As a fan of James Taylor since the late sixties, I have found that his lyrics always capture the essence of human nature. And, as a naturalist, his song "Gaia," on the "Hourglass" CD, is my personal favorite.
Decrying man's obsession with technology and his intent to "tame nature," the song also takes aim at our presumed rights as God's "chosen" species. At the same time, Gaia expresses a reverence for the beauty and harmony of the natural world and encourages the listener to step back from our narrow and self-righteous view of man's role on this planet.
I could continue to write these blogs for another twenty years and still fail to express the naturalist philosophy as effectively as this single song does. My thanks to James Taylor for a beautiful and inspiring work of art.
