Making
Connections
between
Classic Lit
and Pop Tunes

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

"The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen
"Broken Plow" by Chris Knight
"California Sky" by Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash

The pairing of Steinbeck and Springsteen is one of the more obvious on the LitTunes Connections database since Tom Joad is a character in both the book and the song. This is classified as a "song inspired by literature." The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash also have a song, "California Sky," which relates to Steinbeck's novel. My favorite connection to The Grapes of Wrath is Chris Knight's "Broken Plow," a haunting, imagery-filled ballad with visions of Dust Bowl Oklahoma presented as vividly as experiencing it must have been.
       CG — 11/07/07

The Odyssey by Homer

"Tales of Brave Ulysses" by Cream
"Home at Last" by Steely Dan

I have used both of these with students to teach The Odyssey. Students reacted favorably to the Cream song as that band has remained part of popular culture. Steely Dan was an example of a plot connection and provided good discussion points about how the protagonist's dreams were the same throughout.
       CG — 11/07/07

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" by Blue Oyster Cult
"My Sacrifice" by Creed
"Teenager" by Better Than Ezra

Both "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" and "Teenager" were songs suggested by students completing a project on Romeo and Juliet in one of my freshman English classes. While the lines in "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" repeat the words, "like Romeo and Juliet," the connections to the overall plot and theme are strong throughout. "Teenager" captures the adolescent angst experienced by the characters in the play and demonstrates the universal theme of growing up through lyrics students can easily relate to and understand.
       CG — 11/07/07

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

"Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel
"Like a Hurricane" by Neil Young

After teaching a lesson involving Their Eyes Were Watching God, I paused in the classroom one afternoon to listen to "Like a Hurricane." As the compact disc played I thought about the similarities in the line "I saw your brown eyes turning once to fire" and whether, intended or not, they form a clear connection to Janie Crawford and her experiences. Moments like this show how the concept of LitTunes works: you read, you listen, and you search for meaningful connections.
       CG — 11/07/07

LitTunes was launched in 2007.
We invite you to come back often.
You are warmly invited to participate, too.
Contact Chris Goering by E-mail at chris@littunes.com

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