Out of the Mouths of Babes: a lyric from “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and children who listen
Posted on: December 11, 2011
I usually go to every Sing Books gathering with a plan for what to sing for that day, based on the age of the children, curriculum, requests made in a previous gathering, time of year (and so many other factors). But I also load the SING bag with lots of choices just in case. A big part of every gathering is following along where the wind blows.
*
Blowin’ in the Wind
Words and Music by Bob Dylan
Illustrated by Jon Muth
The other day, for example, I went to a Kindergarten classroom so sing and it is Holiday Time (between Thanksgiving and Hannukah/Christmas) and somehow, in the middle of holiday inspired choices, the muse led us to sing, “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
Though the music is simple and the vocabulary is easy to understand, and though this song is solidly in the American Folk Songbook, it is easy to forget that the song is filled with tough, unanswerable questions and speaks to profound issues of the human condition, not the least of which is death and the habit humans have for killing each other.
After we sang the book, I was feeling the glow of its poetry when a little boy piped up and said,
“I hate it when the song says death. It makes me want to lick my shoe.”
One might think that children in these situations are just sitting around joining the fun of singing. But this is a moment of proof that children are listening and gathering in a lot more than we might expect. This is both good and bad, in that we need to be aware of the issues these sorts of songs raise, glad for the opportunity to challenge and expand thinking, but knowing, too, that some ideas can be confusing and upsetting to youngsters. I need to think about this and find ways to frame the ideas in “Blowin’ in the Wind” for younger minds.
It reminds me of that wonderful song by Stephen Sondheim from “Into the Woods,” called “Children Will Listen,”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gey1PtXYwLI
CHILDREN WILL LISTEN
Words and Music by Stephen Sondheim
Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see
And learn
Children may not obey
But children will listen
Children will look to you
For which way to turn
To learn what to be
Careful before you say
“Listen to me”
Children will listen
Careful the wish you make
Wishes are children
Careful the path they take
Wishes come true
Not free
Careful the spell you cast
Not just on children
Sometimes the spell may last
Past what you can see
And turn against you
Careful the tale you tell
That is the spell
Children will listen
Careful what you say
Children will listen
Careful you do it too
Children will see and learn
Guide them but step away
Children will glisten
Temper with what is true
And children will turn
If just to be free
Careful before you say
“listen to me”
Children will listen
Children will listen
Children children will listen
**********************
Related Posts
BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND, A SINGABLE PICTURE BOOK
http://singbookswithemily.wordpress.com/2011/11/14/blowin-in-the-wind-a-singable-picture-book/
