Hip Songs for Learning

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Lyrics:

1. The President's Song
2. Women With Attitude
3. A Song for Abraham
4. The History of Space Travel
5. Lewis and Clark
6. The Middle East
7. The Five Mighty Oceans
8. Inventions Change the World
9. Amazing Slaves
10. Chemistry is the Study of Change
11. Emily Dickinson
12. Oh, the U.S. Constitution

Hip Songs 4 Learning is a unique CD that puts important information to familiar or catchy melodies—in a variety of sophisticated styles: rock, rap, reggae, folk and gospel. Although it has a playful spirit that will immediately resonant with kids, it is definitely something to be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Don’t be surprised if you find yourself tapping your toes to the Bo Diddley beat of the President’s Song, or rapping with Milky D as he extols the virtues of women—yes, a rap song that celebrates great females! You can also catch a reggae version of the “Constitution Song,” or be moved by the mighty gospel voice of singer Karen Williams as she tells three lesser-known and moving slave stories. There’s basic chemistry—an epic song about Lewis and Clark (and we mean EPIC)—even a song about the peculiar but brilliant Emily Dickinson.

Hip Songs 4 Learning is written and produced by Ruth Laker, Ph.D. and Bob James, M.S.W. Their collaboration brings together a strong mix of musical achievement and creative vision, as well as extensive experience working with children and families.

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1. The President’s Song

First comes Washington the father of the new democracy
He was stiff and very formal as he thought his role should be
Then the brilliant Adames, the team of John and Abigail
They were smart and dedicated though their luck did seem to fail.

Jefferson was deft at all that he did
A Renaissance man—he was tall and had thin lips
The Constitution guy was Madison

He was shy but married Dolley who was loved by everyone

James Monroe and John Quincy were the last of the elite
Andrew Jackson was a wild man who liked fightin’ in the street
Van Buren, Harrison who stupidly stood coatless in the cold
When he died Tyler took over though he didn’t fit the mold.

Next comes James Polk, a tense guy of mood
Then come Zach Taylor he died from some bad food
Then Millard Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan
From the issue of slavery all three of them did run.

Next comes Abraham Lincoln, the wisest man in the command
Like poor Atlas on his shoulders he did carry all the land
When he died Andrew Johnson’s racist stripes finally showed up
And U.S. Grant didn’t do better, cause his staff was so corrupt.

Rutherford B. Hayes he so loved his wife
Garfield was smart but some nut took his life
Then we had Arthur, Cleveland and Harrison
And Cleveland yet one more time although he wasn’t terribly fun.

McKinley was a nice man but he was shot and then he died
Teddy Roosevelt jumped in,. a whirlwind-can-do kind of guy
Then his big friend Taft and skinny glum Woodrow Wilson
Then we had Harding and Coolidge though they didn’t get much done.

Hoover was rich but the country was poor
FDR had charm we liked him so much more
Then Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy
We liked the suits and pillbox hats worn by his stylish wife Jackie.

Lyndon Johnson was the president who fought for civil rights

Richard Nixon was dishonest and he paid a heavy price

Ford was friendly, Carter kind, Reagan the Gipper riding tall

He was a master making speeches that were understood by all

Next comes George Bush, not the son but the dad

Clinton aced the budget, lots of money to be had

And now George W. is our current guy---
More presidents are coming but for now we’ll say goodbye

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2. Women With Attitude

Women with attitude—uh-huh—women with attitude
Women with attitude—uh-huh-uh-huh—women with attitude

Our eyes have seen the glory of so many womens’ lives
They have battled for their rights and hate and ignorance defied
We know the women in our time, but others need review
And everyone should say a big “thank you.”

(repeat women with attitude…)

thanks to leaders like Anne Hutchinson she said God loved truly everyone
the men were threatened by her ‘cause people like to hear her speak
so they said, can you believe it, they said she was a freak

the war for independence was for many women dear
molly pitcher took her husband’s place and fired without fear
Nancy Hart blew two away who came into her happy home
And held three more until some help could come

(repeat women with attitude…)

Many slave women sought liberty
like the woman named Elizabeth Key
She sued for her freedom and amazingly she won,
but because of that the law was soon undone!

