A passionate lifelong advocate for environmental and social justice causes, Dana Lyons’ concerts and lectures are a moving mix of music, comedy, and impassioned call to action to defend the rights of our world’s peoples, creatures, and imperiled democracies.
Listen to "Cows With Guns"
by clicking the play button on the right.
About Dana Lyons
Comedy & Activism
“Leader of a moo-vement. . . Catapulted to cult status.”
-The Portland Oregonian
“One of the finest performers I’ve ever seen.”
-Dean Evenson, Co-Founder Soundings of the Planet
“It’s the indie success story of the year.”
-Indie Magazine, Australia (Cows With Guns)
“Every movement has its minstrel. The unions had Woody Guthrie. The Peace Movement had Phil Ochs. The environmental movement has Dana Lyons.”
-Captain Paul Watson, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
“An out of control Johnny Cash.”
-The Western Front, Bellingham, WA
Dana Lyons Dana Lyons, best known for his global hit “Cows With Guns," tours the world singing and speaking out for environmental, social justice, animal rights, and peace causes. He has recorded a CD with Dr. Jane Goodall, and his song “Circle the World” has become an anthem sung around the globe on World Peace Day. Dana has released eight CDs, two award-winning illustrated books, and has appeared with many notable performers, including Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Stephen Stills, Utah Phillips and John Trudell.
Singer and songwriter of global indie hit “Cows With Guns”
• #1 For The Year on Dr. Demento • #2 on Australian Country Charts • 10 months on Seattle’s Top 40 • 6 months on Ireland’s Top 40
“’Free Bird’ used to be the rock anthem of Memphis. Now its “Free Cow”.
-Tim Spencer, WEGR Rock, Memphis, TN
As heard on Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!
As seen on CNN Headline News & in Entertainment Weekly Magazine
Dana Lyons' and Dr. Jane Goodall’s CD release, “Circle the World,” is a beautiful mix of Jane Goodall telling stories of chimpanzees and working for peace and environmental justice and Dana’s inspiring ballads. Dana met Dr. Goodall when she wrote an endorsement for his award-winning book “The Tree” (illustrated by Dave Danioth, published by Illlumination Arts). Dana performs regularly at Dr. Goodall’s youth activist program, Roots and Shoots. The title track “Circle the World” celebrates Dr. Goodall’s campaign to have folks all over the world parade with giant peace dove puppets on the United Nation’s World Peace Day, September 21st.
Listen to "Circle the World"
by clicking the play button on the right.
Anti-oil war anthem “I’d Go Anywhere to Fight For Oil to Lubricate the Red, White and Blue” was a radio hit in Ireland while simultaneously being pulled off the air by the BBC in England. “Lube” is heard on community radio stations across the US, Australia, and Canada and on Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now!”. “Lube” was written in January 1991, and re-released in March 2003, without changing a word. Dana would like to thank the Bush family for helping keep this song alive.
Listen to "I'd Go Anywhere to Fight for Oil to Lubricate the Red, White and Blue"
by clicking the play button on the right.
Award Winning-Author
Cows With Guns the Book
Illustrated by Jeff Sinclair
Published by Penguin
Winner of the Bullitzer Prize
“Utterly Amazing” Cow Tse Tongue
Dana’s award-winning illustrated children’s book The Tree
Illustrated by Dave Danioth
Published by Scholastic Books & Illumination Arts
Contains forwards by Pete Seeger and Julia Butterfly Hill
The Tree - Winner of the Earth Hero Award and the Skipping Stones Honor Award
“The Tree should be on every child’s bookshelf. The illustrations are hauntingly beautiful. The message is powerful - we must take peaceful action to save what we love.”
-Dr. Jane Goodall
Listen to "The Tree"
by clicking the play button on the right.
Listen to "Cows With Guns"
by clicking the play button on the right.
To book a concert, workshop or lecture with Dana Lyons - email.
Workshops and Lectures
In addition to performing concerts, Dana also is available to give workshops and lectures (always with a song or two mixed in) on a number of environmental, musical or self-empowerment topics (see partial list below). Dana has worked for over 25 years in the environmental movement. Universities often bring Dana to their campus for a daytime workshop or lecture followed by an evening concert.
Workshop Topics:
Public Speaking Workshop With Performer & Activist Dana Lyons
If we want to work to improve our communities and our world, we have to reach out and talk to others. Some cultures encourage and nurture us as children to speak our minds in large groups of people. Some cultures humiliate and discourage us from speaking out. Most of us grew up in the latter.
