Musical Connections Assignment
Step One:
Listen to the songs on your iPod. You’re looking for two songs that have a connection (a
common theme, motif, metaphor, symbol, style, etc.). Make sure that the lyrics have enough
depth so that you have something to analyze. Your songs may have a swear or two, but keep it
school appropriate (nothing graphically sexually for example). If your songs are not appropriate,
you will receive a zero on this assignment (if in doubt, run the lyrics by me first). You will have
to play the songs on the day of your presentation, so you must either bring in an mp3 player with
the song on it or a cd with the song on it. You may use the song that presented for the first
project if you can find a song that connects to it.
Step Two:
Analyze the songs you chose. You MUST analyze: THREE examples of figurative language
(simile, metaphor, symbol, repetition, etc.), subject, tone, and theme IN EACH SONG. Analyze
doesn’t mean identify, so it is not enough to simply state. You must use quotes from the songs
and analyze what they mean. See the attached example.
You must hand in a written copy of your analysis of the required components (figurative
language, subject, tone, and theme), but they do not have to be in essay form. Fill the required
component into the graphic organizer. See back for example.
Step Three:
You must analyze the connection between the two songs that you chose. There is a portion of
the graphic organizer for this. Make sure that you use quotes from BOTH songs and explain
how the element (i.e. a common symbol, theme, etc.) is the same in the two songs.
Step Four:
You will have to present your song analysis to the class. You will have to play your song for the
class, hand out a copy of the lyrics to all students (you can make copies for free in the English
lab), and then explain your analysis of all the elements as well as the connection between the
songs. This will count as a separate grade from your written analysis. If you do not do your
presentation, you will end up failing the project as a whole, which is not a smart idea in term four
of your senior year (especially if your grades in previous terms have been low).