English Homework- A little help please.

[punkrockandbeer]

Ok. Since you guys know your music, you can help me out with my assignment. I have to analyse a song and do an oral presentation. I need some suggestions for a really good song, alot of depth to the lyrics and alot of references and stuff like that. So if you have any ideas that would be awesome.

thanks.

[phatRedge]

i did Anti-Flag - Die for your government, i said it was like a speech at a peace rally with the talking verses and the chant like chorus's. but do anything by dead kennedys really. Like Halloween, Holiday in cambodia or moon over marin

[wang]

just do an emo song, you can just talk about how certain things meen certain things.. haha i cant think of the words to describe what i meen, ive been out of school 6 months and my brain has gone rotten.

[tebit]

i did the same sorta thing early this year @ school

i did 'perfect people' by pennywise and just talked about acceptance in society and talked about its relevance to refugees

[Bhoy on the Dock]

I used the Sex Pistols cover of (I'm not your) Stepping Stone, originally penned by the monkees of all people.

I can't really remember what I spoke about now, it was nearly four years ago, from what I recall though I spoke about their lack of conformity and their attitudes, the way they were different from everything else at the time, the way every one else was picky and choosy who they were seen with, but the pistols just acted themselves, the monkees did the same thing to an extent, they weren't accepted by everyone, but they still did their stuff, and the whole I'm not your stepping stone thing - I'm not someone you can leap frog over to get higher up the food chain.

Basically, I just rambled the kinda shit a naive sixteen year old kid who thinks he's punk would say. Maybe that should have been advice on what not to do.

Alternately you could use their cover of My Way

[punkrockandbeer]

some good suggestions ladies, i will have to downlaod a few of them. None of you have your speaches laying around ....say on your computer do you?

[punkrockandbeer]

i could just do a hardcore song, The teacher will have no idea what there actually saying so i can make everything up. Or alternatively i coul play the decline, it would just be funny watching everyone waiting for it to finish.

[Bhoy on the Dock]

That was one of the reasons I was originally going to do Umbabarauma by soulfly, only one other person in the class would have been able to understand the lyrics, partly because it's in Brazilian Portugeuse.

I just destroyed all my school work last year when I moved. But I doubt mine would be any help any way.

[punkrockandbeer]

dang. Its my dream to have my homework done with out actually doing it.

[Bhoy on the Dock]

Yeah the year elevens in my form loved me for my work, come to think of it so did half the people in my year.

I remember submitting metallica songs and smashing pumpkins songs as poetry in year ten, now that was gold.

["insert lyrics here"]

if u wanna show a film clip i recomend using nofx: franco unamerican
i may have sum of it on my computor... but im in dud english so the chances of it making sense r remote, i seem to remember it being only on paper that i mostly just drew stuff on. anyway its a good clip so yah use it... do a video clip and get extra marks... what yr r u in?

[punkrockandbeer]

im in year 11. This is for TEE english.

[phatRedge]

yeh i did it last year in TEE english. i may have it on my account at school, if i do ill post it

[phatRedge]

here i found it, i wrote it like 2 years ago,

It is clearly evident when listening to Anti-Flag that they have strong political influences and that these views stand out in the majority of their songs. Song themes range from the heavily political terrorism, poverty and the testing of chemical warfare on American soldiers to the comedic recounting of a destruction of a friends abode, humorously entitled "Spaz's house destruction party" and the ironical description of a fellow punk rocker, Captain Anarchy, showing that they have a lyrical diversity. The strong political opinions are also recognisable by the names of several of their albums including "North America Sucks" and "Die for your government". The title track for the aforementioned LP "Die for you government" contains very powerful and controversial lyrics claiming that the American government infected their own soldiers with dangerous chemicals during last centuries wars. Through the use of theme and structure Anti-Flag help to promote the anti-war beliefs they embody. These themes challenge the traditional attitudes and values of society, that men should fight for their country in times of need.

Anti-Flag believe the glorification of dying for you country is false and unjustified and that people shouldn’t have to die for a cause. They challenge the morality of war and are anti-conscription. Lyrics such as "Subject test group: Gulf battle field troops" is an allusion to the chemical warfare used in the Gulf war. There is also the statement "First world war veterans, slaughtered by General Eisenhower" which relates to the second world war when veterans of WWI were not shown the respect they deserved. The band also believes that citizens deserve the right to be informed on the horrors of war as most of society is uneducated on the matter. Their non-conformist attitude is further highlighted in the later stages of the song.

The final verse of the song contains the statement "I don’t need you to tell me how to" at the beginning of every line. This proves that they want to make their own opinion and aren’t conforming to society’s views. The use of an expletive directed at "You" demonstrates their displeasement of being told what to do and how to act. The non conformist opinion is also mimicked by the structure by not following the traditional method.

The song starts unlike most other songs. It opens in a chant, first with only the one voice, then on the second repetition a backing voice, symbolising that the view is shared. The opening chant like repetition of the chorus is similar to that at a peace rally tying in with the spoken word verses making it as though it is a musical speech at one of these anti-war demonstrations. The chant section is repeated in the latter stages of the song, though this time with a drums backing, symbolising that there is an added support with the chant. It also keeps the rhythm of the section.

There is a definite rhythm to the song but no rhyme or metre. This continues the anti-conformity embedded throughout the piece. The chorus is very strong sounding when compared to the verses. It has a lead up from the final section of each verse in which the singer's voice increments louder as does the guitar, becoming less muted with every stroke. The drum beats also increase at regular intervals ending in a drum roll into the chorus. The final chorus ends in a fade symbolising that the band are willing to promote their argument until the end.

You've gotta die for your government is a perfect example of the opinions political punk rockers, Anti-Flag, hold and how controversial they are willing to be. The lyrics "I never have, I never will, pledge allegiance to their flag" goes against the whole American notion of being patriotic and dying for the stars and stripes. Also by referring to the flag as "theirs" presents that the band are ashamed to call themselves American although hailing from Pittsburgh. This band believes not what their country can do for them, nor what they can do for their country but what they can do for peace.

[punkrockandbeer]

Thats awesome dude. I will have to read up on the chemical weapons used during the gulf war because im only vaguely familuar with it all. I dont think i will steal the whole thing however.

Quite a smart bunch here, how did all you guys do in the TEE?