A 5th Grade teacher whose school subscribes to GreenBookofSongs.com® asked us to suggest songs she could use when teaching about the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction. Her syllabus included the following discussion points:

1. Devastation in the South after the war, from different viewpoints
2. Government plans for Reconstruction
3. Segregation and discrimination (e.g., “Jim Crow” laws)
4. Sharecropping

This is not one of our easier assignments! But we were able to find a good selection of songs. See the Amazon.com widget at the end of this post to listen to audio clips.

Devastation in the South after the war, from different viewpoints

• An Old Unreconstructed Waylon Jennings. This folk tune vehemently expresses a Rebel soldier’s resentment of the side that defeated him.
• Hard Times Come Again No More Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Though written by Stephen Foster prior to the Civil War, the song provides an effective backdrop for a discussion of the poverty and loss experienced throughout the South at the war’s end.
• No More Auction Block For Me Sweet Honey In The Rock. This spiritual captures both the pain of the past and the hope for the future.

All three songs can be found on the album Songs Of The Civil War (Columbia).

Government plans for Reconstruction

Many teachers will enjoy Oscar Brand’s album Presidential Campaign Songs, 1789-1996 (Smithsonian Folkways). Songs relevant to a discussion of Reconstruction include:

• If The Johnnies Get Into Power. Northern suspicion of Southern politics is clear in this James Garfield campaign song.
• For Hayes And Wheeler, Too. Here too, Southern candidates are portrayed as hostile to the values of the Union.

Segregation and discrimination (e.g., “Jim Crow” laws)

Some songs in the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Prejudice may be too graphic or intense for younger grade levels. We suggested the following songs as appropriate for 5th Grade students.

• When Will I Get To Be Called A Man Big Bill Broonzy. This WW II-era song conveys the frustration of being a second-class citizen.
• I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free Nina Simone. Simone’s rendition of this emotionally powerful song is positive and Gospel-oriented.
• Alabama Blues JB Lenoir. This classic blues song describes how murderers of Black victims were set free by the state.
• Jim Crow Blues Leadbelly This is a general but age-appropriate protest of Jim Crow laws.

Sharecropping

• Pick A Bale Of Cotton Leadbelly. This staple of American folk music has a long history. It provides a musical backdrop for discussions of the sharecropping life.

Finally, here are two lesson plans on the Reconstruction period that teachers may find helpful:

• http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/teachers/pdfs/segment7-1.pdf
• http://www.voicesacrosstime.org/come-all-ye/ti/2006/Song%20Activities/0405PekarWhittakerWorkSongs.html

Please share with us any songs you’ve used when teaching about this important period in American history!

Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas. The images of Americans calling for help from rooftops and flooded streets will stay with us forever.

In our post on this topic last year, we looked at songs from the personal, the political and the practical perspectives. This year, we list songs of rebuilding and renewal, of strength and hope. New Orleans — indeed, the entire Gulf Coast – will not be washed away.

1. How’s Your House Ian Hunter; ReDefine 8/29-C (NOMRF.org)
2. Let Your Light Shine R. Kelly; Single-Let Your Light Shine (Jive)
3. Poor Man’s Paradise Subdudes; Street Symphony (Narada)
4. Washed By The Water Will Hoge; Draw The Curtains (Rykodisc)
5. We Got Each Other (The Evacuation Song) Imagination Movers; Eight Feet (Walt Disney)

For all 64 songs on this topic, see GreenBookOfSongs.com® category Danger & Disaster: Hurricane Katrina.

Time for teachers to welcome students back to school! Here are some songs to make it fun for all involved.