The shaking Quakers, courtesy of one Mrs. Ann Lee
For 200 years they lived a quiet life near Albany
The Christian Scientists they think that prayers alone can heal
Mary Baker Eddy, she started it all, for real

Thank you Dr. Lizzie Black-well, you helped other women to ex-cel
Dr. Mary Walker cut men open in the war, other women surgeons followed her for sure
There are so many more women that we really need to thank
So many excellent women who have attained great rank

Let’ just say a few more names of women who are in our debt
Are you ready? On your mark—orient yourself—get set:

Anne Bradstreet—she wrote the first American book
Phyllis Wheatley—wrote the first African-American book

Deborah Sampson—she fought as a man
Margaret Corbin—fought for her land

Francis Wright-she waved the D. O. I.
And spoke out about human rights
Lydia Maria Child
She wrote a book that made Sumner wild

Elizabeth Freeman—she sued to be free
Harriet Tubman—she was tough as Ali

Mary Lyon—she started a famous school
Lucy Session—she said I’m no fool

Ida B. Wells--she owned the Free Speech
Antoinette Brown—she said I can preach
Clara Barton—she was really a peach
Helen Keller—A medal of honor for her reach

Nellie Bly—an undercover opera-tor
Susan La Flesche—first native American woman doc-tor
Mother Jones—a great labor organi-zor
Hattie Caraway—first woman sena-tor

Jane Addams—she got the Peace Prize
Amelia Earhart—she took to the skies
Francis Perkins—the president she’d advise
Eleanor Roosevelt—there was no one more wise

(repeat “women with attitude”)

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3. A Song For Abraham

Four score and seven years ago, that was eight-seven years at the time
A lovely man in a suit of black, on a hill, in the cold, uttered these lines
“Our fathers set forth on this continent, a new nation conceived in liberty
and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equally.”

His heart was heavy as he spoke the words,
the dead too many, the future unsure
“Now we are engaged in a great civil war,
testing whether our nation can endure—

we cannot dedicate or consecrate this ground,
the brave men living and dead have done it clear
the world will little note nor long remember our words,
but it can never forget what they did here

We must resolve the dead shall not have died in vain
that this nation under God shall have a new birth
and of the people, by the people, for the people
shall not perish from the earth.”

He took his seat and the crowd was polite, on the train that night he was tired
He’d never live beyond the words and their true worth
He would perish too soon from the earth

We must resolve the dead shall not have died in vain
That this nation, under God shall have a new birth
And of the people, by the people, for the people
Shall not perish from the earth,
Shall not perish from the earth,
Shall not perish, but grow on this earth.

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4. The History of Space Travel

The first thing in space            (Sputnik-Sputnik)
the Russians did place             (Sputnik-Sputnik)
It was in 57             (Satellite, satellite)
when it reached for the heavens             (satellite, satellite)
then in 1-9-6-1             (Yuri, Gargarin)
it finally was done             (Yuri, Gargarin)
he circled the earth
and gave birth
to the history of space travel!

In the U-S-A
we sent guys in space
first was Shepard
then John Glenn
but we lost each race
to the Russian pace
like the first woman and the first man to walk in space

Then in 69
On Apollo Ele-vine
Did Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin
land upon the moon
In July not June
they found lots of rocks and a whole bunch of craters too.

Next in 81
Flew Columbia
the first space shuttle
they’re re-use-able
Astronauts in packs
now go out and back
they’ve made outer space
a very busy place

In 2001            (Dennis Tito)
a rich son-of-a-gun            (Dennis Tito)
22 million paid            (into space, into space)
for a visit he made            (into space, into space)
so now any old Joe            (money talks, money talks)
with a whole lot of dough            (money talks, money talks)
can fly into space
take his place–in the history of space travel!

