# That'll teach you! Songs that are lessons **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [December 9, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555 "2025-12-09T15:32:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/41 "2025-12-09T17:52:36Z")
Rush’s Cygnus X-1. Tells much about the titular black hole (and general black hole fun facts) I also learned just today what “Rocinante” refers to. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/42 "2025-12-09T17:58:07Z")
Hurricane by Bob Dylan. It may not be the most accurate lesson but it’s definitely a lesson about the murder case against Ruben “Hurricane” Carter. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/43 "2025-12-09T17:58:30Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I also learned just today what “Rocinante” refers to. Don Quixote’s horse? What does that have to do with black holes? ---
**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:** [December 9, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/44 "2025-12-09T17:59:19Z")
It is more of an editorial/protest song than a tutorial. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/45 "2025-12-09T18:03:34Z")
The sun is a mass of incandescent gas. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/46 "2025-12-09T18:05:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > It is more of an editorial/protest song than a tutorial It’s also quite impressive recounting of the events of the arrest and trial (in that it’s still a fairly good song but it’s also an account of the events, not that it recounts them from an accurate or unbiased point of view) It certainly taught me all I knew about the case until Wikipedia came along. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/47 "2025-12-09T18:06:09Z")
![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/jSdgjP8os7U/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/jSdgjP8os7U?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDjSdgjP8os7U A good one… ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/48 "2025-12-09T18:07:06Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > What does that have to do with black holes? Ask Neil Peart: I set a course just east of Lyra And northwest of Pegasus Flew into the light of Deneb Sailed across the Milky Way **On my ship, the Rocinante** Wheeling through the galaxies Headed for the heart of Cygnus Headlong into mystery ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/49 "2025-12-09T18:08:13Z")
Gilbert and Sullivan’s step-by-step guide to making your very own heavy dragoon: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ATr8RCe7Y74/maxresdefault.jpg "Sullivan: Patience / Act 1: If you want a receipt for that popular mystery") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATr8RCe7Y74) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/50 "2025-12-09T18:09:34Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > The sun is a mass of incandescent gas. There’s a moon in the sky, it’s called the moon ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/51 "2025-12-09T18:20:57Z")
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils provide instructions for several tasks in this one. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/JYczI5bL-ss/maxresdefault.jpg "OZARK MTN DAREDEVILS- "IF YOU WANNA GET TO HEAVEN"(LYRICS)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYczI5bL-ss) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/52 "2025-12-09T18:24:14Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > [https://youtu.be/ABXtWqmArUU](https://youtu.be/ABXtWqmArUU) There may be fifty ways to leave your lover, but the song only tells you five of them. So less informative than it might have been. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/53 "2025-12-09T18:28:56Z")
The Animaniacs song “Several Drops of Rain” is a succinct, and rather catchy, explanation of the water cycle: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCW\_JOx5dvQ&list=RDDCW\_JOx5dvQ&start\_radio=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCW_JOx5dvQ&list=RDDCW_JOx5dvQ&start_radio=1) ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/54 "2025-12-09T18:32:57Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > t’s also quite impressive recounting of the events of the arrest and trial (in that it’s still a fairly good song but it’s also an account of the events, not that it recounts them from an accurate or unbiased point of view) > > It certainly taught me all I knew about the case until Wikipedia came along. Dylan’s “Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” and Woody Guthrie’s “Deportees” and “1913 Massacre” would be other examples of this subgenre of “storytelling/protest” songs which assume their audience is unfamiliar with the event being protested and needs to hear the full story. I would say these qualify as “lesson” songs. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/55 "2025-12-09T18:34:39Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > It is more of an editorial/protest song than a tutorial > > It’s also quite impressive recounting of the events of the arrest and trial (in that it’s still a fairly good song but it’s also an account of the events, not that it recounts them from an accurate or unbiased point of view) > > It certainly taught me all I knew about the case until Wikipedia came along. If recounting historical events counts, then I nominate the Gordon Lightfoot ballad _[The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vcc8pzMNo2I)_. ---
**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:** [December 9, 2025, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/56 "2025-12-09T18:35:23Z")
I would prefer not to get into the whole protest song sub-category, please-it is too large. maybe someone can start a protest song thread? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/57 "2025-12-09T18:37:27Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > > > Know Your Rights > > Unlike 99 Problems more political polemic than useful advice 😉 “Murder is a crime unless it’s done by a policeman” that’s not gonna help you much when you get pulled over. Of course it is a polemic song, but close to the truth in 1982, and closer to the truth now. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/58 "2025-12-09T18:43:30Z")
The song Zombie by the Cranberries taught me about the issue was between Northern Ireland and the UK, at least it helped to direct me to look further into it. I never quite understood what they were fighting about for so long until I heard that song. Or what an actual real life Zombie was. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/59 "2025-12-09T19:36:10Z")
Queen’s '39 is a neat little ditty about relativistic space travel, and makes an attempt to explain time dilation. For so many years are gone Though I’m older but a year ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2025, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555/60 "2025-12-09T19:50:27Z")
How about Benson, Arizona from the movie Dark Star… Now the years pull us apart I’m young and now you’re old But you’re still in my heart And the memory won’t grow cold I dream of times and spaces I left far behind Where we spent our last few days Benson’s on my mind Benson, Arizona Blew warm wind through your hair My body flies the galaxy, my heart longs to be there… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thatll-teach-you-songs-that-are-lessons/1025555.md?page=4)