‘Working Class Hero’ & ‘Mortal Man’

Grade Level: 12th

Lesson: Students will both analyze and listen to the songs Working Class Hero by John Lennon and an excerpt from Kendrick Lamar’s Mortal Man. They will be able to discuss and reflect upon the ideas that are presented through song in the same way they would written poetry.

Students will learn the definition of rhythm and better understand its role within poetry as it relates to the two songs.

Learning Objectives:

Students will know the definition of rhythm.

Students will know light background information about the song writers discussed.

Students will understand the concepts of institutionalized repression and how this relates to every day life.

Students will understand how rhythm affects written poetry.

Students will be able to discuss their own ideas as they relate to the lyrics provided.

Students will be able to compare and contrast the ideas that are conveyed in the lyrics of the songs discussed through textual evidence, biographical context, as well as brief historical knowledge of the times in which these works were written and released.

What is Rhythm?

Rhythm (as it relates to poetry) can be explained as the beat and pace of a poem. This beat is created by a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in a line or stanza, typically expressed by the reader.

“Rhythm is music’s pattern in time. Whatever other elements a given piece of music may have (e.g., patterns in pitch or timbre), rhythm is the one indispensable element of all music.” Typically expressed by the composer.

rhythm | Definition, Time, & Meter | Britannica

About John Lennon (1940-1980):

Born in Liverpool, England.

Came to fame in 1963 with The Beatles.

Working Class Hero is featured on his debut solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, which was released in 1970.

As soon as you’re born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
‘Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you’re clever and they despise a fool
‘Til you’re so ****ing crazy you can’t follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they’ve tortured and scared you for 20 odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can’t really function, you’re so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion, and sex, and T.V.
And you think you’re so clever and classless and free
But you’re still ****ing peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There’s room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero well just follow me
If you want to be a hero well just follow me

Discussion Questions for Working Class Hero:

1. How does the use of rhythm change/affect the way you interpret this poem from when you gave it an initial read versus after you have listened to it?
2. What is this song saying about the roles school/the work force alters our perspectives?

About Kendrick Lamar (1987-)

Born in Compton, California

Rose to fame with his debut album, Section.80 in 2011.

Mortal Man appears on his third, critically acclaimed album, To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015.

“The caterpillar is a prisoner to the streets that conceived it
Its only job is to eat or consume everything around it, in order to protect itself from this mad city
While consuming its environment the caterpillar begins to notice ways to survive
One thing it noticed is how much the world shuns him, but praises the butterfly
The butterfly represents the talent, the thoughtfulness, and the beauty within the caterpillar
But having a harsh outlook on life the caterpillar sees the butterfly as
weak and figures out a way to pimp it to his own benefits
Already surrounded by this mad city the caterpillar goes to work on the cocoon which institutionalizes him

He can no longer see past his own thoughts
He’s trapped
When trapped inside these walls certain ideas take roots, such as going home, and bringing back new concepts to this mad city
The result?
Wings begin to emerge, breaking the cycle of feeling stagnant
Finally free, the butterfly sheds light on situations that the caterpillar never considered, ending the internal struggle
Although the butterfly and caterpillar are completely different, they are one and the same.”

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the use of rhythm change/affect the way you interpret this poem from when you gave it an initial read versus after you have listened to it?
2. What is the song trying convey in terms of its view on environment? How does this relate to ideas such as racism (specifically institutionalized), and so forth?

Activity:

For homework-

In 1-2 paragraphs compare and contrast these two songs. How does the rhythm play a similar or different role for each of them? Are these songs conveying a similar message or are they on two separate pages? How does what you know about the artist shape these understandings? How does what you know about the time of their release shape these ideas?