And so many of which are really heartbreaking. Somehow it seems almost fated that he died so young - one more tragedy on top of all the ones he sang about.
Coach’s method for learning geography
I still remember that Albania borders on the Adriatic, is mostly mountainous, and exports chrome. I don’t think it’s a red regime anymore though.
Huh. That’s not the lesson I would have gotten from that song - more like a narrative description of how art can lift the soul and how the strictures of commerce can crush it - the kind of thing I figure Harry probably had to deal with on occasion himself.
Pinky and the Brain on neuroanatomy:
Tom Lehrer teaches three ways of doing subtraction, including in octal:
Here’s a history/geography lesson regarding a specific ancient city in Asia Minor.
For Spanish-speaking kids to learn English: “Pollito, chicken; gallina, hen; lapiz, pencil; y pluma, pen…”
That was priceless – thanks for posting!
Wolf Creek Pass teaches the same lesson. Also about checking your route ahead of time for low clearance situations.
Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire teaches you a lot about 40 years of US history, if you’re able to learn about an event just by hearing a name.
For a handy if incomplete guide to the lineup at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, look no further…
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum estimates there have been 6,000 ships sunk since the 17th century, but I can only give you the details of one.
More They Might be Giants (I told you they have a lot of these). “Mammal” teaches you about mammals.
Speaking of Weird Al, he also teaches us the common types of hernias that you can get.
This is a very obscure song about aluminum, and what it can be used for.
“Check your brakes before descending steep slopes”?
Oops: posted before finishing the thread posts. I’m outta here.
If advice that teaches something that isn’t necessary anymore is OK, then Alice’s Restaurant teaches us how to avoid the draft:
I went over to the sargent, said, “Sargeant, you got a lot a damn gall to
ask me if I’ve rehabilitated myself, I mean, I mean, I mean that just, I’m
sittin’ here on the bench, I mean I’m sittin here on the Group W bench
‘cause you want to know if I’m moral enough join the army, burn women,
kids, houses and villages after bein’ a litterbug.” He looked at me and
said, “Kid, we don’t like your kind, and we’re gonna send you fingerprints
off to Washington.”
As well as how to dispose of trash on Thanksgiving Day, when the dump is closed:
…we came to a side road, and off the side of the
side road there was another fifteen foot cliff and at the bottom of the
cliff there was another pile of garbage. And we decided that one big pile
is better than two little piles, and rather than bring that one up we
decided to throw our’s down.
Yup…see Post #55.
And if that one counts, then we should also include a song about another historical transportation related disaster, the Wreck of the Old 97.
There might be a bit of a difference between songs that teach general lessons and songs that relate bits of history, though.