Time for a song?

Share the lyrics of your favorite song(s) about school, learning and teaching. Some of my favorites include...

We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school ~ Bruce Springsteen

...I've long since retired and my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I'd like to see you, if you don't mind
He said I'd love to Dad, if I could find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking you Dad, it's been real nice talking to you.
And as I hung up the phone it occured to me
He'd grown up just like me, my boy was just like me...

~Harry Chapin

We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave those kids alone
Hey! teachers! leave those kids alone!
All in all you're just another brick in the wall...

~Pink Floyd

and last but not least, "Teach Your Children" ~Crosby, Stills & Nash

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Permalink Reply by Dan on March 16, 2009 at 7:03am

If it weren't for kids have you ever thought,
There wouldn't be no Santa Claus,
Or look what the stork just brought
Thank God for kids.
And we'd all live in a quiet house
Without Big Bird or a Mickey Mouse
Or Kool-aid on the couch
Thank God for kids.

Chorus:
Thank God for kids there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child.

Daddy, how does this thing fly?
And a hundred other where's and why's
I really don't know but I try
Thank God for kids.
When I look down in those trusting eyes
That look to me I realize
There's love that I can't buy
Thank God for kids.

Chorus:
Thank God for kids there's magic for a while
A special kind of sunshine in a smile
Do you ever stop to think or wonder why
The nearest thing to heaven is a child.

When you get down on your knees tonight
And thank the Lord for His guiding light
And pray they turn out right,
Thank God for kids.
Thank God for kids.

-Oak Ridge Boys (recently covered by Kenny Chesney

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Permalink Reply by Rob Kovacs on March 16, 2009 at 9:09am

Fall is here,hear the yell
back to school,ring the bell
brand new shoes,walking blues
climb the fence,books and pens
I can tell that we're going to be friends

Walk with me,Suzy Lee
through the park and by the tree
we will rest upon the ground
and look at all the bugs we found
then safely walk to school
without a sound

Well here we are,no one else
we walked to school all by ourselves
there's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all the ants and worms
we clean up and now its time to learn

Numbers,letters,learn to spell
nouns,and books,and show and tell
at playtime we will throw the ball
back to class,through the hall
teacher marks our height
against the wall

And we don't notice any time pass
we don't notice anything
we sit side by side in every class
teacher thinks that I sound funny
but she likes the way you sing

Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed
when silly thoughts go through my head
about the bugs and alphbet
and when I wake tommorow I'll bet
that you and I will walk together again
cause I can tell that we're going to be friends

- The White Stripes

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Permalink Reply by Dan on March 16, 2009 at 10:36am

Did Jack Johnson cover this?

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Permalink Reply by Johnathan Chase on March 16, 2009 at 7:40pm

Go on to sleep now, third grader of mine.
The test is tomorrow but you'll do just fine.
It's reading and math, forget all the rest.
You don't need to know what is not on the test.

Each box that you mark on each test that you take,
Remember your teachers, their jobs are at stake.
Your score is their score, but don't get all stressed.
They'd never teach anything not on the test.

The School Board is faced with no child left behind
With rules but no funding, they’re caught in a bind.
So music and art and the things you love best
Are not in your school ‘cause they’re not on the test.

Sleep, sleep, and as you progress
You’ll learn there’s a lot that is not on the test.

Debate is a skill that is useful to know,
Unless you’re in Congress or talk radio,
Where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed
'Cause rational discourse was not on the test.

Thinking's important. It's good to know how.
And someday you'll learn to but someday's not now.
Go on to sleep, now. You need your rest.
Don't think about thinking. It's not on the test.

Not On The Test by Tom Chapin

Also check out the music video

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Permalink Reply by Johnathan Chase on March 31, 2009 at 4:07am

When I think back
On all the crap I learned in high school
Its a wonder
I can think at all
And though my lack of edu---cation
Hasn't hurt me none
I can read the writing on the wall...

~ Paul Simon

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Permalink Reply by Amy Clay on March 31, 2009 at 7:40am

maybe I'm in a cynical mood today, but I love this song by Cursive called "Bad Science"

Moms and dads break up their gangs,
take away their roller skates
Give them algebra and trig
raisins, dates, or figs
But take away the gingerbread and cake

Every husband, every wife, every cop, every teacher
everybody do the taking away
every law, every curfew, ever Bible-branded textbook
watch the kiddies do the breaking away

Moms and dads say,
"No more bands
no side projects, no solo careers
no young love
no kissing fish
no pets at all
no fun
and
I think we've had enough art, Mr. Marks."

Every molecule, every atom, every single particle
down to the quark

Do the breaking apart!

No skateboard no swimming pools
until you've finished your state approved chemistry,
kid!
Break it down to the electron and quark
and please tell us what happens when the particles spark

Every molecule, every atom, every single particle
down to the quark

Do the breaking apart!

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Permalink Reply by Johnathan Chase on March 31, 2009 at 7:56pm

My son was home from college (education major secondary science ) and shared this song by Asher Roth that he says has become quite popular at gatherings.

Some of the lyrics are quite graphic so I'll post excerpts. The song certainly gives "higher" education a whole new meaning....

I Love College

...Drink my beer and smoke my weed
but my good friends is all I need
Pass out at 3, wake up at 10,
go out to eat then do it again

Man, I love college, ay!
And I love drinking, ay!
I love women, ay!
Man, I love college

I can't tell you what I learned from school but
I could tell you a story or two, um
Yeah, of course I learned some rules
Like don't pass out with your shoes on
(Get the Sharpie!)

And don't leave the house 'til the booze gone...

...Hold the beer bong, nothing wrong with some fun
(Here, hold this)
Even if we did get a little bit too drunk
Time isn't wasted when you're getting wasted
Woke up today and all I could say is

That party last night was awfully crazy I wish we taped it...

...Do I really have to graduate?
Or can I just stay here for the rest of my life?

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Permalink Reply by Johnathan Chase on May 10, 2009 at 5:52am

"Little Weapon" by Lupe Fiasco is a very powerful and graphic song about youth violence and child soldiers...

Little Terry got a gun, he got from the store,
He bought it with the money he got from his chores,
He robbed candy shop told her lay down on the floor,
Put the cookies in his bag took the pennies out the drawer.

Little Kalil got a gun he got from the rebels,
To kill the infidels and American devils,
A bomb on his waist,
A mask on his face,
Prays five times a day,
And listens to Heavy Metal.

Little Alex got a gun he took from his dad,
That he snuck into school in his black book bag,
His black nail polish, black boots and black hair,
He's gonna blow away the bully that just pushed his ass...

The chorus for the song...

Little Weapon,
Little Weapon,
Little Weapon
We're calling you
There's a war
if the guns are just too tall for you
We'll find you something small to use
Little Weapon, Little Weapon, Little Weapon
We need you now, pow

Ending of the song even references youths interest in violent video games and what they are learning...

...B for the Bombs press pause for your moms,
Make the room silent, she don't approve of violent games,
She leaves resume activity,
Start and blew hearts with poor harsh wizardry,
On next part I insert code
To sweeten up the little person' murder workload
I tell him he work for
CIA with A
A operative, I operate this game all day
I hold a controller connected to the soldier
With weapons on his shoulder he's only seconds older than me
We playful but serious, now keep that on mind
for on line experience