Public speaking is a key element in community organizing and self-empowerment. There are tools, skills and tricks we can all practice and use to be better public spokespeople.
Dana Lyons has been working as a musician, performer, activist, and organizer for thirty years. He has worked on many environmental and social justice campaigns around the world in many cultures. In his Public Speaking Workshop he shares some basic skills and insights that can greatly improve your public speaking approach.
In the workshop we will discuss a range of skills, tools, and methods to help improve your public speaking. We will discuss how to prepare a speech, and then each participant will prepare and present a one-minute speech in order to practice some of the skills we have discussed.
Topics of Discussion:
Proper Use of a Microphone
How to Enunciate So All Can Hear and Understand You
How to Dress
Being Yourself, Being Authentic
Preparing Your Introduction
Writing Your Speech:
Outline, Written Speech, Use of Humor, Speaking From the Heart With No Script, Research & Referencing Your Information
Question & Answer Sessions: How to Handle Them
How to Close Your Talk
Songwriting Workshop With Songwriter & Recording Artist Dana Lyons
Listening to Your Muse Songwriting is magic and weird and wild and untamed. Songs come from trees, birds, the wind, boats, vacuum cleaners, dreams, and your heart. Some songs start with the music. Some start with the words. Some start with the drums. Dana Lyons shares how he writes songs and explains some of the tools and mysteries he’s observed that help in songwriting. Workshop participants and Dana will write a song together, and as time allows, look at songwriting projects of some of the workshop attendees.
Three Approaches to Songwriting Dana discusses three methods of songwriting:
1. starting with the music
2. starting with the words
3. writing words to someone else’s music
Dana Begins a New Song at Every Workshop Dana writes 90% of his songs starting with the music. After singing a song or two and discussing how those songs were written, Dana breaks out the mini tape recorder and starts writing a new song on the spot, to demonstrate how he writes most of his songs.
The Workshop Writes a Song Dana then leads the class in “speed songwriting” and the participants attempt to complete a first draft of a song that day. First, we break into small groups and come up with a list of possible themes for a song. After choosing the song theme, everyone brainstorms ideas for lyrics. Then Dana helps cobble the various lyric ideas together with some music, and voila!: A first draft of a song.
School Workshop Participants May Perform Their Song In schools where I’m performing at an assembly after the songwriting session, if time allows for completing a song and a bit of rehearsal, the workshop participants may perform their song at the assembly. Teachers will have a sense if this is appropriate for the class.
Making a Living as an Activist or Artist: How to Pay The Rent While Doing What You Love and Believe In With Singer/Songwriter and Environmental & Social Justice Activist Dana Lyons
It is possible to “pay your rent” and do what you love and believe in. The method can be described in two words: low overhead.
Musician and activist Dana Lyons discusses how he and other activists and artists have made enough money to live on AND work at what they love. As time allows, some participants will share their dreams with the group and we will design an initial five-minute business plan for a possible approach to pursuing such a lifestyle.
Some points that will be discussed include:
Low Overhead Live in a group house. Drive an inexpensive used car. Shop at the thrift store for clothes. Don’t buy “stuff.” Every you don’t spend is an hour you don’t have to work, and an hour you can use for your own projects. Or an hour to just hang out and enjoy life.
Half Time Gig Work the highest paid flexible part-time gig you can find (half time for the bills, half time for you).
The rest of your time you can pursue your dreams.
Debt Debt is a four-letter word. Get out of it.
Debt is a form of self-enslavement greatly encouraged by the banking industry and dominant consumer culture.
Volunteering Can Lead to a Paid Gig Initially most activists and artists don’t make much money from what they do. It’s possible you never will. It’s also possible that your hard volunteer work could evolve into a paid position at a non-profit or other situation.
Business Plan To complete large projects (recording a new album, building a large sculpture, starting a non-profit, saving a hunk of endangered habitat, etc) takes a large hunk of time. You’ll need a rough plan/strategy for how to set aside your time to complete your project.
Mental & Physical Health We live in a crazy upside-down suicidal society rushing toward the abyss like a pack of doped-up lemmings drowning in a giant bowl of denial flavored Koolaid. Other than that the world is an amazingly beautiful place. Taking time to be sane and happy is critical. Go camping. Dance. Work out. Cook fine meals. We’ll discuss these and other methods of maintaining sanity and happiness.
