<p>Al “Time Passages” Stewart had a bunch of songs directly about historical topics. These albums were released back in the 70’s. Topics were from World War II and prior.</p>
<p>In his prior life, he was a teacher.</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of seeing Stewart with Peter White, a gifted classical guitarist, in an all acoustic program in a small venue many years back. A memorable experience.</p>
<p>In deference to the previous poster, Al Stewart was the first that came to mind. From the “Time Passages” album, “Road to Moscow”, a haunting tale of Russia during WWII, detailing one soldier’s account of the war from beginning to end; loosely based on A. Solzshnytzen’s memoirs. Full of historic reference.</p>
<p>“Old Admirals”, a synopsis of the the later 19th century, early 20th British maritime history; “Warren Harding”… self explanatory; “Last Day of June 1934”… rise of and the death of Ernst Roehm (Night of the Long Knives); “Nostradomus”, citing a few of the better known of the seer’s quatrains. The entire album in fact is all historic reference. It should still be available.</p>
<p>From “Last Days of The Century”, “Helen & Cassandra”, the fall of Troy; and more obscure is The “Russians & Americans” album (I guess they call them CD’s now), a few other tracks; probably out of print.</p>
<p>And there’s 2 wonderful Gordon Lightfoot tracks, “The Canadian Railroad Trilogy”, the joining of both coasts by rail, written for the Canadian centennial & the more recent “Wreck of the Edmund Fiztgerald”.</p>
<p>My son and his friends, when they were in 8th grade, entered the National History Day Competition with a live musical performance (all were musicians). They traced popular music from 1900 through Woodstock. Their theme was integration. Big Bands, Be Bop, Doo Wop were all used. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>EDIT: Nevermind, didn’t read everything. Someone beat me to it.</p>
<p>This might be somewhat facetious, but my AP US History teacher did it.</p>
<p>She made us learn a song from the Animaniacs TV Show that incorporates the names of all the US presidents through Clinton, in order. The song’s incredibly silly, but hey, I know the order of president’s now.</p>
<p>Well, my lesson on organized labor was a great success! I started with Sixteen Tons, mixed in some lecture on key figures and overall goals, strategies, and membership of several unions, primary source analysis–speech excerpts and some union flyers and pamphlets, photos, etc. with other songs including Coming 'Round the Mountain, Solidarity Forever, Which Side are You On, and Ballad of Joe Hill. </p>
<p>All of these suggestions have been great; this thread is definitely a keeper for me! Any time a good song for US or world history comes to mind, please add it to the list, and thanks so much!!!</p>
<p>It sounds like a great class. I bet your kids will remember it for a long time. I remember my professor of an architecture class took one period off to give us a multi-media presentation on Romaniticism before introducing architecture of the period. He had several slide projectors going with paintings and architecture, played the big guns Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin. Read excerpts from literature. It was a great lecture.</p>
<p>Note: I really, really hate this song.</p>
<p>“Road to Moscow” is my husband’s favorite song. He is probably the only person, other than Al Stewart, of course, who actually knows all the words. It does evoke the pain and hopelessness of war and the Moscow campaign in particular, as well as the fear the Germans had of getting caught by the Soviets. Hate the song, but fills the bill.</p>
<p>For American cultural hisotry, how about American Pie?
Could do “Vincent”, too, European cultural history.</p>
<p>For angst of the 1960s, there’s always Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction”. But some folks may also remember there was an “answer” song to it called “The Dawn of Correction” (no kidding!):</p>
<p>The western world has a common dedication
To keep free people from Red domination
And maybe you can’t vote, boy, but man your battle stations
Or there’ll be no need for votin’ in future generations</p>
<p>So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction</p>
<p>There are buttons to push in two mighty nations
But who’s crazy enough to risk annihilation?
The buttons are there to ensure negotiation
So don’t be afraid, boy, it’s our only salvation</p>
<p>So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction</p>
<p>You tell me that marches won’t bring integration
But look what it’s done for the voter registration
Be thankful our country allows demonstrations
Instead of condemnin’, make some recommendations
I don’t understand the cause of your aggravation
You mean to tell me, boy, it’s not a better situation?</p>
<p>So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction</p>
<p>You missed all the good in your evaluation
What about the things that deserve commendation?
