I am doing a unit about personal narratives, and I'd like to show some art slides and play some songs that depict a scene or event in detail. For example, I have two songs that could work: Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" and Sheryl Crow's "All I Wanna Do." But while PJ and Sheryl were quite cool with my generation, they aren't exactly as hip nowadays. And I don't know much about art.
Any suggestions? They need to be school appropriate (no curse words, if possible) and easy to find/download online. I'd like it if they focused on one event or experience and were interesting to kids. Help!
__________________
"We live in an age where unnecessary things are our only necessities." --Oscar Wilde
While all might be interesting for you to look through, check out Lesson #77 in particular, it's titled: "Lesson 77: Using Music to Teach Personal Narrative: “Snapshots” and “Crossing-the-Border” Songs". Pretty awesome, huh? While it might not exactly fit (since it's about immigration among Mexican-American youth, there might be some really cool things for you.
__________________
"But I want you to remember, I intend this breast satirically." Susan from Coupling
For personal narrative's I would look a singer/songwriters. John Mayer/Jack Johnson came to mind as someone good that they would know. My Stupid Mouth by John Mayer would be a good one.
Justin Timberlake's Cry Me a River might be good. Some of Kelly Clarkson's might work.
Older music like The Temptaions, The Supremes, etc have some good one in my opinion.
I'm not entirely sure what you are wanting but I think I would go as far as to say that Nick Lachey's What's Left of Me could even work.
__________________
"Despite all your best intentions, sometimes, fate wins anyway."
Um, what about Bruce Springsteen's The Rising? The album is pretty much all narrative songs about 9/11 and it's immediate aftermath. Some good ones from that album include "The Rising", which I have always interpreted as being about a first responder at the WTC. I could be wrong. Also, "You're Missing" and "Paradise" are pretty powerful. This might not be the coolest music for teens, but the subject matter will resonate.
Of course, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan keep coming to mind, especially Johnny Cash's song "I Hung My Head". But do kids these days like this music? And what about rap? When I was in high school, a lot of rap told stories, like Tupac's "Brenda's Got a Baby" and De La Soul's "Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa". Maybe these aren't school friendly, as they deal with teen pregnancy and incest, respectively. I loved them when I was in high school!
hmm... if you have kids that are into hip-hop lupe fiasco's "and he gets the girl" would work, it don't think it has any curse words in it, and it's about a nerd who works up the courage to talk to a girl that he really likes. it actually a really cute song. he also has another song called "kick push" which is about him learning to skate. i'm not sure i that's as narrative as you would want, but it's about him learning to skate. let me know if you can't find either song and i can email them to you.
another song that comes to mind is mos def's miss fat booty which is another song about a girl though there may be cursing in it.
that song with nelly & kelly rowland might work too. of course i can't think of all the words or the title, but i remember it being about him liking a girl and the courtship process.
jane says by jane's addiction
underwater by ghostface killer. i can't remember if it has curse words in it, but i do think it's a cool song. the whole thing is about him being in the ocean and the strange stuff he sees. it's kind of random, but i do think it has some really great imagery.
mona lisa -- slick rick
love's going to get you -- krs one, this might work really well, b/c the whole song is about how the love of money/material things leads him to sell drugs and all the bad things that happen b/c of that decision.
yo (excuse me miss) -- chris brown, i'm n/s if this would work but i think it's kind of narrative.
gosh, writing this makes me realize how old i am. i have no idea what kids today listen too.
thanks guys! Just what I was looking for. Does anyone have any art suggestions?
honey - thanks for the hip-hop recs. I was trying to think of HH songs and all I could come up with was Warren G's "Regulate"! LOL. You're my age, so I know you remember that song. I think I still remember all the words -- it is a narrative.
__________________
"We live in an age where unnecessary things are our only necessities." --Oscar Wilde
I'm not sure if this is "hip with the kids" or not, but The Decemberists seems to do lots of narrative songs. The Sporting Life and The Infanta come to mind, but pretty much anything off of Picaresque is a narrative. I don't think they curse either.
Can't help you with art, sorry.
__________________
Veni, Vedi, Visa.
I came, I saw, I did a little shopping.
Okay, I have some more, a little darker in subject matter. I'm sorry these are so big.
Francisco Goya The Shootings of May Third 1808, also known as The Third of May
Gruesome, I know, but it keeps popping up in my head. I think it is a very powerful painting.
John Steuart Curry Tornado Over Kansas
I studied art in high school and college, and these two paintings always stick out in my mind. The second one probably because I grew up in Tornado Alley.