2)
The open heart refuses no part of me, no part of you (x2)

Radha, Da Sa
Sat Se, So Hum (bis 3)

Ocean

Grabada en ceremonia de medicina en Luna llena en el Maha Templo de Pisaq en Diciembre del 2014. Cantan Diego Palma, Eduardo Santana, Milagros Casaverde, Leticia Sideris y Mariana Root y otros más.

Corazon Que Es Lo Unico Que Tengo

***NOTE: This recording was updated in June, 2020 to match the composers original. Thanks to Kate Munger and Jody Healy for bringing into my awareness  that my previous recording had some small but significant differences. ***

This simple and potent chant that can be sung in the round. The second section of the melody offers a little challenge in its offbeat rhythmic pattern.

Navajo Prayer, composed by Jody Healy © 2004.

Navajo Prayer (When You Were Born)

Song recorded in a medicine ceremony in the Maha Templo in the Sacred Valley, Cusco on June 2016. 
Singing Diego Palma, Leticia Sideris, Milagros Casaverde, Nacho Rodriguez and the beautiful Pisaq tribe. 
Original song by Kevin James.

Instruments were tuned to 432Hz, a non-standard tuning widely believed to transmit beneficial healing energy due to its resonance with our body’s own vibrational frequency.

more songs

Mother Gaia

This is a very old song out of the Yoruban & Santeria traditions - Nigeria, Cuba, & Brazil. I learned recently that it is about those who serve the Orisha Oshun (sometimes Osun) and the brass bracelets they wore that Oshun asked them to rattle. This somehow managed to be mistakenly interpreted and shared by myself and many others as “necklace of love,” perhaps due to the devotees adoration of the Orisha. Oshun embodies love and sexuality and one of her elements is brass, which never rusts. One writer shares "To understand Osun is to know the intelligence, vitality, caring and nourishing abilities of womankind. Long-suffering, cheated, overlooked, and over-worked, but always committed to the survival of humanity. Besides signifying wealth, brass never rusts, it is eternal. In Osun, we have the embodiment of prosperity, love, beauty, elegance, sexuality and sensuality and a divinely sanctioned feminist.

This is a traditional song in the public domain. Choral arrangement copyright Lisa G. Littlebird, instrumental arrangement and guitar recorded by Aimee Ringle.

Chords, lyrics and more:
thebirdsings.com/ide-were-were

Ide Were Were - Low part

An upbeat, infectious layer song from song leader Laurence Cole. This song is a part of his album of the same name, available for purchase at http://www.laurencecole.com/buy/

This is a recording used as a practice track for the Wholehearted Chorus of Monterey and Big Sur, CA, under the direction of Lisa G. Littlebird. Lyrics and individual part tracks can be found at:
http://thebirdsings.com/this-fire

This Fire by Laurence Cole - High part

This Fire by Laurence Cole - Low part

This Fire by Laurence Cole - Middle Low part

This Fire by Laurence Cole

This song is such an uplifting delight! It's an easy one to get going with any group and can be simplified by teaching just 2 or 3 of the parts. NOTE: This recording has been updated as of mid-June 2018 with personally corrected parts by Sarah and a new arrangement for Wholehearted Chorus. 

Original song and copyright by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse. Work to Be Done is included in this song library with permission for the purposes of oral tradition singing and teaching. If singing this song for performance or recording for profit, you must get permission from and pay royalties to the composer.

For more information, including other part tracks, lyrics and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/work-to-be-done

Work to Be Done by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse - Soprano (Joyfully)

Work to Be Done by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse - Bass (Steady On)

Work to Be Done by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse - Alto (Work to Be Done)

This song is such an uplifting delight! It's an easy one to get going with any group and can be simplified by teaching just 2 or 3 of the parts. NOTE: This recording has been updated as of mid-June 2018 with personally corrected parts by Sarah and a new arrangement for Wholehearted Chorus. 

Original song and copyright by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse. Work to Be Done is included in this song library with permission for the purposes of oral tradition singing and teaching. If singing this song for performance or recording for profit, you must get permission from and pay royalties to the composer.


