Famous and Brilliant Music Lyrics

Trotter

Some of the music heads here might be able to help me out.

Im teaching a class of 11 year olds who enjoy doing poetry through music lyrics. We spent a while deconstructing 'imagine' by John Lennon this week, and it really hit the spot. We had great philosophical debates, arguments, silences.. everything I wanted to achieve.

We had torn Imagine apart and debated it for ages until I played the song and there was a group.. Aaaahhhh.. .. result!

So.. I want to do it again, but with a different song. It needs to be a song where they may not spot the significance of it until they actually here it sung to the music.

Im thinking maybe the lyrics of American Tale.. the song "Somewhere out there". Its got rhyme, imagery, and a bit of mystery there as to what it might be all about (if you've never seen the film).

So.. any suggestions? Keep in mind that they need to recognise the song, but not necessarily from the lyrics. I'll play the song for them at the end of the lesson.

Thanks for your help!

BaZmO*

Great idea, but cue loads of "Spice Girls" "Westlife" and Cheeky Girls" suggestions.

Trotter

BaZmO* wrote:

Great idea, but cue loads of "Spice Girls" "Westlife" and Cheeky Girls" suggestions.

Im hoping for... lets say.. responses in the same manner as the request.. so, please God no cheeky girls.

Devon

Sheesh... 11 year olds...

Pearl Jam's "Daughter" or "Jeremy" worked for me but to a slightly more mature audience. The songs themselves are upbeat but are actually about abuse. Quite the paradox.

Ehh... American Pie, Sunday Bloody Sunday might work depending on how smart they are. Blink 182's "I Miss You" springs to mind, but then again so does Del Amitri's "Nothing Ever Happens".

I wish you well!

sceptre

Tempted as I am to say "Kokomo", how about Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound Of Silence"? Or "Bridge Over Troubled Water"? Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings"? (though they mightn't recognise the song) Don McLean's "Vincent" for schmaltz purposes (or American Pie)? Clapton's "Tears In Heaven"? Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes"? I'd say "Strawberry Fields" but you've already done Lennon. Suzanne Vega's "Luka"? Something by Cohen suitable for the kiddie generation?

Best examples I can think of songs with really really cruddy lyrics that improve no end when heard are "Yesterday" and "The Star Spangled Banner" (the poetry in the latter is worse than anything I could put together drunk in the dark)

c - 13

sceptre wrote:

... how about Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound Of Silence" ...

I second this. Alot of S&G's works are very lyrically rich and would prove for interesting debate, I Am A Rock could work too. Whats the one with the really odd lyrics, ah yes "Punky's Dilemma"

DarkJager

How about 50 Cents Wanksta?

"We in tha club doin' the same ol' two step
Gorilla unit cuz they say we bugged out
Cuz we don't go nowhere without toast"

Why does 50 feel he needs toast? What is the metaphorical toast he speaks of? Is it a metaphor for his pain of being dry fvcked by his record execs? The sheer starchyness of growing up in the hood?

It could open a nice debate for you!!

Kali

The Stranglers - Golden Brown

purple'n'gold

James Taylor's "fire and rain"

grumpytrousers

Heroes by David Bowie. History lesson included as well; do todays eleven year olds know what the Berlin Wall actually was?

Sceptre mentioned a bit of Dylan, and i was gonna row in with a bit of Bruce Springsteen, but I mean, "born to run" and "thunder road" might be a bit much, but certainly the twin themes of escape'n'all are pretty obvious

Title aside, Generation Sex, by the Divine Comedy. Admittedly about as lyrically subtle as a sledgehammer/nail combo to the underclackers, it's got a great poetic shape, with the shortline rhymes and the like!

There's loads of other good 'uns...perhaps the classic archtypal English groups like The Kinks, Squeeze, Housemartins...3 minute kitchen sink dramas; again, you get some good 'breaks' from the plodding ABAB stuff there...

best of luck with 'ver kids anyway!

Trotter

Thanks to those who gave some very good ideas. I also knew some people would try and waste my time but hey!.. isnt that always the way with boards!

The sound of silence is good.. but remember they're 11

Tears in Heaven is good.. but I dont want to completely put them on a downer either!


I dont think Im going to beat imagine.. Pity I did that first. I just didnt realise it'd work so well.

kmick

Someone once told me they loved U2 and that th lyrics on their latest album were some of the best they had done. Elevation was the single.

High, higher than the sun
You shoot me from a gun
I need you to elevate me here
At the corner of your lips
As the orbit of your hips
Eclipse
You elevate my soul
I've got no self control
Been living like a mole now
Going down, excavation
High and High in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high
Elevation
A star
Lit up like a cigar
Strung out like a guitar
Maybe you can educate my mind
Explain all these controls
Can't sing but I've got soul
The goal is elevation
A mole
Digging in a hole
Digging up my soul now
Going down, excavation
I and eye in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high
Elevation
Love
Lift me up from out of these blues
Won't you tell me something true
I believe in you
A mole
Digging in a hole
Digging up my soul now
Going down, excavation
High and high in the sky
You make me feel like I can fly
So high
Elevation
Elevation
Elevation
Elevation
Elevaaation

:rolleyes:

walrusgumble

few more beatles tunes could do the trick, "high with a little help from my friends" "we can work it out" i know the lyrics are simple but there's good meaning to them.

when they get older "teenage kicks" might be handy.or common people by pulp

d'ya wanna be a spaceman-oasis, "the west awake",
try teaching them fields of athenry without using the refrain "sinn fein" "ira" (despise anyone who does that) someone said david bowie' hereo's that is a good idea. u2's "one"

what class are you teaching them, english? jesus wished i had someone like you when i was eleven. least you will get them to think or themselves and use their imagination, what was the feed back from the class like?

maybe you should ask all of your class to think of a song, pick one, least they will contribute.