Burnout Many dedicated activists and artists face exhaustion and burnout sometimes. We can (and must) take care of ourselves so our work can be sustainable. Naps, vacations, exercise, and going to the great outdoors are key. We’ll discuss the art of “sustainably harvesting ourselves.”
Community Service Few things in life give us more satisfaction than giving to our community. We are each blessed with some incredible gifts to share.
Lecture Topics:
Corporate Globalization and the WTO
After the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers made corporations illegal. They’re not illegal anymore. In his talk, Dana discusses the history of corporations in the United States and how they came to have such phenomenal power. He also talks about how the WTO and World Bank affect labor, environmental, and social justice issues. Dana tells about his experience in the “Battle of Seattle” (WTO protests in December, 1999). He discusses the international movement against Corporate Globalization and how student movements around the world are attempting to shut down global economic forums through protest. And of course, Dana will get down and do the ‘John Travolta‘ as he sings "WTO Disco," a re-make of the Village People's “YMCA.”
Listen to "WTO Disco"
by clicking the play button on the right.
Taking Back the American Democracy
• A Point by Point Overview of Voter Suppression & Election Fraud in the 2004 Presidential Election
• Election Reform: Taking our Democracy Back
Why would a government choose to use computer voting machines with no verifiable paper trail? (Hint: it's not about reducing paper use.) Why would a government purposely put more voting machines per person (shorter lines) in some neighborhoods and less voting machines per person in other neighborhoods (longer lines)? Dana Lyons has worked his entire career organizing folks to take part in our democratic process in order to protect the environment, social justice issues, and our democracy itself. Now the very fabric of our democracy is threatened. Dana leads a discussion of what happened in the 2004 election and what we as a people can do to take our democracy back.
Listen to "My Country"
by clicking the play button on the right.
Grassroots Strategy & Community Organizing: A History of the Environmental Movement
Gwich'in Leader Sarah James, Dana & Painter and Honor Day Founder Silversong
Over the past 25 years Dana has worked with many organizations from Green Peace to the Audubon Society to protect habitats and endangered species. He has toured around the world singing and speaking to raise awareness for critical ecological issues (see list below). In his talks, Dana discusses the use of community organizing, civil disobedience, and legislation that environmental groups have used successfully to achieve their objectives. Dana also covers the current environmental and sustainability movements and focuses on how student groups (such as United Students Against Sweatshops, 350.org, and the Student Environmental Action Coalition) are often leaders in the worldwide environmental movement.
Saving the Arctic Wildlife Refuge
The Struggle of the Gwitchin Indians to Save the Caribou Calving Grounds from Oil Drilling Dana has traveled all over the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and performed up and down the Yukon River at Gwitchin Indian Villages throughout the Arctic. The Gwitchin, known as “Caribou People” are fighting to stop oil drilling in the calving grounds of the great caribou herds. Destruction of the caribou calving grounds (located in the north of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge) threatens the caribou as well as the Gwitchin way of life. Dana speaks about the latest efforts of the Gwitchin Nation and the Environmental Community to protect the caribou calving grounds from oil development.
“The Buffalo are gone. But we can still save the Caribou.”
-Gwitchin Elder
Listen to "Chosen By My People"
by clicking the play button on the right.
To book a concert, workshop or lecture with Dana Lyons - email.
Major Tours
Yukon River Tour, Alaska Traveled with Gwitchin Spokesperson Sarah James and performed at Gwitchin Villages on the Yukon River as well as in the interior of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.
Sea Shepherd Tuna-Dolphin Campaign Worked in the engine room of the Sea Shepherd from Key West, Florida through the Panama Canal to the west coast of Costa Rica trying to halt tuna fishing boats from killing dolphins.
Interstate-90 Tour Drove with a 50 gallon drum of “fake” nuclear waste on top of a station wagon from Boston to Seattle to dramatize the US Department of Energy’s plan to transport nuclear waste by truck from the east coast to Washington State’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation.
Green Peace Ozone Campaign Toured the eastern part of the U.S. promoting a boycott of Tropicana Orange Juice, which, at the time, was owned by the same company that owned Dupont, the largest maker of ozone depleting CFCs in the world.
Ancient Forest Rescue Expedition Traveled around the U.S. with a 700-year-old Douglas Fir log on an 18-wheeler to dramatize the cutting of ancient forests in the Pacific Northwest.
Australia and New Zealand Toured with singer/activist John Seed (who sings with Dana on their environmental children’s album “At Night They Howl at the Moon”) to raise awareness about logging old growth forests Down Under.
