Poem and Lyric Assignment
                                    
#1 Civil/ Human rights

Rythm Nation
written by Janet Jackson, James Harris III, Terry Lewis
1989
performed by Janet Jackson
"Rythm Nation" makes an important statement while still keeping a
good dance beat.

With music by our side
To break the color lines
Let's work together
To improve our way of life
Join voices in protest
To social injustice
A generation full of courage
Come forth with me

People of the world today
Are we looking for a better way of life
We are a part of the rythm nation
People of the world unite
Strength in numbers we can get it right
One time
We are a part of the rythm nation

This is the test
No struggle no progress
Lend a hand to help
Your brother do his best
Things are getting worse
We have to make them better
It's time to give a damn
Let's work together come on















#2 War

Mother's Pride
written by George Michael
April 1990
performed by George Michael
"Mother's Pride" is powerful because it focuses on the most
important part of war, the soldiers.

Oh she knows 
She takes his hand
And prays the child will understand
At the door they watch the men go by
In the clothes that daddy wore

Mother's pride 
Baby boy
His father's eyes
He's a soldier waiting for war
Time will come
He'll hold a gun
His father's son

And as he grows
He hears the band
Takes the step from boy to man
And at the shore she waves her son goodbye
Like the man she did before

Mother's pride 
Just a boy
His country's eyes
He's a soldier waving at the shore
And in her heart the time has come
To lose a son

And all the husbands, all the sons, all the lovers gone
They make no difference 
No difference in the end
Still hear the woman say your daddy died a hero
In the name of God and man

Mother's pride
Crazy boy
His lifeless eyes
He's a soldier now forevermore
He'll hold a gun till kingdom come








#3 environment

What are we gonna do
written dy John Easdale
1991
performed by Dramarama
I love "What are we gonna do" it makes a point without being
pedantic.

It's April 21st and everybody knows today is Earth Day
Merry Christmas Happy birthday to whoever's bein born
And now I'm trying hard to think of something meaningful and
worthy kind of earthy to make everybody ask themselves just
What are we doin here and what are we doin to her?
I don't know. What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?

2041 the world is gonna end I got the message from a tiny little
man who only said that he'd been set. 
I'm not a protest singer. I can't write a song.
Send a message but it seems to me that this message needed to be
said.
What are we doin here? And what are we doin to her?
I don't know. What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?
What are we doin here? And what are we doin to her?
I don't know. What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?

It's April 21st and everybody knows today is earth day
Merry Christmas Happy Birthday to whoever's bein'...