Mountains O' Things
Tracy Chapman, 1988 |
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Tracy Chapman, the person singing this song, seems to be having a hard time making up her mind. What is she confused about? Whether having a lot of possessions will fix everything. Let's look at the wrestling she is doing one verse at a time. Use the graphic organizer to map out her thought process: write a summary of each verse and the chorus in each of the boxes. Example summaries: |
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I've always wanted a life of ease
Things would make everyone pay attention to me and be envious
Those who work and deserve luxuries don't have them
Chorus: Giving up my things will save my soul
I won't die lonely because I'll have all my possessions
Things will keep my loneliness, enemies, sadness away |
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Who are some of the characters speaking these lines? Poor wanting to be rich; rich defending wealth, lonely rich. In the end, whose life is better—the dreaming poor person or the lonely rich person? Neither is satisfied with what they have. |
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What 1980s economic and social trends might have inspired this song? What nicknames came from trends in this era? Reaganomics, yuppies, preppies, "me generation." |
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How true is this song today? What, if anything, has changed? |
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If things can't bring happiness, what can? What does the song suggest? People. How can we take her advice? |
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"Mountains O' Things" performed by Tracy Chapman on Tracy Chapman. New York: Elektra [60774-2], © 1988. Available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
For more information on Tracy Chapman, visit her official website. |
Rights have not been secured to reprint the words for this song. Please consult this
online source
https://genius.com/Tracy-chapman-mountains-o-things-official-lyrics
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Tracy Chapman. |
Tracy Chapman was born in 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her excellent grades earned her a scholarship to a private girls' school in Connecticut. She was later accepted to Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, where she majored in anthropology in 1986. A talented singer-songwriter, she began to sing on street corners and in coffeehouses. A fellow student's father worked for a record company, which provided her big chance. She recorded an album of songs she had been writing since 1982. The album was a tremendous success, winning three Grammy Awards in 1989. Like Sting and other artists, Tracy is politically aware and is proud to be a member of Amnesty International. |
Compare this song to:
"Simple Gifts" (Unit 3)
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Write a single event in each block in the order it occurs. Add as many blocks as needed to include the whole story. |
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Storyboard a series of public service announcements (PSAs) on the theme that things can't buy happiness. If you wish, produce video versions. |
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