2011 STARTS HERE!

FAMILY PORTRAIT

Pink
Family Portrait

In this song it demonstrates family conflict and conflict between two people, this song provides an insight to a child’s view on divorce. Reading the lyrics of this song carefully you see that the fight about everything “You fight about money, bout me and my brother” this isn’t good for young children to grow up with.

This song relates to the novel The Secret River by the family conflicts shown. Thornhill and Sal keep things from each other which in turn creates conflict.

Momma please stop cryin, I can’t stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breakin as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn’t mean those nasty things you said

You fight about money, bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain’t easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, you’ll see
I don’t want love to destroy me like it has done
my family

Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I’ll be better, Mommy I’ll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I’ll be better, Daddy please don’t
leave

I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away
Don’t wanna go back to that place, but don’t have
no choice, no way
It ain’t easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, well I've seen
I don’t want love to destroy me like it did my
family

In our family portrait, we look pretty happy
Let’s play pretend, let's act like it comes
naturally
I don’t wanna have to split the holidays
I don’t want two addresses
I don’t want a step-brother anyways
And I don’t want my mom to have to change her
last name



By anonymous student

Pearljam - Given To Fly

Much like the Secret River, the Pearljam song Given to Fly has many similarities, especially to that of William Thornhill. “A bad time nothing could save him.
Alone in a corridor, waiting, locked out” can be closely referred to Thornhill in England when he was sentenced to be exiled to Australia. The corridor is much like his life, ‘locked’ out from society when he was convicted. When Thornhill decides to follow his instinct and discover land further in Australia. He finds himself discovering a new land which can relate to the lyrics “Deliver him wings, "Hey look at me now!". “He floated back down cause he wanted to share.This key to the locks, on the chains, he saw everywhere.But first he was stripped, and then he was stabbed by faceless men”, all these can relate to Blackwood and is how he showed the English what the aboriginals valued, further the lyrics resemble how the aboriginals reacted to the new settlers attacks and how some were treated by characters such as Smasher Sullivan. In the end of the book, Thornhill is happy yet is regretting some of the decisions he made, “And he still gets his love he just gives it away”. This resembles his take on life after he has made such a fortune from those who did not intend to harm him.

By Nick

CONVICT MAID

Convict Maid

Ye London maids attend to me
While I relate my misery
Through London streets I oft have strayed
But now I am a Convict Maid

In innocence I once did live
In all the joy that peace could give
But sin my youthful heart betrayed
And now I am a Convict Maid

To wed my lover I did try
To take my master's property
So all my guilt was soon displayed
And I became a Convict Maid

Then I was soon to prison sent
To wait in fear my punishment
When at the bar I stood dismayed
Since doomed to be a Convict Maid

At length the Judge did me address
Which filled with pain my aching breast
To Botany Bay you will be conveyed
For seven years a Convict Maid

For seven long years oh how I sighed
While my poor mother loudly cried
My lover wept and thus he said
May God be with my Convict Maid

To you that hear my mournful tale
I cannot half my grief reveal
No sorrow yet has been portrayed
Like that of the poor Convict Maid
Far from my friends and home so dear

My punishment is most severe
My woe is great and I'm afraid
That I shall die a Convict Maid
I toil each day in greaf and pain
And sleepless through the night remain
My constant toils are unrepaid
And wretched is the Convict Maid

Oh could I but once more be free
I'd never again a captive be
But I would seek some honest trade
And never become a Convict Maid

‘The Convict Maid’ is a traditional Australian folk song, which is why I have picked it, because of it’s similarities to the characters of ‘The Secret River’. The convict maid talks about her doing the wrong thing, and being sent to Australia, and her sorrow of not being able to see her family and friends for a very long time. She wishes to go back home as soon as possible. Through the song, it shows that she never does forgive herself, and the mistake she made haunts her for the rest of her life.

This song is very similar to the characters William and Sal Thornhill, in ‘The Secret River’. Will too, made a bad mistake, he was caught stealing, and also sent to Australia, with his wife, Sal. Will, although he seems not to mind being in Australia, Sal dreams of one day being able to go home to England, and be with her family once again.
Like the convict maid, Will, who did some bad things in his life, never quite forgave himself for what he put himself and his family through, and that haunted him for the rest of his life.





By Steph

Playing For Change

This social movement is all about making change in the world through music. 'Playing for Change' aims to aid world peace through the power of music. Do you think this way of encountering conflict is effective? View their latest video content at the link below and leave a post about your reaction.

Playing For Change | Peace Through Music

Posted using ShareThis

Dear America
Themes and Ideas: Song Activity

Note that the song is featured in the Dear America Movie when the troops were starting to get pulled out from Vietnam.

Rolling Stones: No Expectations

Take me to the station
And put me on a train
I've got no expectations
To pass through here again

He is going home from Vietnam, no intention of coming back again to fight.

Once I was a rich man and
Now I am so poor
But never in my sweet short life
Have I felt like this before

He used to be a rich man before he was drafted to fight in Vietnam. But now, after several years of being away, he comes back home with nothing. But even so, he never felt so happy in his life (because the war is over)

Your heart is like a diamond
You throw your pearls at swine
And as I watch you leaving me
You pack my peace of mind

Her love was very precious to him, but she gave it away to another man. This means that his wife ran away with another guy. As she left, she also took away his soul.

Our love was like the water
That splashes on a stone
Our love is like our music
It’s here, and then it’s gone

Their relationship was very fragile; it collapsed as soon as they were faced with hard problems such as him going to fight in Vietnam. It was there, and then it was gone.

So take me to the airport
And put me on a plane
I got no expectations
To pass through here again

Just a repitition of the first verse

Conclusion:

Well, basically, the song is about a soldier used to be a rich man comes home from the fighting but finds himself with nothing left, even his wife left him for another man.
I think the song is trying to tell the people of how most of the soldiers are facing real big problems after fighting such a terrible war.

Lyrics taken from: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/NO-EXPECTATIONS-lyrics-The-Rolling-Stones/C06973092E2EAC284825689A0026C5B3