Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is a college level tranfer course, the second in a series where we will examine the poetics of life lived on the ground...as in rough and tumble, as in America at war with herself. This is a world art alone makes sense of, an artist's work is a gift freely shared like air...sympathetic systems aligned, the the fictive or imaginary worlds of possiblity simply an inhale or exhale away. This class is an opportunity to close your eyes and believe.
15 comments:
DeAndre Parker
Proffesor Sabir
English 1b
26 August 2010
Song: Minority Report by: Jay-Z
This song is about the governments’ delayed response to Hurricane Katrina
Hook: You can’t say we better off than we was before
In synopsis, this is my minority report
Can’t say we better off than we was before
In synopsis, this is my minority report
Paraphrase: things are worse than they have ever been, to make a long story short, this is how we(black people, and people effected by the Hurricane Katrina) feel
Colin Jones
English 1B 9-10:50
Lil' Wayne: After Disaster Lyrics
Source Text
When the levees broke
when the planes hit
whats going on ma nigga
You know the same shit
After Katrina, after the towers
We holds our heads high after disaster
Literal Paraphrase
As the levees burst
And the planes crashed
What is happening my good sir?
I would claim it is the same occurrences as before
As after Katrina and 9/11
We regroup and hold faith after calamity
Free Paraphrase
When disaster struck like Katrina and 9/11 the same pain was felt by the same people, from the same cause. But even in the face of such horrors we rebuild.
Proffesor Sabir
English 1B
26 August 2010
Dollar Day lyrics by Mos Def
So there's a story about the lady in Louisiana
She's a flood survivor and the rescue teams
They come through, and they, I guess tryna recover people
And they see this women she's wadin through the streets
I guess it'd been some time after the storm
And I guess they were shocked that you know she was alive
And rescue worker said, "So, oh my God h-how did you survive
How did you do it? Where've you been?"
And she said, "Where I been? Where you been?"
Hah, Where you been? You understand?
That's about the size of it
There’s a tale about the woman in Louisiana
She’s a Hurricane survivor and the rescue teams
The pass through, suposidly tryna find people
They see the woman waiting in Louisiana
I supose its been a while after the storm
I supose they were surprised that she was still alive
The rescue worker said, “So, oh my God h-how did you survive?
How did you do it? Where’ve you been?”
And she said, "Where I been? Where you been?
Hah, Where you been? You understand?
That's about the size of it”
This for the streets, the streets everywhere
The streets affected by the storm called... America
I'm doin this for y'all, and for me, for the Creator
This is for the paths, the paths all over
The paths changed by the hurrican named America
I speak this for you all, for myself and for God
Sha’Quea Pratt
Professor Sabir
English 1B
26 August 2010
Paraphrase of Tragically Hip’s, “New Orlean is Sinking”
“Under skies all smokey blue-green
I can't forsake a dixie dead-shake
So we danced the sidewalk clean
My memory is muddy, what's this river that I'm in?
New Orleans is sinking man and I don't wanna swim”
Beneath the cloudy colorful sky
It is hard to disown a southern citizen
As a result we partied till the streets were spotless
My reflection is unclear, what is this mess I am caught within?
New Orleans is drowning and I forbid swimming.
Colin, I like the way you label your posts "literal" and "free" paraphrases.
It is a good model of what I was looking for in the assignment. All that is missing is the synopsis of the entire song and where the citaton fits in. Is it the hook or a stanza?
DeAndre,
In Minority Report, I am not certain what comments are yours and which are Jay-Z's. When you write twice, "In Synopsis," is this the song or you?
If it is you, what is the synopsis or the recap of the story?
Who posted "Dollar Days"? Where are the comments?
Sha’Quea
Put your paraphrase in the context of the entire song which is about what? Also, "I don't want to swim," does not mean, "I am forbidden to swim."
Revise your post. Good start.
Professor Sabir, I wasn't in class today due to a dental appointment, but from what I am reading are the students suppose to find a song lyric about post Katrina and paraphrasing it? Is there a list of songs that we need to choose from or it would be the student's choice?
Robert Tai
Professor Sabir
English 1B
28 August 2010
Song: Tie My Hands
Artist: Lil Wayne
I knock on the door, hope isn't home
Faith's not around the luck's all gone
Don't ask me what's wrong, ask me what's right
And I'ma tell you what's life
And did you know
I lost everything, but I ain't the only one
First came the hurricane then the morning sun
My Paraphrase: I'm losing hope and faith, luck is all I have left and that is diminishing too. When the sun came out after the devastating hurricane, everything I worked for was gone and so did everyone else. What does a life mean to everyone? What is wrong and what is right?
Mauricio Cavero Alprecht
Professor Sabir
English 1B
Song: Wide Awake by Audioslave
“Wide Awake” is a song that talks about how the government reacted when Katrina hit. Audioslave plays the role of a judge in a trial finding the George Bush guilty of incompetence. According to Audioslave George Bush felt as sleep at a time he should have been wide awake.
Original Verse
Down on the road the world is floating by.
The poor and undefended left behind.
While you’re somewhere trading lives for oil,
As if the whole world were blind, hey.
My paraphrase:
The streets of New Orleans are flooded because of Katrina.
The government is doing nothing to help the affected.
While George Bush is fighting a war for oil,
Thinking that nobody really knows what he is up to.
Colin Jones
English 1B 9-10:50
Katrina Artist Summery, Literal & Free Paraphrase: Lil’ Wayne
The song I chose to reflect the disaster of Katrina was Lil’ Wayne’s After Disaster. The song is equal parts enraged rhetoric and strength-filled pray for hope, combing the atmospheres of both 9/11 and the aftermath of Katrina into a single narrative.