For more information, including other part tracks, lyrics and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/work-to-be-done

Work to Be Done by Sarah Nutting of MaMuse - Tenor (These Hands Are Strong)

An empowering and easy-t0-learn chant about letting go.

This song source is unknown and assumed to be in the public domain. If you have information about the source please email lisa@thebirdsings.com.

For more information, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/freedom

Freedom

*** The recording of this track was updated in May 2020, to more accurately reflect the original song by the composer. ***

This is a wonderfully lighthearted layer song for moving through challenge, written by Dianne Baker.

Copyright Dianne Baker. Contact Dianne for permission to record or perform for profit.

For more information about this track including lyrics, please visit http://thebirdsings.com/the-only-way-through

The Only Way Through by Dianne Baker

A song for our time, written by the beautiful singing duo MaMuse. UPDATE! This recording has been updated here as of June 2025 to more accurately match MaMuse's arrangement, style and tempo.

Original song by Karisha Longaker, 2016. Copyright MaMuse. We Shall Be Known is recorded here with permission for the purposes of oral tradition singing and teaching. If singing this song for performance or recording for profit, get permission from and pay royalties to the composer.
http://mamuse.org

This is a recording used as a practice track for the Wholehearted Chorus of Monterey and Big Sur, CA, under the direction of Lisa G. Littlebird. Details including lyrics and individual part tracks can be found at:
http://thebirdsings.com/we-shall-be-known

We Shall Be Known by MaMuse - Tenor & Baritone

A simple gospel song that's hard to beat! This is wonderfully effective with the melody (middle) part alone for easy teaching, or with just the high harmony added. This arrangement in three voices was created for Wholehearted Chorus. This song covers a lot of vocal range and encourages singers to find comfort in the lower and upper reaches of their voice.

Original song by Curtis Burrell, arrangement inspired by James Cleveland as shared by Aimee Ringle. Recording by Lisa G. Littlebird.

For lyrics, individual part tracks and more, please visit:  http://thebirdsings.com/i-dont-feel-in-no-ways-tired/

Rise Up Singing

I Don't Feel in No Ways Tired - Low

A fantastic, infectious and upbeat community singing anthem in Spanish from Glen Phillips. This song is best done with guitar but can be effective without as well.

Original song by Glen Phillips. Recording by Glen Phillips with Lisa G. Littlebird, used with permission.

For lyrics, individual part tracks and more, please visit: http://thebirdsings.com/abre-la-puerta

Abre La Puerta by Glen Phillips - Low

A simply amazing song by singer/ songwriter/ songleader Samara Jade. You can hear her original produced version of this song on her album, Waves of Birdsong. It's an ambitious song for oral-tradition chorus with it's melodic range, complexity and lots of words, but we absolutely love it. Having several solos eases lyric learning.

Original song by Samara Jade. Arranged for Wholehearted Chorus by Lisa G. Littlebird. Recording by Lisa G. Littlebird, guitar by Aimee Ringle.

For lyrics, individual part tracks and more, visit: http://thebirdsings.com/unseen-song/

Unseen Song by Samara Jade - LOW

This track is from the album Filthy Dirty South and is available for purchase on CD Baby here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/risingappalachia2

I'll Fly Away

Take Me Downtown

Calling Me Home / Ye Ye Bongye

Occupy

Cluck Ol' Hen

Lisa G is a songcatcher. She holds a vision for a world where singing is once again an integral part of daily community life. May we use this most ancient technology to meet life's challenges and celebrations, open our hearts, and uplift our lives.

Lisa G. Littlebird is the director of the 250-member Wholehearted Chorus in Carmel and San Diego, CA. She has been on the faculty as a community singing facilitator at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA since 2006. She is a singer, composer and teacher with more than 30 years of musical experience, facilitating community singing as medicine for our world.  Learn more at http://thebirdsings.com.

The Only Way Through by Dianne Baker

TheBirdSings