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5. Lewis and Clark

In eighteen hundred three Tom Jefferson set his sight west
All the land he wanted it surveyed and he knew who was best
He wrote his good friend Lewis, Lewis wrote his buddy Clark
And the two would soon embark

Lewis studied plants and medicine
Clark knew mapping and he got the men
They camped until the spring
To start off on their big wing-ding
Then they went marching on

The group had roughly 40 men including Clark’s slave York
Each was issued his own rifle, blankets, cornmeal and salt pork
Jefferson did name them the Corp of Discovery
And devoted they would be

First, the journey the started slowly
They pulled their boat in waters lowly
Mosquitos ruled the day but they were finally on their way
And the river flowed along

The Missouri took them Northwest and they hoped it would provide
A direct route to the ocean which lay on the other side
But it ended in a trickle at the Continent Divide
Still they kept marching on

Seeing new things like the buffalo,
Pelicans with feathers white as snow
The mightly grizzly bear and Apaloosa horses fair
And bounty everywhere

The Indians they met were mostly gracious to their brood
The Hidatsa and the Mandan gave them info and good food
The Shoshone gave them horses
The Nez Perce food and canoes
The explorers couldn’t lose

One Indian had enormous worth
Sacagawea led them and gave birth
Her Shoshone kin she found
Which helped them cover yet more ground
And they kept marching on

The Rockies nearly did them in but finally they did crest
When they got to the Pacific there they built a winter nest
It rained for nearly 4 months straight
While lots of elk they ate
They had to wait and wait and wait

Finally spring came and they headed home
Splitting up so more land they could roam
The Blackfeet gave them trouble
But all else went with the breeze
A heroes welcome they received

It was 2 and a half years since they left and many thought them dead
Thomas Jefferson, of course, was thrilled and glad that they had led
The expedition that would start a change like none could have forseen
Back in eighteen hundred three

Seeing new things like the buffalo, etc. (repeat)

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6. The Middle East

We should learn about the countries in the Middle East
We should learn about the countries of which we know the least
It’s good to know the world around us and show that we are smart
Let’s remember all their capitals—that’s a place to start

Jordan’s is Amman and Bahrain, Manama
Turkey is Ankara and Iran,Tehran
Oman is Muscat and Lebanon, Beirut
And Israel, Jerusalem.

Saudi-Arabia is Riyadh,
Kuwait, Kuwait City
Qatar is Doha and Yemen, Sanaa
And UAE is Abu Dhabi

We’re singin’-Cyprus is Nicosia
Cyprus is Nicosia
Syria, Damascus--Iraq, Baghdaaaad
You know them now and aren’t you glad?

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7. The Five Mighty Oceans

Our planet has five mighty oceans
Our planet has thirteen great seas
It’s 70% mighty ocean
that’s generally two miles deep

Pacific, Atlantic,
The Indian, southern and arctic, too
Pacific, atlantic,
The Indian, southern and arctic, too.

The wind makes the waves on the ocean
The sky makes the color look blue
The salt comes from rocks in the rivers
The tides from the pull of the moon

Repeat refrain.

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8. Inventions Change the World

Inventions change the world
We’re-into the future hurled
Here are the biggest yet
One’s we should not forget

Guttenberg’s printing press
E. Whitney’s cotton gin
Babbage’s computer
Farnsworth’s television

Bob Fulton’s submarine
And-steamboat meant to impress
Morse did the telegraph
Marconi-made it wireless

Watt and his steam engine
Stephenson’s locomotive

Benz and his auuuto and combustion engine

Wright Brothers airplane
Bell made the telephone
Goddard the fuel rocket
Lawrence the cyclotron

Eastman small cameras
Film and developing
Fermi broke atoms
Making-nuclear energy

The electric light bulb
Phonograph and movie shows

Were from Thoooomas Alva Edison the king

Two more folks you must know
If you want to be seen as hip
Bob Noyce and Jack Kilby
Invented the microchip

Microchips are everywhere
In anything and everything
Changing our woooorlllld and the way that we live

And the way that we live!