1. Back To School Again Four Tops; When She Was My Girl (Island Def Jam)
2. Fifteen Taylor Swift; Fearless (Big Machine)
3. First Day Of School Imagination Movers; Juice Box Heroes (Walt Disney)
4. Get’cha Head In The Game B5; ST/High School Musical (Walt Disney)
5. New Kid In School Alphabet Rockers; Alphabet Rockers (School Time)
6. Principal’s Office Young M.C.; Stone Cold Rhymin’ (Delicious Vinyl)
7. School Is In Josie Cotton; Valley Girl-Music From The Soundtrack-C (Rhino/WEA)
8. Theme From “Welcome Back, Kotter” John Sebastian; Best Of John Sebastian (Rhino)
9. We’re Going To Be Friends White Stripes; White Blood Cells (Warner Bros.)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Beginnings, Friends and School.

Country artist Jimmy Wayne completed his 1700-mile walk from Nashville to Phoenix on August 1, 2010. The goal of his “Meet Me Halfway” project was to raise awareness of the plight of foster youths. These teens — often refugees from abusive, neglectful homes — are left homeless and alone when they “age out” of the foster care system at 18.

To honor Wayne’s commitment to this important cause, GreenBookofSongs.com® compiled this list of songs about adoption and foster care. Wayne will soon be on his way home to Nashville, where he plans to write songs about this experience. We look forward to adding them to this list.

1. Happy Adoption Day John McCutcheon; Family Garden (Rounder)
2. I Am Your Mother Too Keb’ Mo’ with Brenda Russell; Big Wide Grin (Sony Wonder)
3. I Love You This Much Jimmy Wayne; Jimmy Wayne (Dreamworks)
4. Independence Day Martina McBride; The Way That I Am (RCA)
5. Nobody’s Child Sword & Spirit Band; Single-Nobody’s Child (SwordSpirit.net)
6. State Of Massachusetts Dropkick Murphys; The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred)
7. Temporary Home Carrie Underwood; Play On (19/Arista Nashville)
8. This Is My Forever Family Chuck Kent; Same/Same-Songs For Adoptive Families (Chuck Kent)

A sad entry into the GreenBookofSongs.com® catalog is its newest category, Danger & Disaster: Oil Spills. Spurred by the ongoing tragedy of the Gulf oil spill, the Green Book has now begun collecting songs about this and other oil-related disasters.

The Green Book Of Songs By Subject has a long history of cataloging songs about disasters, both man-made and natural. Examples include songs about shipwrecks, road accidents and train disasters; floods, hurricanes and ecological woes; and more recent categories devoted to songs about 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. In addition, two rich categories for Protest and Politics: Social Injustice contain numerous songs decrying war, poverty and prejudice.

This new list differs from most Green Book categories in that it contains several grassroots contributions, including several homemade videos. Many of the songs we’ve gathered so far have been donated in order to raise money for the human and animal victims of the Deepwater spill. In keeping with that spirit, we are printing here the entire initial list of 14 songs, with links where available to a source where you can purchase and contribute.  Your suggestions for additions to this category are welcome.

1. Black Gold Dr. John; Video-Black Gold (DirtyCajuns.com)
2. BP Blues dirtycajuns; Video-BP Blues (DirtyCajuns.com)
3. Cry For The Fishermen Acoustic Fusion; Gulf Coast Relief-C (Global Green USA)
4. Don’t Go/BP Amoco Pearl Jam; Video-Don’t Go/BP Amoco (YouTube.com)
5. Drill Baby Drill Gil; Gulf Coast Relief-C (Global Green USA)
6. F.BP Revolving EffeX; Video-F.BP (YouTube.com)
7. Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick John Fahel; The Great Santa Barbara Oil Slick (Water)
8. Hole In The Ocean, A Joe Monto; Video-A Hole In The Ocean (AHoleInTheOcean.com)
9. It Ain’t My Fault Gulf Aid All Stars featuring The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, Tim robbins and Trombone Shorty; Video-It Ain’t My Fault (Gulf Aid)
10. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) Marvin Gaye; What’s Going On (Motown)
11. Oil Is Blood Anfo Merc; Road Rage (Aluminum Legion)
12. Oil Song Steve Forbert; Best Of Steve Forbert-What Kinda Guy? (Nemperor)
13. Our World (Gulf Spill Awareness Version) Buckcherry; Video-Our World (Gulf Spill Awareness Version) (Geffen)
14. Sex Kills Joni Mitchell; The Beginning Of Survival (Geffen)

