Using Lyrics to Develop Students’ Critical Literacy Song lyrics

Using Lyrics to Develop Students’ Critical Literacy
    Good morning, everyone. Today we are going to talk about song lyrics as texts to develop students’ critical literacy. Lyrics and music of popular songs can represent alternative perspectives to the dominant ideologies of a particular time or place.(1)As such, they can be used effectively in classrooms to provide the voices rarely heard in textbooks.
     (2)Critical literacy, one application of critical theory, involves "reading the world" : understanding how we encode power structures, and our role in these processes. From a reading method’s perspective, the use of these song lyrics was a "pre-reading strategy" :(3)it served to activate or build on students’ prior knowledge of content to be learned.
    I have organized my examples into four topics: the environment, United States history, economics, racism and racial issues.
    Firstly, the environment. There are multiple perspectives involved in debates over environmental issues.
     (4)Tracy Chapman’s song "The Rape of the World" confronts us with our abuse of our environment. The use of the word rape, described in the song as "the most heinous of crimes" is powerful. Marvin Gaye’s "Mercy, Mercy Me" could be included as another text in discussion about the environment.(5)Exploration of these songs, the issues they address, and the tone each takes could promote critical conversations about the environment.
    The second topic is the US history. History is usually taught to students through textbooks.
    Many popular songs tell stories rarely included in textbooks.(6)"Buffalo Soldier" , written by Bob Marley, tells about the black soldiers of the 19th century—who were named "buffalo soldiers" by the Indians against whom they fought after the Civil War. Marley’s lyrics intersect these freed slaves’ histories with their patriotism. Woody Guthrie described other injustices as well. "Ludlow Massacre" vividly illustrates the 1914 massacre of poor miners in Colorado by militia hired by the mining company they worked for.
     (7)Thirdly, economics. Several songs describe how the underclass is often treated.
    Tracy Chapman describes the homeless in "Subcity".(8)She tells us how the poor see the relationships between government, big business, and their unrewarded efforts.(9)"Trouble in the Fields" also describes the difficulties faced by the family farmer. Written by Nanci Griffith at the end of the 1980s, the song compares farmers during dustbowl times with their more contemporary counterparts.
    Finally, we will mention racism and racial issues. Confronting racism is often uncomfortable. A song that can begin the conversation in classrooms is " Your Racist Friend" , by They Might Be Giants.
    Continue the conversation about racism with Bruce Hornsby’s "The Way It Is".(10)The song refers to the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964. Though this law gave legal rights to people of color, the lyrics remind us that "the law don’t change another’s mind" when it comes to prejudice.
    In this lecture we have discussed how song lyrics can be used as texts to develop students’ critical literacy. Thanks for your listening.