Siberia and Kazakhstan Performed for new citizen environmental groups which sprang up just after Glasnost (the breakup of the Former Soviet Union). Worked on project to bring computer equipment and funding to new citizen eco groups.
James Bay Tour Toured New England with singer/activist John Seed and Cree spokespeople calling for northeastern states to drop their contracts with Hydro-Quebec. Hydro-Quebec proposed to flood an area the size of the state of Vermont on Cree Indian land for hydroelectric power.
Redwoods Conducted several tours to raise money and awareness to protect the last remaining old growth redwoods in California. Took part in historic Redwood Summer of 1990.
Alaska: Keep it Wild Toured several times throughout Alaska singing and speaking about environmental issues facing this state.
Universities and Colleges Where Dana Has Performed (Alphabetized by State)
Stanford University, CA
University of California–Davis
University of California–Los Angeles
University of California–San Diego
University of California–Santa Cruz
Colorado College
Fort Lewis College, CO
University of Colorado
Connecticut College
University of Connecticut
Wesleyan University, CT
Yale University, CT
University of Delaware
Georgetown University, DC
University of Florida–Gainesville
Kauai Community College, HI
University of Idaho
Lafayette University, IN
Purdue University, IN
Tulane University, LA
Audubon Expedition Institute, ME
Bates University, ME
College of the Atlantic, ME
Unity College, ME
University of Maine–Orono
Maryland Institute College of the Arts
University of Maryland
Brandies University, MA
Hampshire College, MA
Harvard University, MA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tufts University, MA
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Hamline University, MN
Carroll College, MT
Montana State University
University of Montana
Dartmouth College, NH
Princeton University, NJ
Stockton University, NJ
Trenton State College, NJ
University of New Mexico
Cornell University, NY
New York University
State University of New York–Albany
State University of New York–Stonybrook
State University of New York–Syracuse
St. Lawrence College, NY
Syracuse University, NY
Union College, NY
Duke University, NC
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Warren Wilson College, NC
Western Carolina University, NC
Ohio State University
Concordia University, OR
Lewis and Clark College, OR
Pacific University, OR
Portland University, OR
Reed College, OR
Umpquah Community College, OR
University of Oregon
Carnegie Mellon University, PA
Drexel University, PA
Pennsylvania State University
Swarthmore College, PA
University of Pittsburgh, PA
Brown University, RI
University of Tennessee–Knoxville
Vanderbilt University, TN
Middlebury College, VT
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh
Central Washington University
Clark College, WA
Columbia College, WA
Eastern Washington University
Evergreen State College, WA
Gonzaga University, WA
Green River Community College, WA
Olympic College, WA
Pacific Lutheran University, WA
Shoreline Community College, WA
Seattle Central Community College, WA
Seattle University, WA
Skagit Community College, WA
South Seattle Community College, WA
South Sound Community College, WA
Spokane Falls Community College, WA
University of Puget Sound, WA
University of Washington
Washington State University–Pullman
Washington State University–Vancouver
Wenatchee Valley College, WA
Western Washington University
Whatcom Community College, WA
Whitman College, WA
To book a concert, workshop or lecture with Dana Lyons - email.
A passionate lifelong advocate for environmental and social justice causes, Dana Lyons’ concerts and lectures are a moving mix of music, comedy, and impassioned call to action to defend the rights of our world’s peoples, creatures, and imperiled democracies.
Comedy & Activism
Dana Lyons' and Dr. Jane Goodall’s CD release, “Circle the World,” is a beautiful mix of Jane Goodall telling stories of chimpanzees and working for peace and environmental justice and Dana’s inspiring ballads. Dana met Dr. Goodall when she wrote an endorsement for his award-winning book “The Tree” (illustrated by Dave Danioth, published by Illlumination Arts). Dana performs regularly at Dr. Goodall’s youth activist program, Roots and Shoots. The title track “Circle the World” celebrates Dr. Goodall’s campaign to have folks all over the world parade with giant peace dove puppets on the United Nation’s World Peace Day, September 21st.
Anti-oil war anthem “I’d Go Anywhere to Fight For Oil to Lubricate the Red, White and Blue” was a radio hit in Ireland while simultaneously being pulled off the air by the BBC in England. “Lube” is heard on community radio stations across the US, Australia, and Canada and on Amy Goodman’s “Democracy Now!”. “Lube” was written in January 1991, and re-released in March 2003, without changing a word. Dana would like to thank the Bush family for helping keep this song alive.
Corporate Globalization and the WTO