Widely considered the most frequently taught whole-length text in schools across America, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird and its central characters, Scout, Jem, and Atticus, create a fascinating story that continues to grip the hearts and minds of readers young and old.  Employing the resources of The Green Book of Songs by Subject, LitTunes‘ Chris Goering has written this flexible lesson plan. It identifies songs that are useful in illustrating and teaching universal themes of justice, character, and coming of age. The plan features four pedagogical approaches that incorporate American popular music as a bridge between students and their music and between literary themes and lyrics.

Here are some samples of the songs used in the lesson plan to exemplify each of this timeless novel’s themes. See the complete lesson plan for a full description of themes, and the many GreenBookOfSongs.com® categories with relevant songs.

1. Social Inequality: Baloney Again Mark Knopfler
2. Political Inequality: The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll Bob Dylan
3. Moral Character: Atticus Taught Me Cary Cooper
4. Coming of Age: Walk Tall John Mellencamp

Looking for a playlist to celebrate America’s birthday? Here are positive songs from various eras in our history. To find more, see the GreenBookofSongs.com® category Holidays: Fourth Of July.

1. American Child Phil Vassar; American Child (Arista)
2. Back In The U.S.A. Chuck Berry; Chuck Berry’s Greatest Hits (Everest)
3. Better In The USA Glenn Frey; The Allnighter (MCA)
4. Chicken Fried Zac Brown Band; The Foundation (Atlantic/Home Grown/Big Picture)
5. R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A. John Cougar Mellencamp; Scarecrow (Riva)
6. This Is Worth Fighting For Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra; 4^th Of July-Living In America-C (Goldenlane)
7. You’re A Grand Old Flag Jon Peterson; George M. Cohan Tonight! (Sh-k-boom)

 C = Compilation

Whether you get a summer vacation or not, it’s time to relax! Here’s a playlist for your summertime dreaming.

1. Island In The Sun Weezer; Weezer 2001 (Geffen)
2. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems Kenny Chesney; No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (BNA)
3. Summer’s Comin’ Clint Black; One Emotion (RCA)
4. Summertime Thing Chuck Prophet; No Other Love (New West/Red Ink)
5. Sweet Vacation Lionel Richie; Coming Home (Island Def Jam)
6. Toes Zac Brown Ban; The Foundation (Home Grown/Atlantic/Big Picture)

Find more songs on this subject in GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Relax and Seasons: Summer.

Here are a few musical ways to let Dad know you love him!

1. Always Be Your Baby Natalie Grant; Deeper Love (Curb)
2. Daddy Beyonce; ST/Daddy’s Little Girls (Atlantic)
3. Father’s Love, A (The Only Way He Knew How) Bucky Covington; I’m Alright (Lyric Street)
4. Father’s Way, A Seal; A Father’s Way (Warner Bros.)
5. Forty Again John Berry; Faces (Capitol)
6. Song For Dad Keith Urban; Golden Road (Capitol)

Hear audio clips of these songs at GreenBookofSongs.com®. And for more songs on this topic, see our category Holidays: Father’s Day.

It has become clear that the BP oil spill is an ecological disaster. The following songs — all released prior to the current spill — warn of the crisis to come. This list is, literally, for the birds, as we watch them die.

1. Do You Want My Job Little Village; Little Village (Reprise)
2. Earth Imogen Heap; Ellipse (RCA)
3. Gasoline Sheryl Crow; Detours (A&M/Interscope)
4. Millenium Theater Ani DiFranco; Reprieve (Righteous Babe)
5. Only So Much Oil In The Ground Tower Of Power; Very Best Of Tower Of Power-The Warner Years (Rhino/WEA)
6. Price Of Gas Bloc Party; Silent Alarm (Vice)

For more songs on this topic, see GreenBookofSongs.com® categories Danger & Disaster, Gas Stations and Nature: Ecology.