Where there once was no cure, there’s vaccination
Where there once was a desert, there’s vegetation
Self-government’s replacing colonization
What about the Peace Corp. organization?
Don’t forget the work of the United Nations</p>
<p>So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction</p>
<p>So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end
But I say you’re wrong, we’re just on the dawn of correction</p>
<p>The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Gil Scott Heron</p>
<p>You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.</p>
<p>The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.</p>
<p>The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.</p>
<p>There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.</p>
<p>There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.</p>
<p>Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.</p>
<p>There will be no highlights on the eleven o’clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.</p>
<p>The revolution will not be right back after a message
about a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat.</p>
<p>The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.</p>
<p>Another suggestion are some tunes by Bruce Cockburn</p>
<p>Kit Carson
Nicaragua (sp?)</p>
<p>Departee by Woodie Guthrie</p>
<p>Some “war” and "peace’ songs</p>
<p>Green Beret
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
<a href=“http://www.besmark.com/ww1b.html[/url]”>Besmark.com;
<p>and anti war songs
<a href=“http://www.lacarte.org/songs/anti-war/[/url]”>http://www.lacarte.org/songs/anti-war/</a></p>
<p>My advice would be to not inflict 60’s protest songs on the little darlin’s.</p>
<p>Not only because they probably don’t deserve it, but you are just inviting some right-wing nut job parent to sue you and the school district. Ask yourself, “do I really want to be the feature story on Bill O’Reilly’s show?”</p>
<p>U2 has some good songs</p>
<p>Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
New Years Day</p>
<p>then you have the beatles</p>
<p>Helter Skelter
Revolution</p>
<p>you can do pro- army songs and anti war songs </p>
<p>If you have a tit for tat to show how propoganda, on BOTH sides work, it can be interesting</p>
<p>If you’re looking for Pro-Army propaganda how about The Ballad of the Green Berets by Sgt. Barry Sadler</p>
<p>For the other side what about Alice’s Restaurant? (Arlo Guthrie)</p>
<p>Another suggestion 99 Red Balloons</p>
<p>You and I in a little toy shop
Buy a bag of balloons with the money we’ve got.
Set them free at the break of dawn
'Til one by one, they were gone.
Back at base, bugs in the software
Flash the message, Something’s out there.
Floating in the summer sky.
99 red balloons go by.</p>
<p>99 red balloons.
floating in the summer sky.
Panic bells, it’s red alert.
There’s something here from somewhere else.
The war machine springs to life.
Opens up one eager eye.
Focusing it on the sky.
Where 99 red balloons go by.</p>
<p>99 Decision Street.
99 ministers meet.
To worry, worry, super-scurry.
Call the troops out in a hurry.
This is what we’ve waited for.
This is it boys, this is war.
The president is on the line
As 99 red balloons go by.</p>
<p>99 Knights of the air
Ride super-high-tech jet fighters
Everyone’s a superhero.
Everyone’s a Captain Kirk.
With orders to identify.
To clarify and classify.
Scramble in the summer sky.
As 99 red balloons go by.</p>
<p>99 dreams I have had.
In every one a red balloon.
It’s all over and I’m standing pretty.
In this dust that was a city.
If I could find a souvenier.
Just to prove the world was here.
