Charlie Morris releases online version of "Got Greedy"

Oil fouls our beaches and it fouls our lungs
Cars kill our dogs and our teenage sons
Now they're off to war, and we all know why
But maybe they wouldn't have had to die
If we hadn’t got greedy

We all got greedy

Florida singer/songwriter Charlie Morris wrote those words in 2008. He’s sad but not surprised that a major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has given them new relevance.

In honor of Earth Day, BluesPages Records has released a special online edition of Got Greedy. On the new web site, at www.gotgreedy.com, you can hear the song, read the lyrics, see some dirty pictures and follow links to various sites about energy and environmental issues.

In light of the oil spill now threatening Charlie’s home state, BluesPages has decided to donate all the revenue from Got Greedy in 2010 to charities assisting in the cleanup efforts, or working to end offshore oil drilling.

Is Morris jumping on the oil spill bandwagon to grab publicity? No and yes, he answers.

“I was against offshore oil drilling when I moved to Florida in 1980, and I was against it when I wrote Got Greedy in 2008. I wrote the song to publicize the damage that fossil fuels are causing to our environment, our economy and our society. The more I can help get people talking (and acting) about this vital issue, the better.”

Eliminate offshore drilling? Isn’t that liberal pie in the sky?

“Clean energy is a national security and economic issue. Even if climate change were nonsense, we’d still need to phase out fossil fuels. We send billions of dollars to regimes that oppose our democratic values, and some of that money goes to the terrorists who are killing our soldiers. Global demand for clean energy is skyrocketing, and so far, the lion’s share of profits from this economic boom is going to China. We need a clear, fair price on carbon to unleash America’s entrepreneurs and position our economy for the 21st century. Yes, it is a tax, and yes, it will increase gasoline prices. So far neither President Obama nor anyone in our government has shown the kind of extraordinary leadership that will be required to make this happen. Thomas L Friedman is the author who most eloquently explains why this high-tech revolution is so critical for our country."