“We Didn’t Start the Fire” –A song about Post War America by Billy Joel
NJCCS#:
What fire…? What fire you ask? Well I’ll tell you what fire. The fire of conflict, the cold
war, of history. When Billy Joel wrote the song he did so with a firm understanding of
history and a keen appreciation of the key events that have shaped post war America.
Well let’s face it. The song is a classic! The problem is that most Americans only know
about ¼ of the items in the song. What am I going to do about it?
What are you going to about it is more like it…
This will be a buddy project. What do you do?
1. Each group will create a PowerPoint that explains assigned lines in the song. You
can get info however you want, books, internet, family etc…just don’t be wrong
or it will cost you.
2. Here is the fun part, write your own sixth stanza. “What?” Yep. The last stanza
was written in 1989 so the sixth stanza will be about the 90s or the 00s? OMG I
AM SOOOOOOOOOO OLD
3. You will then help me grade the presentations. Do you know understand what the
song is about? Why? Why not?
4. This will count as a quiz grade.
Why are we doing this?
 Understand the impact of the Cold War in American culture
 Understand post WWII American culture, and selected world events
 Evaluate which events of the Cold War were of the greatest significance
 Critically examine recent events in American history
 Research history using a wide variety of media.
Rubric
Max Points
Historical Accuracy
Behavior in LMC
Clarity of PowerPoint
Presentation of information to class
—did you teach the class.
Sixth Stanza
Actual presentation, are you ready, are you mature
Handing in this paper
Total
25
30
10
10
10
10
5
100
Actual Max Points
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray Arena, Krista M Antonelli, Julia
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio Bandaria, Karan Azzari, Kyle
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television Brennan, Kevin MichaelBingham, Blair Nicole
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe Choi, Jenny Bourgeois, Zachary J
Rosenbergs, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom DeNardo, Natalie Noel Brown, Shane Tyler
Brando, "The King and I", and "The Catcher in the Rye" Dougherty, Sydney Bryson, Christopher Marc
Eisenhower, vaccine, England's got a new queen Gonzales, Amanda MarieCarmichael, Ashley Levon
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbyeHeck, Tyler Castilla, Analee
CHORUS
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Josef Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev Kelly, Kevin L Cook, John William
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc Kucuk, Duygu Ecem Dougherty, Justine Marie
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, DacronLaubenstein, Corey S Dougherty, Kacey
Dien Bien Phu Falls, Rock Around the Clock Meyers, Joanne M Franks, Jonathan Paul III
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn's got a winning teamMonroe, Samantha Gail Grugan, Erin C
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland O'Leary, Erin Hoban, Raymond John
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, KhrushchevPatel, Tej Hofferica, Sydney Claire
Princess Grace, Peyton Place, Trouble in the Suez Reibstein, Felicia Hurff, Kirsten
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, KerouacReisenwitz, Brittini N Kachich, Maxwell Aristide
Sputnik, Zhou Enlai, Bridge On The River Kwai Rumer, Eileen K Kaplan, Jennifer
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California Baseball, Sadler, Daniel Leitner, Patricia Ann
Starkweather homicide, Children of ThalidomideSannasardo, Debra A Lemon, Timothy
Buddy Holly, Ben Hur, Space Monkey, Mafia Schiavo, Joseph Martinez, Danielle
Hula Hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go Sevo, Marina McGraw, Liza
U2, Syngman Rhee, payola and KennedySpeese, Jessica Merilli, Nicolette
Chubby Checker, Psycho, Belgians in the CongoTanguay, MeiLeen J Monteith, Catie C
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land, Tilton, Taylor Nasir, Zunaira Rashid
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion Van Fossen, Robert Donald Pepe, Joseph Ernest
Lawrence of Arabia, British BeatlemaniaWaldron, Emily Porch-Camarillo, Josephine
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson Wark, Abigail G Sindoni, Kristine
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British Politician sexYates, Edward Charles Spaulding, Stevie L
J.F.K. blown away, what else do I have to say Zahoor, Talha Stergin, Haleigh
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again Straub, Austin Robert
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock Sweeney, Brandon William
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, Terror on the airline
Ayatollah's in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan
Wheel of Fortune, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide
Foreign debts, homeless Vets, AIDS, Crack, Bernie Goetz
Hypodermics on the shores, China's under martial law
Rock and Roller cola wars, I can't take it anymore
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning since the world's been turning.
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
It will still burn on, and on, and on, and on...
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it
But we tried to fight it
We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire...