# Appropriate song commemorating 9/11? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 11, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127 "2008-09-11T18:15:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/1 "2008-09-11T18:15:16Z")
I usually start my class with a song or two relevant to the course topic or the date in history. As fate would have it, I have a class today. I lived in Boston during 9/11/01 and obviously, there was a much greater connection to the events than folks tend to have here in Texas. I don’t want to play a “hey! It’s a 9/11 song” but I would like to play something reflective. Not too sad, because I don’t know if I want to have someone lose it in class (I count myself in that number). And I think by not playing something, my students would definitely think something was amiss. Any good suggestions? I have class at 4 pm CST. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/2 "2008-09-11T19:20:13Z")
Well, I’d play John Lennon’s “Imagine.” It’s looked upon as being a crappy, dirge of a some by some; I understand that. But the lyrics about imagining no religion, or countries, or things to kill and die for are very appropriate for such an occasion. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/3 "2008-09-11T19:24:32Z")
> [@Hippy\_Hollow](#): > > I usually start my class with a song or two relevant to the course topic or the date in history. As fate would have it, I have a class today. I lived in Boston during 9/11/01 and obviously, there was a much greater connection to the events than folks tend to have here in Texas. > > I don’t want to play a “hey! It’s a 9/11 song” but I would like to play something reflective. Not too sad, because I don’t know if I want to have someone lose it in class (I count myself in that number). And I think by not playing something, my students would definitely think something was amiss. > > Any good suggestions? I have class at 4 pm CST. Bruce Springsteen’s album, “The Rising,” is essentially all about 9/11. “Into The Fire” and “The Rising” itself are about the collapse of the towers; the latter recounts the death and, well, transcendence of a firefighter. “Empty Sky,” “You’re Missing,” and “Lonesome Day” are about dealing with loss. “Nothing Man” is about survivor guilt. ---
**Author:** ![Stauderhorse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Stauderhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stauderhorse)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/4 "2008-09-11T19:51:23Z")
“The Change” by Garth Brooks was written after the Oklahoma City bombing. It’s a very poignant, touching song about staying hopeful and compassionate in the face of tragedy. [The lyrics](http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/brooks-garth/the-change-4958.html). ---
**Author:** ![A\_shameful\_cracka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_shameful\_cracka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_shameful_cracka)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/5 "2008-09-11T19:54:05Z")
“911 is a Joke” by Public Enemy. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/6 "2008-09-11T20:25:39Z")
John Denver’s “Rhymes and Reasons” ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/7 "2008-09-11T21:02:34Z")
Mozart’s Requiem ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/8 "2008-09-11T21:22:08Z")
[Try to Remember](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thefantasticks/trytoremember.htm). It was written 40 years before 9/11, but it always makes me think of “when the fires of September made us mellow” and not utterly terrified. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/9 "2008-09-11T21:59:00Z")
It’s too late, but I’d go for: Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning - Alan Jackson and The Angry American - Toby Keith Two very different takes by country artists on the same day - I think the time passed between the events and the writing mattered. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/10 "2008-09-11T23:25:36Z")
“American Tune”, Paul Simon. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/11 "2008-09-12T00:29:02Z")
“Freedom isn’t Free” by Parker & Stone. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/12 "2008-09-12T02:25:12Z")
Realizing it’s too late, but I’ve always thought that Paul Simon’s “American Tune” made a good 9/11 anthem. (Or yeah, what **drewbert** said.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/13 "2008-09-12T02:48:58Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/14 "2008-09-12T03:03:06Z")
_Overcome_ by Live was used a lot after 9/11, they donated proceeds from the sale of the single to benefit 9/11 charities. The album which contained this song was released a week after the attacks. Here’s a link to the [full lyrics](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/live/overcome.html). > [@](#): > > even now the world is bleedin’ but feelin’ just fine all numb > in our castle where we’re always free to choose never free enough > to find i wish somethin’ would break cuz we’re runnin’ out of time > and i am overcome i am overcome holy water in my lungs i am overcome ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/15 "2008-09-12T03:05:15Z")
Yakety Sax, makes for a good tribute video i hear ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/16 "2008-09-12T03:07:36Z")
Probably not Paris - [What Would You Do?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Jesc1Vo9I) ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/17 "2008-09-12T03:18:52Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > “American Tune”, Paul Simon. Agree. I’ve always thought that song (though obviously written long before the event) perfectly captures the feelings 9/11 stirred up. [YouTube clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3kKUEY5WU). ---
**Author:** ![kivrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@kivrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kivrin)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/18 "2008-09-12T03:45:43Z")
Lucy Kaplansky’s [“Land of the Living.”](http://members.aol.com/rongrittz/lucy.htm#land) ---
**Author:** ![superwombat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superwombat/32/16616_2.png) [@superwombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superwombat)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/19 "2008-09-12T05:38:28Z")
[Exhibit 13](http://www.exhibit13.com/) by Blue Man Group. ---
**Author:** ![Camus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@Camus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Camus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127/20 "2008-09-12T05:46:14Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > _Overcome_ by Live was used a lot after 9/11, they donated proceeds from the sale of the single to benefit 9/11 charities. The album which contained this song was released a week after the attacks. > > Here’s a link to the [full lyrics](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/live/overcome.html). VH1 did a [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6edmCmtHvo&feature=related) with shots of the aftermath. It’s hard to watch, but it’s also hard to remember that things were really that bad and everyone really that cohesive at the same time. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/appropriate-song-commemorating-9-11/463127.md?page=2)