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Synopsis • These two songs by the Barenaked Ladies are indicative of this Canadian band’s philosophy of having fun with song lyrics. Silliness prevails throughout both songs. The song “If I Had $1 000 000” contains familiar lyrics that present different scenarios using the title as a sentence starter throughout. The song “Crazy ABC’s” is a variation of the traditional alphabet song. It is presented as dialogue between two band members, one of whom represents each letter with unusual words.
Text Type • Lyrics • Purpose: PersonalCommuncation
TextFeatures • CD liner notes format • CD name/songtitleheadings • column format for lyrics • lyrics credits • background coloursand design symbols
Background Knowledge • What do you know about the singing group, Barenaked Ladies? • Does the name of the band give you an indication of the type of songs they might sing? • Have you heard of any other bands, recording artists, or songs that are well know for humour? • Why are some songs funny? What makes a song funny?
Crazy ABC’s • How have the authorsused dialogue to create humour?
After Reading • How did the authors create humour in this song? • Is the dialogue critical to develop the humour? Why? • Do you think this is a good song? Why? Why not?
Independent Work • Read the second song « If I Had $1 000 000 ». • Complete readerresponse.