Lyrics as poetry?

Cafe Society
1

Hallo all! I have the unique good fortune to be an English teacher, and I’m currently trying to revamp the school’s approach to poetry teaching for our 11 - 12 year olds. I love using music lyrics to introduce poetry, but I tend to focus on the oldies - Dylan, Beatles, Paul Simon. Anyone got any suggestions for slightly more up to date efforts? Only stipulations are:

[ul]
[li]No, or very little, swearing, violence, sex. They’re 12, fer Chrissake![/li][li]The lyrics must exemplify some poetic device or effect - metaphor, simile, personification or whatever. Simply being cool, whilst cool, is not enough.[/li][li]Preferably, something kids that age might know and like. (I’m in Hong Kong, but they listen to American charts a lot and are familiar with the new Brit bands too. Or, they will be when I’ve finished with 'em.)[/li][/ul]

Looking over this, the stipulations are pretty tight. Really, any suggestions are welcome. Thanks for any help!

2

Possibly:

Elliot Smith

Wilco

Augie March
I’ve always thought these bands/musicians had lyrics that were a bit poetic.

3

Thanks! I’m a bit of a Wilco fan, and their lyrics are often excellent. Same for Eliot Smith, but I think some of his (“I’ll send the poison rain down the drain”), whilst meeting all the stated stipulations in the first post, would bring the kids’ childhood to a crashing end. Never heard of Augie Marsh - I’ll check him / her / it out.

4

I don’t have a link but I know that the lyrics of Rush (written by Neil Peart) were used in just this way in some curricula in the eraly 1990s.

5

Not new, but when I taught poetry in my 9th grade English class, the lyrics I had the most success with were to *The River * by Bruce Springsteen. Metaphor, symbolism…you name it, it’s in there.

6

Thanks again. I don’t know anything about Rush, but I’ll ask some friends. And I hadn’t even considered the River, but when I think, it’s an excellent choice. The one I’ve heard people use a lot is some song (is it called The River too?) by Garth Brooks, but there is NO WAY I’m standing in front of a class with a bloody Garth Brooks song. Garth Bad.

7

Oddly enough, I’d recommend some Dio.

Specifically, Dio’s Sacred Heart, Invisible, and All The Fools Sailed Away.

8

Aimee Mann’s Fourth of July is rather poetic. (There was one pop-up with that site. Sorry, but lyrics sites usually always have them.)

9

I recall in ninth grade our English teacher using Heart’s “Dog and Butterfly” to introduce poetic devices in lyrics. Our assignment then was to find song lyrics with a poetic device, a short writing assignment on it with a copy of the lyrics, and bring a copy of the song to class so we could all enjoy. I remember it clearly because one of the girls audaciously chose AC/DC’s “Big Balls”; much hilarity ensued (and the teacher was cool about it).

Anyway, I only mention this because you might consider doing something similar, perhaps adjusted for the abilities of a younger set. Somehow I don’t think the suggestions so far of Rush, Bruce Springsteen, or Dio are going to have much of an impression on today’s 11 and 12 year olds.

10

Fiona Apple and Tori Amos might be good candidates, although you have to watch out for swear words. Particularly sweet in my opinion are:

Your Cloud

Pale Semptember

11

My English teach in tenth (?) grade did this with my class. She use I am a Rock by Paul Simon and Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town. I don’t know much that your students might be into, but John Mellencamp, Greg Brown, or Steve Earle might be good choices.

12

Kate Bush-
This Woman’s Work
Love and Anger
The Man With the Child In His Eyes
MAYBE- Wuthering Heights
ANOTHER MAYBE- Cloudbusting (tho you’d have to explain a bit about Wilhelm Reich, Cloudbusters & the Feds, btw there’s a great video w/Donald Sutherland)