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The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band
The devil went down to Georgia.
He was looking for a soul to steal.
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind.
He was willin' to make a deal.
When he came across this young man sawin' on a fiddle and playin' it hot.
And the devil jumped up on a hickory stump and said, "Boy, let me tell you what.
I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player, too.
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you.
Now you play a pretty good fiddle, boy, but give the devil his due.
I bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, 'cause I think I'm better than you."
The boy said, "My name's Johnny, and it might be a sin,
but I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret, 'cause I'm the best that's ever been."
Johnny you rosin up your bow and play your fiddle hard.
'Cause hell's broke loose in Georgia, and the devil deals it hard.
And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold.
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul.
The devil opened up his case and he said, "I'll start this show."
And fire flew from his fingertips as he rosined up his bow.
And he pulled the bow across his strings, and it made an evil hiss.
Then a band of demons joined in, and it sounded something like this.
When the devil finished, Johnny said, "Well you're pretty good ol' son.
But sit down in that chair, right there, and let me show you how it's done."
Fire on the mountain, run boys, run.
The devil's in the house of the risin' sun.
Chicken in the bread pan, pickin' out dough.
"Granny, does your dog bite?"
"No, child, no."
The devil bowed his head because he knew that he'd been beat.
And he laid that golden fiddle on the ground at Johnny's feet.
Johnny said, "Devil, just come on back if you ever want to try again.
'Cause I told you once, you son of a gun, I'm the best that's ever been."
And he played: Fire on the mountain, run boys, run.
The devil's in the house of the risin' sun.
Chicken in the bread pan pickin' out dough.
"Granny, does your dog bite?"
"No, child, no."
Using literary elements handout, discuss the three types of irony — verbal, situational and dramatic.
Ironic by Alanis Morissette
An old man turned ninety-eight.
He won the lottery, and died the next day.
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay.
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late.
Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
It's like rain on your wedding day.
It's a free ride when you've already paid.
It's the good advice that you just didn't take.
Who would've thought? It figures.
Mr. Play-It-Safe was afraid to fly.
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye.
He waited his whole d*** life to take that flight.
And as the plane crashed down, he thought,
"Well isn't this nice?"
And isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
It's like rain on your wedding day.
It's a free ride when you've already paid.
It's the good advice that you just didn't take.
Who would've thought? It figures.
Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything's okay,
and everything's going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything's gone wrong,
and everything blows up in your face.
It's a traffic jam when you're already late.
It's a no-smoking sign on your cigarette break.
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife.
It's meeting the man of my dreams,
and then meeting his beautiful wife.
And isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
A little too ironic? And, yeah, I really do think…
It's like rain on your wedding day.
It's a free ride when you've already paid.
It's the good advice that you just didn't take.
Who would've thought? It figures.
Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you.
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out …
helping you out.
Don't Take the Girl by Tim McGraw
Johnny's daddy was taking him fishin'.
He was eight years old.
Little girl came through the front gate
holdin' a fishin' pole.
His dad looked down and smiled,
said, "We can't leave her behind.
Son, I know you don't want her to go,
but someday you'll change your mind."
And Johnny said, "Take Jimmy Johnson.
Take Tommy Tompson. Take my best friend, Bo.
Take anybody that you want as long as she don't go.
Take any boy in the world.
Daddy, please, don't take the girl."
Same old boy, same sweet girl,
ten years down the road.
He held her tight and kissed her lips in
front of the picture show.
Stranger came and pulled a gun,
grabbed her by the arm, said,
"If you do what I tell you to, there won't be any harm."
And Johnny said, "Take my money.
Take my wallet. Take my credit cards.
Here's the watch that my grandpa gave me.
Here's the key to my car.
Mister, give it a whirl.
But, please don't take the girl."
Same old boy, same sweet girl.
Five years down the road.
There's gonna be a little one,
and she says it's time to go.
Doctor says, "The baby's fine, but you'll have to leave,
'cause his momma's fading fast."
And Johnny hit his knees, and there he prayed,
"Take the very breath you gave me.
Take the heart from my chest.
I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me.
Make this my last request.
Take me out of this world.
God, please don't take the girl."
Johnny's daddy was taking him fishin'
when he was eight years old.
Explain that allusion is a reference to something in literature or history or mythology or religion or cultural knowledge that assumes the reader or hearer knows what it refers to.
For example, if I say it is raining so hard I should build an ark, what is that a reference to? (Noah's ark).
Explain that you are going to play a song that has a core allusion.
Play the song, and then ask if they can identify the allusion. Ask them to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how well they understand what's going on in the song.
Play the song again, discussing the allusions using the commentary sheet. Play the song again and ask them to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how well they understand what's going on in the song.
Explain that this shows just one small example of how understanding allusions can increase your understanding of what you read.
Higher by Creed
When dreaming, I'm guided to another world
time and time again.
At sunrise, I fight to stay asleep 'cause
I don't want to leave the comfort of this place.
'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape
from the life I live when I'm awake.
So let's go there. Let's make our escape.
Come on, let's go there. Let's ask, "Can we stay?"
Can you take me higher, to a place where blind men see?
Can you take me higher, to a place with golden streets?
Although I would like our world to change,
it helps me to appreciate those nights and those dreams.
But, my friend, I'd sacrifice all those nights
if I could make the Earth and my dreams the same.
The only difference is to let love replace all our hate.
So let's go there. Let's make our escape.
Come on, let's go there. Let's ask, "Can we stay?"
Can you take me higher, to a place where blind men see?
Can you take me higher, to a place with golden streets?
So let's go there. Let's go there.
Come on, let's go there. Let's ask, "Can we stay?"
Up high, I feel like I'm alive for the very first time.
Set up high, I'm strong enough to take these dreams and make them mine.
Set up high I'm strong enough to take these dreams and make them mine.
Can you take me higher,
to a place where blind men see?
Can you take me higher,
to a place with golden streets?
Can you take me higher,
to a place where blind men see?
Can you take me higher,
to a place with golden streets?
Why do people feel powerful when they are higher than others?