Historically, artists of all forms have spoken to the social consciences of those they have shared the planet with, from Picasso’s paintings of the horrors of World War II to Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy, Mercy Me.” We are living in historically crucial times, and artists of all types should freely comment on the state of the world and the challenges it’s facing. Tales from Earth Incorporated explores the role of greed as the root of these challenges while engaging the audience with impassioned, highly melodic, powerful music. -Dan Sheehan
Tales from Earth Incorporated is an album dedicated to raising awareness on social issues stemming from the global rise of greed and its effect on the planet and its people. Written by ASCAP award winning songwriter Dan Sheehan and released in 2019, TFEI has received airplay througout the U.S., Canada, and United Kingdom, and has also caught the ears of radio and podcast listeners in Asia and Latin America. Sheehan rediscovers the historical role of artists as social commentators, raising awareness on the most important issues of our day including climate change, gun violence and the refugee crisis, engaging the audience with catchy hooks and transforming them with inspiring lyrics, all the while avoiding the trappings of preachy-ness and partisan politics.
Tales from Earth Incorporated has been played on scores of radio stations and media outlets in the US, Canada and UK. Sheehan has toured the material in various formats in the U.S., U.K., Ireland and Spain and won “Overall Songwriter of the Year” at the 2019 Elephant Talk Music awards for the album, which was also deemed “Best Political Subject Album” in the 2020 music director awards for WHFR-FM in Dearborn, MI. The album features an ensemble of musicians from various genres, combining to tell powerful stories to catchy melodies, hooks and riffs, featuring guest appearances by Patrick Moraz (Yes/Moody Blues) and Dave Krusen (Pearl Jam, Candlebox) among other musical greats.
Use the player below to preview tracks from the album, or click the links below for lyrcis and more info on the songs.
“Riding Low (and Flying High)” – sung from the point of view of a ladder climbing, wealth builder whose zest for money, money, and more money becomes the sole obsession, this opening track lays down the foundation for the tales to follow
“Wishing Well” – the effects of climate change already threaten life as they know it on the islands of Kirabati, the Maldives, and the coastal regions of Bangladesh
“Dam That River” – indigenous Brazilians become displaced by a hydrodam project in the Amazon which threatens their way of life
“Black Gold (Ogoni Nine)” – Nigerian author Kan Saro-Wiwa lead protests against oil exploitation in Ogoniland, and find himself and eight others on trial for manufactured murder charges
“Cross the Border” – the sale of guns along the U.S. Mexico border to drug cartel runners fuels the refugee crisis on the border
“Kimberley” – a nine year old boy works the diamond mines of Zimbabwe at gunpoint to help fuel Robert Mugabe’s war against rebel forces
“Teotihuacan” – a mega-retailer shows how money can overcome federal and local laws prohibiting the erection of a store by Teotihuacan’s historic Aztec pyramids
“Ring Ding Ding” – buildings catch fire and collapse in Bangladesh sweatshops where profits take precedence over worker safety
“Zero Tolerance” – teens and pre-teens in Pennsylvania committing minor infractions get lengthy stays at a for-profit juvenile detention center when local judges are given kickbacks to keep the facility at full capacity