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9. Amazing Slaves

There were so many slaves whose lives amaze
And their stories must be told
Through great torment they came and for that we must aim
Every tale in our hearts to hold

Josiah Henson went north with his family dear
And wrote a book telling all of his strife
Mrs. Stowe read the tale and lifted the veil
On the horrors of the slave life

For seven years Harriet Jacobs his away
In an attic where she couldn’t move
Female slaves knew great pain, her owner sought but in vain
Her stories did their torments prove

Robert Smalls truly did astounding things
He stole a steamship and made many free
A Union captain he became and a congressman
He lived his life fighting for liberty

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10. Chemistry is the Study of Change

Chemistry is the study of change
Study of change
Study of change
It looks at matter and how it is arranged
How it all works together

Matter is anything that has a mass
Has a mass, has a mass,
It can be a liquid or a solid or a gas
And it often will change with the weather

The building blocks of mass are atoms
And then atoms come together to be molecules
Molecules make up cells and everything else
So basically, chemistry rules

Atoms of one kind are elements
Elements
Elements
Like gold and carbon and oxygen and lead
They’re the alphabet of everything we know

Elements together make up compounds
Up compounds
Up compounds
Like hydrogen plus oxygen it truly astounds
Cause they make the water that flows

A hundred some elements make up our world
hydrogen and helium are big
Oxygen and carbon come in third and fourth
There the reasons that we can live

Chemistry is part of every day
Every day
Every day
In carpets and medicine and cheese soufflés
It’s the thing that goes on forever

Chemistry is the study of change
Study of change
Study of change
It looks at matter and how it is arranged
How they all go together!

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11. Emily Dickinson

Fifty-six when she died, then her sister found inside
Her dresser, a lifetime’s worth of poems

“Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me”
And yet she wrote “I dwell in possibility”

Emily Dickinson lived her life, lived her life behind a door
The brilliance of her mind, within her poetry we find
Nothing else like it had been written before

She walked about dressed all in white and yet she wrote of “wild nights,”
She is a mystery that no one’s ever solved

“A narrow fellow in the grass” she studied nature as a class
and she could claim “the bee is not afraid of me”

“Tell the truth but tell it slant”
“I’m nobody, are you nobody, too?”
famous only after death
after her final, quiet breath
“Called back”, the woman no one knew

Emily Dickinson lived her life, lived her life behind a door
The brilliance of her mind within her poetry we find
Nothing else like it had been written before

The brilliance of her mind within her poetry we find
Nothing else like it had been written before

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12. Oh, the U.S. Constitution

Oh, the U.S. constitution is the high law of our land
It tells us how our government works the way the framers planned
In 1787 in the summer it was made
It didn’t happen easily, ‘cause folks had to be swayed

The Constitution it made our nation strong
Other countries in the world could see
that to each other we belonged.

The framers wanted to be sure that power was always shared
James Madison, especially, had lots of thoughts prepared
They set up a new government that had three major parts
Checks and balances would show those gentlemen had smarts

The Constitution, it’s about twelve pages long
It’s become a model in the world for sorting right from wrong

The congress always makes the laws, our pres enforces them
The judges and the courts will settle questions now and then
The people wanted more, the Bill of Rights was added on
It lists the basic freedoms that belong to everyone

The Constitution, it was made for you and me
It lets us speak out honestly
And gives us liberty

When the framers first made up the laws they left some people out
We have amendments that correct these wrongs and justice bring about
The fifteenth says that blacks can vote, the nineteenth, women, too
It does a body good to know that folks could change their views

The Constitution, it’s a living, changing thing
It makes us better people all the time so everybody sing!

The Constitution, it was made for you and me
It lets us speak out honestly
And gives us liberty!

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