Happy Spirit Week, BHS! In honor of Freedom Friday-the annual day BHS comes together to celebrate the American values of freedom, unity, and acceptance – we’ve put together a playlist of songs that reflect those values.

“AMERICA” by Neil Diamond: This song, originally released on the Jazz Singer soundtrack in 1980, is one that lauds America as a home to wearied immigrants. It serves as a reminder of the values that have defined America since its beginning. The image of immigrants “huddl[ing] close, hang[ing] on to a dream” is iconically American, and one that is in the forefront of many Americans’ minds in the recent days of chaos, tragedy, and struggle.

“REDEMPTION SONG” by Bob Marley and the Wailers: This empathetic and socially-driven song, which was the last on Marley’s final album with the Wailers (Uprising, 1980), expresses truths about both persecution and emancipation. Two of our favorite lines from the piece, “Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery / None but ourselves can free our mind,” which he paraphrased from a speech by Civil Rights activist Marcus Garvey, suggests that we all have the means within us to break through bonds of captivity and to progress humanity.

“FREE YOUR MIND” by En Vogue: This song, by popular ’90s R&B/Soul girl group En Vogue,  addresses prejudice, specifically the discrimination African American women face, and proudly dismantles the social constructs and stereotypes associated with topics ranging from clothes, to music, to hair. Its chorus, “Free your mind and the rest will follow,” serves as both effective advice to those who subconsciously believe the stereotypes they outline in the song, and a battle cry for those who are subject to them.

“PRIDE (in the Name of Love)” by U2:  This song, which is a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., draws attention to the tragic loss of many who speak up and preach equality. It’s about the pride people have when they live their lives in a way that is motivated by honoring the dignity of all human life.

“FREEDOM! ’90” by George Michael: Michael’s very personal album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. I, was released to the world through this hit single. The song serves as a proud re-introduction of himself to his fans, this time as an openly gay man. In the lyrics, Michael combines bravery and vulnerability to create a personal anthem full of positive messages. While he declares the truth about himself, he also pleads to his fans to maintain their support and not disregard their appreciation of his music simply because he has redefined how they view him. His words, “So please don’t give me up/Cuz I would really, really love to stick around,” echo the thoughts of many who embrace the freedom to express their authentic self.

“THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND” by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: This soulful cover of Woody Guthrie’s folk song reflects the sense of shared ownership and pride Americans have in their country. The lyrics reinforce the idea of unity and connection. Jones’s adaptation of the song injects a a new vitality into the language of the song.

“I’M FREE” by The Soup Dragons: This number was in seriously heavy rotation on  alternative and dance radio stations throughout the U.S. and U.K. in early 1990. The brazen statement of personal freedom, and the sing-a-long quality of the lyrics made this song hugely popular. The message and sound still stand today.

“FREEDOM!” by Pharrell Williams: As one of the most influential musicians of our time, Pharrell Williams has unquestionable power. He used that power for good in “Freedom,” by departing from the more lighthearted focus typical of his songs to create this political, social, and environmentally-driven piece. View the video for the song to get a sense of his intention in this contemporary anthem.

HAPPY SPIRIT WEEK!!!

BHS Students (from left to right) Sam Poulin, Elise Cimino, Nicole Scola, Emily Sheridan, Isabella Morgan, Caleigh Hickox, Nikki Dellemonico)

Ms. Fishel and Ms. Brumby, the amazing teachers of AP World History, would like to wish their students the best of luck on today’s AP exam. This song is for you…

Good luck, AP World Students!

THE DEVILS’ PLAYLIST WANTS YOU

TO COME TO TONIGHT’s THROWBACK THURSDAY THROW-DOWN!

Come, listen to some great tunes, participate in or cheer on your peers in the lip sync battles and dance contests, have some pizza and milkshakes, and let loose before vacation. The event is a fundraiser for the newly formed BHS Slam Team, which is heading to the Louder Than a Bomb teen poetry slam and the Stories Live teen story slam. It’s going to be a great time.

