Songs are not poems.  They have many similarities, but they are still quite different.  On one hand, bad poetry could very well make a good song; but on the other hand, good poetry may not make a good song.  Below are the song lyrics to two songs.  One can stand alone as poetry, without music or a singer, in that it has something to say.  The other doesn’t quite work without the music.  Read both sets of lyrics and figure out which one can stand alone and which one needs the music and the singer.

Assignment: Finding Song Lyrics

This first part of the assignment is simple: Find lyrics to four songs that are school appropriate. Try to ensure that the songs can stand on their own as poetry. Also try to ensure that the song / poet has something to say, meaning that there is emotion behind the words. At this point, all you are doing is finding the song lyrics. When you find your four songs, submit them to your teacher. After the next section, you will see what you will do with them.