We have an assignment to bring songs, or the lyrics of songs that deal with the American Dream, into class. I haven’t been able to find a list of songs so far. Any suggestions?
You haven’t! What kind of music do you listen too??
Mostly British bands, alternative Rock. Maybe that’s why.
Unusual assignment for a student in Germany … if you don’t mind me asking: do you attend an American school on base?
The “American Dream” can mean many different things. I’ll throw out a few suggestions:
“Fame” and “Flashdance (What a Feeling)”, Irene Cara
“Anthony’s Song (Movin’ Out)”, Billy Joel
“I Wanna Be Rich”, Calloway
“Makin’ It”, David Naughton
It depends on who’s idea of the “American Dream” you’re talking about. I can’t quite remember the name of the song, but the opening lyrics go a bit like this:
“If I only had a dollar, for every song I sung,
Well I’d go down to the pawn shop and I’d buy a great big gun,
I’d go down to the pawn shop and I’d buy a great big gun,
And I’d kill every darned last sunuvabitch that ever done me wrong!”
Courtesey of the Flametrick Subs. My not be the standard belief, but hey, it’s SOMEONE’s dream.
Oddly enough, most of the songs I can think of regarding “the American Dream” are negative songs, that either:
- Criticize Americans’ supposed pre-occupation with success and material wealth.
Examples? Billy Joel’s “Anthony’s Song,” Boston’s “Peace of Mind,”
- Tell the stories of poor people who once aspired to “the American Dream” but are now living in despair, and realize that “the American Dream” was a cruel hoax.
Examples? Billy Joel’s “Allentown,” “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp… heck, just about EVERYTHING by Bruce Springsteen.
But while I can think of hundreds of REAL-life examples of people who lived “the American Dream” (impoverished immigrants who worked hard and became rich, rugged individualists with an idea and a little ambition who became successful), you almost NEVER see that in pop music. Even the richest rock stars, people whose wealth and success EXEMPLIFY the American Dream, usually take a very dim view of the whole thing.
Big Time by Peter Gabriel. All about get out of the small town and making it big, buying it big, and livin’ it large.
Or Small Town by Bruce Springstein.
No, we just do English and American history and culture in English class, as does everybody else in German schools. Right now we just finished talking about “Forrest Gump” and “The American Dream” is our current topic.
Thanks for the suggestions so far, I’ll check out the lyrics to those. They can be negative, no problem.
Try American Dream by Hank Williams Jr. for starters. Then there’s Big City, done at various times by Nanci Griffith, Waylon Jennings, and a host of other country singers.
“American Dream”, by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. That one probably goes under the “cynical” category.
Sigh. Just lost a post, so I’m sorry if this shows up more than once.
The American Dream from Miss Saigon. A Vietnamese pimp sings it; his sole ambition in life is to get to America, and he has really unrealistic expectations.
“Spend and have money to spare - the American dream
Live like you haven’t a care - the American dream
What other place can compare - the American dream
Come and get more than your share - the American dream”
A few more …
“Shooting Star”, Bad Company
“Jukebox Hero”, Foreigner
“Shining Star”, by Earth, Wind, and Fire
Another one …
“Motownphilly”, BoyzIIMen
Try American Child by Phil Vassar. And perhaps Only in America by Brooks and Dunn.
Would America by Simon and Garfunkle count?
Pearl Jam - Do The Evolution? Not an overall positive view of the American dream, but sadly accurate.
Tom Petty - Into the Great Wide Open
I can’t really think of anything right now.