My daughter is seven years older than my son, meaning that even though he is quite independent, she has a very strong cultural influence on him. Thus he knows more about Bob Dylan than your average 11 year old.
When Katie came home from college over the December holidays she selectively introduced him to the music in the show “The Flight of the Conchords.” There are really only two songs that she considered completely appropriate for him. They’re good because they are rather farcical, bring in some interesting older styles of music, yet still sneak in some good messages.
Courtesy of YouTube, here are two songs that he now knows by heart.
Think About It
I had never heard the word “cutleries” in a song before.
I’m Not Crying
This starts with a woman breaking up with the singer in part because she wanted to date an Australian, not a New Zealander.
Some of my favourite words that rarely appear in songs (but that have, at least once) are these:
1. Rotogravure
2. Plebeian
3. Antepenultimate
4. Vestibule
5. Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
You can search the Fresh Air archives to hear some funny bits by these guys. In particular, listen to this one: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16148274
Among other things, at about 0:50 in they have a snip of a funny comedy sketch on racism. A few minutes later they play a love song, something like “you must be the most beautiful girl in the whole… room” and other underwhelming compliments.