And here is a red balloon
I think of you and let it go.</p>
<p>Wow, what a fabulous idea!!!</p>
<p>There is a very rich selection to choose from for the 60s, but I’m sure you knew that. Definitely check out some Crosby Stills Nash & Young - what’s that song called about the shootings at Kent State? Can’t think of the title right off. </p>
<p>Depression: Don’t Give Up by Peter Gabriel. It’s a really beautiful song.</p>
<p>Here are the lyrics:</p>
<p>in this proud land we grew up strong
we were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail</p>
<p>no fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name
but no one wants you when you lose</p>
<p>don’t give up
'cos you have friends
don’t give up
you’re not beaten yet
don’t give up
I know you can make it good</p>
<p>though I saw it all around
never thought that I could be affected
thought that we’d be last to go
it is so strange the way things turn</p>
<p>drove the night toward my home
the place where I was born, on the lakeside
as daylight broke, I saw the earth
the trees had burned down to the ground</p>
<p>don’t give up
you still have us
don’t give up
we don’t need much of anything
don’t give up
'cause somewhere there’s a place
where we belong</p>
<p>rest your head
you worry too much
it’s going to be alright
when times get rough
you can fall back on us
don’t give up
please don’t give up</p>
<p>'got to walk out of here
I can’t take anymore
going to stand on that bridge
keep my eyes down below
whatever may come
and whatever may go
that river’s flowing
that river’s flowing</p>
<p>moved on to another town
tried hard to settle down
for every job, so many men
so many men no-one needs</p>
<p>don’t give up
'cause you have friends
don’t give up
you’re not the only one
don’t give up
no reason to be ashamed
don’t give up
you still have us
don’t give up now
we’re proud of who you are
don’t give up
you know it’s never been easy
don’t give up
'cause I believe there’s a place
there’s a place where we belong</p>
<p>Of course, John Lennon’s Imagine.</p>
<p>(btw, here is an incredible version done by Peter Gabriel for last year’s Olympics. Watch this - it is AWESOME! I didn’t think anyone else could do this song justice, but Peter is practically channeling John, his voice is so reverent. No, there is NO dubbing of John’s voice - that is all Peter! Amazing!)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hepkcgCr2U[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hepkcgCr2U</a></p>
<p>More Peter Gabriel:</p>
<p>Fourteen Black Paintings</p>
<p>From the pain come the dream
From the dream come the vision
From the vision come the people
From the people come the power
From this power come the change</p>
<p>Kennedy (or any other) assassination, told thru the eyes of the assassin:</p>
<p>Family Snapshot
The streets are lined with camera crews
Everywhere he goes is news
Today is different
Today is not the same
Today I make the action
Take snapshot into the light, snapshot into the light
I’m shooting into the light</p>
<p>Four miles down the cavalcade moves on
Driving into the sun
If I worked it out right
They won’t see me or the gun</p>
<p>Two miles to go, they’re clearing the road
The cheering has really begun
I’ve got my radio
I can hear what’s going on</p>
<p>I’ve been waiting for this
I have been waiting for this
All you people in TV land
I will wake up your empty shells
Peak-time viewing blown in a flash
As I burn into your memory cells
'Cos I’m alive</p>
<p>They’re coming 'round the corner with the bikers at the front
I’m wiping the sweat from my eyes</p>
<p>And the governor’s car is not far behind
He’s not the one I’ve got in mind
'Cos there he is-the man of the hour, standing in the limousine
"I don’t really hate you</p>
<p>We were made for each other</p>
<p>I want to be somebody</p>
<p>If you don’t get given you learn to take
And I will take you."</p>
<p>Holding my breath
Release the catch
And I let the bullet fly</p>
<p>All turned quiet-I have been here before
Lonely boy hiding behind the front door
Friends have all gone home
There’s my toy gun on the floor
Come back Mum and Dad
You’re growing apart
You know that I’m growing up sad
I need some attention
I shoot into the light</p>
<p>Nuclear war/War in general:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQpXvHBf3R0[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQpXvHBf3R0</a></p>
<p>An awesome ANTHEM for the Civil Rights movement/social injustices:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J301A0gX8EU[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J301A0gX8EU</a></p>
<p>Biko
September '77
Port Elizabeth weather fine
It was business as usual
In police room 619
Oh, because
Oh, because
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja</p>
<p>When I try to sleep at night
I can only dream in red
The outside world is black and white
With only one colour dead
Oh, because
Oh, because
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja</p>
<p>You can blow out a candle
But you can’t blow out a fire
Once the flames begin to catch
The wind will blow it higher
Oh, because
Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja</p>
<p>And the eyes of the world are
watching now
watching now</p>