SONG LYRICS ANALYSIS UNIT
DUE THURSDAY 5/3
- Song selected
- Share SEPARATE Google doc with me
- Lyrics neatly copied/typed into google doc
- Information about the song, song writers, performers, musicians, etc (Including sources)
- First 3 lines annotated (analyzed)
- Continue working on analysis or free read
- All song lyrics annotated
- Works cited complete
- Complete any revising and editing
- Post final on blog
- Make sure SEPARATE GOOGLE DOC is share with [email protected]
The Guidelines:
This essay will contain at least 3 sources that you should find on the internet. These sources should be reliable. You will also need to create a works cited page. You will use MLA style to cite your sources. Your paper should be written in a separate google doc (shared with me as soon as created).
Possible Sources Can Include:
- The source of the song lyrics themselves
- Locations on the internet where the song can be listened you (Youtube)
- A source giving information about the performers of the songs (information about them, including discussion of popularity, style, inspiration, etc.)
- Sources that help to explain the references to places and history made in the song (if any)
- Sources containing reviews or analysis of the song
- **HINT: It is much easier to cite your sources as you write your first draft. It may even be easiest to create a work cited page once you have completed your research but before you beginning drafting.
The Assignment:
Select a song that you like which has interesting (an appropriate) lyrics. Annotating the song for meaning. Turn notes/annotations into complete sentences. This will be your analysis essay. Write on separate Google doc. Final will be copied into blog and submit vis Google docs.
STEP 1: SELECT A SONG
Here are some guidelines in selecting a song.
Please avoid songs that are:
- Very long
- Too simple, with little to say and rely mostly on melody or musical arrangement and repetition.
- Part of a musical or a play in which the song becomes a part of a larger story.
- Have interesting lyrics that may include a number or verses and perhaps a refrain B. Be nationally known- that is, the song should have a broad appeal in popular culture. Please do not select a song that is not known outside the circle of your own friends or family.
- Be from a specific musical genre, such as: Rock, Pop, Rap, Hip-Hop, Folk
- Be "word-oriented" such that the song tells a story or expresses an idea or point of view or describes a situation. The purpose of the song should not be simply to show off a performance or focus on the instruments or melody.
- Be found Youtube or an artist's official webpage
- BE APPROPRIATE! Please use your best judgment. It would be a shame to have to select a new song and start over...
STEP 2: TYPE UP LYRICS
Type up the lyrics to the song (or copy and paste them). Make them look neat and tidy on the first page of your Google doc. Typically popular songs have 1) a writer of the words (lyricist) 2) a writer of the music 3) the performers of the song. However, sometimes the writer/musicians/performer is all the same person. Sometimes musicians will write songs for fellow musicians. Or the song may have been recorded numerous times by different artists. You need to keep these issues in mind when selecting and writing about a song.
STEP 3: INTRODUCE THE BAND (research)
Introduce the Musician/Band:
In the introduction to the essay, give the song title (title of songs go in quotation marks), the writer of the song (which could be several people) and the major performers of the song, which can be an individual or group. Discuss the date of the song's release (if known). Also discuss the popularity of the song or the song's performers. The information about the song and its history may take several paragraphs.
My Example: can be found by clicking on the button at the bottom
STEP 4: EXPLAIN WHY YOU CHOSE THIS SONG
Personal Connection:
Next, explain why you personally chose the song and why you like it. You may want to discuss your fascination with the song's performer(s) or if you have been to a concert where the song was performed.You may wish to talk about moments in your life which the song has been a part of. You may want to talk about ideas in the song that speak to you personally so that you can really relate to it.
My Example: can be found by clicking on the button at the bottom
STEP 5: NUMBER THE LINES YOU ARE ANALYZING
Listen to the song and find lines you wish to formally analyze. Write a (1) next to the first line you will analyze. Write a (2) next to the second line. ETC...Etc... until you have enough lines to meet your length requirement for this assignment.
My example: can be found by clicking on the button at the bottom
STEP 6: ANALYZING THE LYRICS
Your analysis of the lyrics should be written in complete sentences (and paragraphs) as you are trying to clearly explaining to someone else the meaning of the lyrics. You are NOT simply making notes. While writing the annotations, you need to think about people who do not have your musical background or tastes. You will need to explain the song to them clearly and simply. This means that for each phrase that might be confusing to a reader, that has references to geography or history or moments in the news, or cultural information, idioms, slang, you will need to write an explanation. Place numbers after each phrase in the song that requires a discussion and in the next section explain the phrase. By the time you have finished annotating, you should probably have a multi-paragraph essay.
My example: can be found by clicking on the button below