Beginning with the chorus, the song first tries to establish a similar theme between the two disasters. “When the levees broke / when the planes hit / whats going on ma nigga / You know the same shit” is a fairly clear assertion that the two events are on some level the same. Continuing with, “After Katrina, after the towers /
We holds our heads high after disaster” the chorus establishes a feeling of perseverance amidst adversity.
However, the song also contains a scathing political criticism against the president at the time, George W. Bush. In verse two, Lil’ Wayne continues: “Try to keep our head up, and not get fed up, nope, but it seems like they won't let us” clearly blaming an distinct group on the country’s ability to rebuild in the wake of these disasters. A socio-economic commentary is added with, “This is why I scream fuck the world not the people, Nope. Yes, but in the belly of the beast, people get swallowed like meat, eat.” This can be interpreted as a metaphor for an apathetic culture disregarding the lives of certain citizens, and, given the source subject of New Orleans it is most likely referring to the blight of the urban poor. Condemnation against the president enters half-way through the verse, with: “And your president was lying while my people was dying /
In the helicopter flying looking down reading signs, Help SOS, somebody save us, attend at his side, where our savior”. These next lines identify the antagonist as George W. Bush himself, charging him as callous in the wake of terrible events.
All in all, Lil’ Wayne is making a very blunt political statement about the woes of the American people in the face of tragedy, and a rally call to preserve in the face of them. Added with equal parts resentment and anguish at the political system at the time, After Disaster tries to charge the government with illegitimacy as well – and fairly so, given the narrative is true.
Colin Jones
English 1B 9-10:50
Katrina Artist Summery, Literal & Free Paraphrase: Lil’ Wayne
The song I chose to reflect the disaster of Katrina was Lil’ Wayne’s After Disaster. The song is equal parts enraged rhetoric and strength-filled pray for hope, combing the atmospheres of both 9/11 and the aftermath of Katrina into a single narrative.
Beginning with the chorus, the song first tries to establish a similar theme between the two disasters. “When the levees broke / when the planes hit / whats going on ma nigga / You know the same shit” is a fairly clear assertion that the two events are on some level the same. Continuing with, “After Katrina, after the towers /
We holds our heads high after disaster” the chorus establishes a feeling of perseverance amidst adversity.
PArt II
However, the song also contains a scathing political criticism against the president at the time, George W. Bush. In verse two, Lil’ Wayne continues: “Try to keep our head up, and not get fed up, nope, but it seems like they won't let us” clearly blaming an distinct group on the country’s ability to rebuild in the wake of these disasters. A socio-economic commentary is added with, “This is why I scream fuck the world not the people, Nope. Yes, but in the belly of the beast, people get swallowed like meat, eat.” This can be interpreted as a metaphor for an apathetic culture disregarding the lives of certain citizens, and, given the source subject of New Orleans it is most likely referring to the blight of the urban poor. Condemnation against the president enters half-way through the verse, with: “And your president was lying while my people was dying /
In the helicopter flying looking down reading signs, Help SOS, somebody save us, attend at his side, where our savior”. These next lines identify the antagonist as George W. Bush himself, charging him as callous in the wake of terrible events.
All in all, Lil’ Wayne is making a very blunt political statement about the woes of the American people in the face of tragedy, and a rally call to preserve in the face of them. Added with equal parts resentment and anguish at the political system at the time, After Disaster tries to charge the government with illegitimacy as well – and fairly so, given the narrative is true.
Shonta Jones
English 1B
Song: President by Wyclef
This is a song about if a black man or Wyclef became president of the United States he would be assasinated in a three day business weekend.
Hook: If I was president,
I'd get elected on Friday, assasinated on Saturday,
and buried on Sunday.
If I was president...
If I was president
Paraphrase: If we had a black president that he would be assasinated as soon as he entered office, that he would have no chance to do his work in office. The one good thing about this is that the song is wrong and our present president Obama is still alive and kicking, te only difference is they try to find many ways to discredit him or demean his character.
Cory Hollamon
Proffesor Sabir
English 1b
26 August 2010
Song: Minority Report by: Jay-Z
This song about the government not caring about the Hurricane Katrina victims. “Wouldn't you loot, if you didn't have the loot?
Baby needed food and you stuck on the roof
Helicopter swooped down just to get a scoop
through his telescopic lens but he didn't scoop you
The next five days, no help ensued”
Paraphrase: He’s saying was wouldn’t do whatever it takes to survive if you and your kids didn’t have any food. If stilling it what it takes then so be it. Also the helicopters are flying around but not to help the victims or pick them up but, to film and get coverage for the news. Lastly, there was no help guaranteed for five days that’s a business week!
Ricardo Pedro
Professor Sabir
English 1B
26 August 2010
paraphrase katrina song
Listen, homie, it's Dollar Day in New Orleans
It's water water everywhere and people dead in the streets
And Mr. President he bout that cash
He got a policy for handlin the niggaz and trash
And if you poor you black
I laugh a laugh they won't give when you ask
You better off on crack
Dead or in jail, or with a gun in Iraq
literal paraphrase:
New Orleans is having a Dollar Day Sale
There is flooding and dead people around and unaccounted for
The President of the U.S. is concerned about making money and not concerned with helping African-Americans and poor people
Because of the lack of social services, people are better off on their own or serving in the war
free paraphrase:
New Orleans is bankrupt and up for the taking.
The water has taken over an dead people are scattered all around
The government is not taking action and it seems that the president is only looking out for himself and his people.
Black people and poor people are disadvantaged and ignored.
They are not getting the help they need and don't have access to the resources that the privileged parts of society do.
Great work everyone. I like the variety of songs chosen.
Colin, I like your in depth analysis. We will do the same for Sept. 11.
Post a Comment