Year 8 Song Lyrics

Music is a popular way to express thoughts and feeling about particular topics and issues. Have a look at how the following issues have been portrayed in songs.

Aboriginal rights | Gun Control | Homelessness | LGBTQI | Marriage equality | Poverty | Racism | War / Conflict | Women's rights

The following websites may help you with working out the meaning of your song.

Song meanings and facts

Aboriginal civil rights Land rights Stolen Generations	Archie Roach - Took the children away Midnight Oil - Beds are burning Midnight Oil - Dead heart Warumpi Band - Whitefella, blackfella Recommended resources Hastings, T. (2006). Indigenous Australians. Macmillan. Healey, J. (Ed.). (2014). Indigenous rights. Spinney Press.
Gun control Gun violence	Carrie Underwood - The bullet Foster the People - Pumped up kicks Kane Brown - American bad dream Recommended resources Everytown for Gun Safety. (2021). The impact of gun violence on children and teens. https://everytownresearch.org/report/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-teens/
Homelessness	Phil Collins - Another day in paradise Avril Lavigne - Nobody's home Recommended resources Stearman, K. (2008). Talk about homelessness. Wayland.
LGBTQI	Diana Ross - I'm coming out George Michael - Freedom 90 Green Day - Coming clean Lady Gaga - Born this way Recommended resources
Marriage equality	Macklemore - Same love Recommended resources
Poverty	Elvis Presley - In the ghetto Jonas Blue - Fast car Recommended resources Gifford, C. (2009). Poverty. Evans. Senker, C. (2007). Poverty. World Almanac Library. Steinman, K. (2017). Poverty. Mason Crest.
Racism	H.E.R. - I can't breathe Recommended resources Rooney, A. (2006). Race hate. Evans. Senker, C. (2008). Talk about racism. Wayland.
War / Conflict	Barry McGuire - Eve of destruction Bob Dylan - Blowin' in the wind The Cranberries - Zombie The Kingston Trio - Where have all the flowers gone? U2 - Sunday bloody Sunday Recommended resources Barker, G. (2009). War. Evans.
Women's rights	Helen Reddy - I am woman Margaret Roadnight - Girls in our town No Doubt - Just a girl Recommended resources Connolly, S. (2005). Gender equality. Franklin Watts. Feminism: whatever happened to women's lib? [Video]. (2018). ABC.