Be there! 6:00 – 8:00 at the BHS cafeteria. $5.00 admission.

PLAYLIST POEM CHALLENGE

In honor of National Poetry Month, we are challenging all Devils to a PLAYLIST POEM BATTLE. To enter, write a poem that is composed primarily of song titles and/or song lyrics. Submit your poem to Mrs. Janovitz  (janovitz@bpsk12.org) by Tuesday, April 28th. A group of English teachers and poetry club members will serve as judges. The top three poems will be published here, and the winning author will receive a $20.00 gift card to Newbury Comics. Get writing, Devils! Remember, POETRY IS METAL!

Our very first TEACHER TUESDAY song, “Talk Shows on Mute” by Incubus, was chosen by English teacher Ms. Mckee and dedicated to her British Literature classes who are currently reading George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece 1984. Incubus singer, Brandon Boyd, was inspired by the novel when writing the song. In an MTV.com article, Boyd stated that 1984 is a book that “scares you into vigilance,” and that it most definitely “scared [him], but in a good way.” In the world of the novel, the government—headed by an ominous, all-knowing figure: Big Brother—watches its citizens through the use of television screens. The book includes typical dystopian characteristics, such as the use of propaganda to control citizens, the restriction of independent thought, and the manipulation of information; however, this text in particular has had a great impact on readers since its publication in 1949.

Musicians from David Bowie to Thom Yorke of Radiohead have written songs influenced by the novel. Many of them indicate the book’s eerie relevance to our own society as the source of that influence. Boyd of Incubus stated that the novel is particularly relevant in our times “because it definitely seems like Big Brother is watching closer than he ever was.” When pondering our society and the way the media, television in particular, manipulates the masses and brings them to either a state of complacency or of urgency, he began to pen this song. He “realized that a time will probably come when television will watch us if we’re watching it.” He goes on to say that “television culture is at an all-time high or low, depending on how you look at it,” and Big Brother is using that culture. Whether it’s through bureaucratic control, corporate control, technological control, or pop-culture control, it can happen, and that fact has scared a number of musicians into reflecting on the possibility through song.

Ms. McKee is a fan of Incubus for their thoughtful, imagery-rich lyrics, and has used their songs in class to introduce and discuss various forms of figurative language. This song is definitely one that prompts serious reflection.

You can see the video for “Talk Shows on Mute” below. This video also incorporates very Orwellian themes. It shows a “world of animals, a world controlled by animals where the humans are the pets.” This idea is one explored in Orwell’s short novel Animal Farm. Incubus bass player, Ben Kenney stated that the video shows just how disgusting our own talk shows are – that they are used as a way “for people to look down at other people that are worse off than them.” The song and video will definitely make you think. Dig it, Devils!

Last night, John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn –better known as John Legend and Common–won an Oscar for their emotional song “Glory” from this year’s Academy Award nominated film Selma.  Beating out Tegan and Sarah’s amazing theme song, “Everything is Awesome” from The Lego Movie, and Glen Campbell’s career-capping song “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from the documentary Glen Campbell….I’ll Be Mine, which explores the famed singer’s battle with Alzheimers, “Glory” had some tough competition. Addressing the racial inequality America still faces, “Glory” is a song that brought tears to the eyes of the Oscar audience, including David Oyelowo who played Dr. Martin Luther King Junior in Selma. Common and Legend took the stage to perform the song, accompanied by a chorus slowly marching forward to reflect civil rights protestors, and were awarded the Oscar immediately following. While many believe that Oyelowo and Ava Duvernay, director of Selma, were snubbed by the Academy for not being nominated, and this year’s Academy nominations have been criticized for lacking diversity, “Glory” spoke to the struggle of African Americans and highlighted the consistent racial inequality painfully present even at the Hollywood ceremony.

Watch the awards ceremony performance, and their stirring acceptance speech to understand the immense power of the song and its relevance to contemporary American society.