With today’s environment, you’re probably right on with Stranger. Would make a heck of an essay. Plus Alyssa could poke a li'l fun at America...which seems to be the going fad in Oz...oh okay, the whole world. But she'd have to think about it some before poking fun at the American "people, in general," as it is an American person who wrote this song. There is a dichotomy present that no one can deny. "People" ... or "governments"? ~~~ Although to be fare, Ed’s suggestion, Biko, is outstanding too. Just to add a bit: The story of Steven Biko is a tragic gut punch worthy of at least a forty-five minute classroom discussion. A pretty cool anthemic tune, too, that I have in at least two road mixes and one protest mix on rotation. The live version from Woodstock ’94 is powerful.
One sympathetic man beaten down dead for his efforts…
I Write What I Like
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/I-Write-What-I-Like/Steve-Biko/e/9780062500557
Information on Biko @ Steve Biko Foundation
http://www.sbf.org.za/index.htm?e-shop.htm~main
In 9th grade, the nastiest, most derisive machiavellian sort of English teacher I ever had marched us all to the library where he had a turntable set up in a conference room. He had us circle the wall around the table, while he took one vinyl album out of the sleeve and played a single song complete. Then, without comment, he played one song all the way through from the second album. We all listened in awe and looked at each other in shock: Had Lebwanowitz flipped or gotten hip? The first song was Styx, Renegade. The second was Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven. Then, having said nothing about the songs, he packed up the records, lined us up and ordered us back to the room …… where he had devised the most nightmarish pop quiz about what we’d just heard, questions undoubtedly designed to be unanswerable by kids who’d heard these songs many times. Then he drilled…and mocked us for our lack of poise & self-esteem, and hissed and dug our ducks in the dirt until we analyzed every word of those two songs, …for days it went on … until we didn’t like them anymore. It took me years to listen to Stairway to Heaven without a grimace. I know his intention was to teach us how to “listen” to the songs, …but I think deep down inside he hated those songs and hated us too. After all, he was a bastard.
& you'd better take advantage of this teacher while ye got her, she sounds one-in-a-million. ??
