More Than Just a Playlist: How Water-Related Music Brings the Hydrology Community Together

When we first invited the hydrology community to help build a collection of water-related songs, we hoped to create a playlist that could accompany us through long field campaigns, inspire new ways of teaching hydrology, or simply make the process of responding to Reviewer #2 a little more enjoyable. The response exceeded our expectations.

Thanks to contributions from our global H3S community of students, researchers, professors, and practitioners, we received 305 songs. We are now organizing them into a public playlist that we hope will become a community resource for hydrologists everywhere.

Our plan is to classify the songs into two broad categories. The first includes songs that mention water, rivers, rain, or the sea as part of their lyrics or imagery. The second focuses on songs that explicitly describe hydrological processes, water management, or historical water-related events. We hope this collection will become a useful resource for educators who want to introduce hydrological concepts in the classroom, complement lectures with music, or simply create memorable moments with their students.

But the playlist became something much larger than we expected. Along with song suggestions, we asked contributors a simple question: “Has a water-related song been part of your personal or professional journey?” The answers reminded us that hydrology is about much more than data, models, and field measurements - it’s about life. 

"One water-related song that has accompanied me throughout my academic journey is “Quede Água?” by Lenine. To me, this song goes beyond art: it conveys, in a sensitive and critical way, the centrality of water to life, territories, and social inequalities. During my academic path in water resources, this song has reminded me that water should not be seen only as a technical variable, a data point in a spreadsheet, or an element in a model. Water is also culture, memory, conflict, affection, and survival."

-Tereza Margarida Xavier de Melo Lopes, PhD Student, Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.

“I often listen to music while coding, reading papers, and working on manuscripts. Since I study precipitation characteristics and urban stormwater systems, songs related to rain resonate with me and help me create a calmer mental space.” 

-Yichen Tao, PhD candidate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, US.

“This song (Chove Chuva by Jorge Ben) is about the rain, which falls without stopping. The singer just asks for the rain to stop falling in his loved one. It’s a very famous Brazilian song. Helps me to calm down in stressful periods.”

-Bruno Marchezepe, PhD Student, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

“The image of the Yellow River in the song is not only about water, but also about persistence, resistance, and collective power. When I feel overwhelmed by research, revisions, deadlines, or uncertainty, this song reminds me that moving forward often requires courage and endurance”.

-Qianyu Zhao, Ph.D. student, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US.

Several contributors described how water-related music connects them with home:

"Music and water are deeply connected in me because of where I come from: a small town on the left margin of the São Francisco River, in Bahia (Brazil). Growing up there meant understanding the river not only as water, but as a blessing, a source of life, memory, and identity. Music has always been one of the greatest forms of expression for my people. Many songs from Bahia carry the sounds, spirituality, and emotions of the water. One that touches me deeply is Lapa Santa, by Maria Bethânia, because it brings together my city and the São Francisco River in the same song. Listening to it feels like returning home. During my academic life, especially while living far away from my hometown, water-related songs have helped me remember who I am and why I continue. They reconnect me to my roots, my family, and the culture that shaped me. The river was part of my childhood, and today it remains part of my fight, my dreams, and the future I want to build."

-Caline Cecília O. Leite, PhD Student, University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Others reflected on academic life:

"Postdoc Blues is a song I rediscover once a year, and for about 20 minutes, as I play it on repeat, it gives me a sense of comfort that John K. Samson can relate to the feeling of being an environmental researcher. Samson names the trivial things in academia I get anxiety over -- ""all wrong dongles, sweat stains, and stares"" during presentations. He also touches on the feeling of futility that can come after rejected papers and the glazed eyes of an audience, but the ""pursuit [of] a practice that will strengthen [our] hearts"" is not futile. As we continue our work through the slog, ""recommitting ourselves to the healing of the world, and to the welfare of all creatures upon it"" is a worthy endeavour. P.S. Vice has some good gifs from the music video https://www.vice.com/en/article/postdoc-blues-animated-short/"         

-Danyka Byrnes, Postdoc, Princeton University, US.  

Water-related songs can also become powerful educational tools:

“This song (Súplica cearense by O Rappa) reflects the relationship between hydrology and local culture and ways of life. In the state of Ceará, northeastern Brazil, intense rainfall typically occurs in May and June, often resulting in major floods. Throughout the remainder of the year, rainfall is scarce, and many rivers dry up. The song illustrates how this marked seasonality influences the religious faith of local communities, particularly due to prolonged drought periods that affect quality of life and access to essential services. It is a valuable resource for environmental education on water resources.”           

-PhD Alondra Perez, Brazil.

Several professors also shared how they have incorporated music into their teaching:

“I used several national and international water-related songs in my quizzes during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was very engaging and definitely helped the students become more interested in the subject. Also, as a classical guitar player, I always play and pay attention to what songs about water convey. My recommended song, Planeta Água by Guilherme Arantes, describes the hydrological cycle and water uses in an amazingly beautiful way. Please listen to it (and translate the lyrics, if needed)!”  

-Iran E. Lima Neto, Associate Professor, Federal University of Ceará, Brazil

“I started putting together this playlist in March 2020, as the world started spiraling down into the COVID pandemic. It was a way to gather happy music to keep my mind off things and to stay focus on work instead of the dreadful news. The first half of the songs were my own suggestions, and the second half were crowdsourced contributions through Twitter (initial post: https://x.com/CGerleinSafdi/status/1238495342166806528?s=20).”    

-Cynthia Gerlein-Safdi, Assistant Professor, UC Berkeley, US.

We are also especially grateful to Professors Iran E. Lima Neto, Walter Collischonn, and Cynthia Gerlein-Safdi, whose many suggestions make up a substantial portion of the songs we collected.

Although we initially set out to build a playlist, what emerged is something much more meaningful: a collection of stories showing how music accompanies hydrologists through fieldwork, teaching, research, homesickness, difficult moments, and scientific discovery. The playlist will be available soon, and we hope it continues to grow.

Do you have a song that reminds you of water or has accompanied your journey as a hydrologist? We'd love to hear your story. Please leave a comment below and help us continue building this community playlist.