Trotter

walrusgumble wrote:

what class are you teaching them, english? jesus wished i had someone like you when i was eleven. least you will get them to think or themselves and use their imagination, what was the feed back from the class like?

maybe you should ask all of your class to think of a song, pick one, least they will contribute.

Its 5th and 6th class. Yeah I like when they get into stuff and start arguing and discussing etc. All I do then is guide it.. I have a list in my head of the things I want to discuss or explain, so I just nudge the discussion in those directions from time to time, and then ultimately cover the curriculum the same way.

11 year olds dont really do feedback.. and songs that are about relationships would tune them out.. it could take 3 days to pull them back into "the zone" then. Thats why Im struggling to beat Imagine. Its simply written but theres so much scope for opinions on what he's trying to say.

If I get them to pick the song, I can lose control of what I need to teach. By choosing the "poem" or lyrics myself, I can plan ahead for what I need to teach in terms of the curriculum. If I choose one that engages them, they enjoy it, and I tick the boxes.

Easier said than done

Kevster

Personally, I think that you can never go wrong with these:

BJ Thomas - Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head,
And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed,
Nothin' seems to fit.
Those, raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'.

So I just did me some talkin' to the sun,
And I said I didn't like the way he got things done,
Sleepin' on the job.
Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'.

But there's one thing, I know,
The blues they send to meet me, won't defeat me
It won't be long, 'till happiness steps up to greet me.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head,
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red,
Cryin's not for me,
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin',
Because I'm free,
Nothin's worryin' me.

---

Cue the trumpet

---

It won't be long 'till happiness steps up to greet me.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head,
But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red,
Cryin's not for me,
'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin',
Because I'm free,
Nothin's worryin' me.

---

---

---

Brian Hyland - Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

She was afraid to come out of the locker.
She was as nervous as she could be.
She was afraid to come out of the locker.
She was afraid that somebody would see.
One, two, three, four, tell the people what she wore,

It was an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini,
That she wore for the first time today.
An itsy bitsy teentie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini,
So in the locker she wanted to stay.
Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell you more.

She was afraid to come out in the open,
And so a blanket around she wore.
She was afraid to come out in the open.
And so she sat bundled up on the shore,
Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore.

Now she is afraid to come out of the water,
And I wonder what she's gonna do.
Now she is afraid to come out of the water,
And the poor little girl's turning blue.
Two, three, four, tell the people what she wore.

So in the water she wanted to stay.
From the locker to the blanket.
From the blanket to the shore.
From the shore to the water.
Yes there isn't any more.

Wertz

Why hasn't anyone mentioned a Pink Floyd track yet?
Some of the concepts may be a little beyond a lot of eleven year olds but their imagery and poetry on tracks like Breathe or Wish You Were Here is outstanding....


Unfortunately not as famous as they should be to the current generation. Maybe you could start a trend

sceptre

Wertz wrote:

Why hasn't anyone mentioned a Pink Floyd track yet?

I was considering it but thought it would fall foul of Trotter's hope that they'd actually recognise the track when they heard it.

Trotter

sceptre wrote:

I was considering it but thought it would fall foul of Trotter's hope that they'd actually recognise the track when they heard it.

Yeah thats it, part of the idea is for them to see that a poem can become a song, and its good if they recognise the song.

sceptre

How about "Morning has broken" by Cat Stevens?

crosstownk

Id like to hear their interpretation of "Bohemian Rhapsody", or maybe "A Town Called Malice"

is_that_so

I remember learning this one years ago from cat Stevens - Sad Lisa at about the same age. No idea what it was about but a very simple tune.

Might I also suggest Harry Chapin - Cat's in the Cradle or Flowers are Red.

Guess_Who

Profit in Peace by Ocean Colour Scene but not too sure if 11 year olds will recognise it.

Trotter

Guess_Who wrote:

Profit in Peace by Ocean Colour Scene but not too sure if 11 year olds will recognise it.

Bingo.. Now thats good. Simple, a big message, and sure they could even learn the song too.

Nice one.

Guess_Who

Glad to have been of help trotter. Let me know how you get on with it.

Trotter

Guess_Who wrote:

Glad to have been of help trotter. Let me know how you get on with it.

It might be a while before I get back to it, but Im certainly gonna use it as soon as possible!

Backtoblack

And then a great big God, who ought not to exist, sticks out a great big hand and grabs me by the wrist and asked me "why" and I say "well god its like this" .... " it may be arrogance or just appauling taste, i'd rather use my pain than let it all go to waste on some old god who tells me what i want to hear as if i cannot tell obedience from fear"... etc..


Thats part of a song from an album by the devine comedy..
I haven't heard it in a few years but i used to recite along with it as it played when i was a teenager. lol
That's off by heart up there still.. my memory isn't failing me yet!

Backtoblack

Jeff Buckley has some amazing lyrics on Grace too! RIP.

Trotter

Backtoblack wrote:

Jeff Buckley has some amazing lyrics on Grace too! RIP.

They're... 11 years old

Backtoblack

Trotter wrote:

They're... 11 years old

eh.. oops! LOL Sorry Trotter, I didn't read the Original post.
It must be the late hour!
In saying that, no harm in braving the kids for the big bad world either??
:rolleyes:

D'OH!

Colonel Kurtz

Some of Bob Dylan's earlier stuff should be ok (and interesting) for 11 year olds

Like Blowin' in the Wind, or A Hard Rain's gonna fall.

The_g-man

The Byrds: Turn,Turn,Turn.