Songwriter's Activity

Songwriter's Activity

British soldiers were probably surprised to hear their songs changed into American songs! The two best examples of this are God Save the King/America, and Yankee Doodle.

Read the words again at the bottom of this page. Underneath each line are spaces [ ___...___ ___ ] for the individual syllables that create the melody.

Like poets, songwriters "break" many of the usual rules of written and spoken language. Look at the word every (e-e-ver-y) in America. When you say that word it has only 2 syllables. However, when you sing it, you give it 4 different notes: ___...___...___...___ and it sounds OK!

Write your own words using one syllable for each line. (Remember you can break the rules!)

Good Luck! Chose either God Save the King/America or Yankee Doodle to begin with.

At the bottom of this page you will find a link to an on-line rhyming dictionary. This is a wonderful resource for poets and songwriters!

God Save the King

God save our gra...cious King!
__ __ __ __...__ __

Long live our no...ble King!
__ __ __ __...__ __

God save the King!
__ __ __ __

Send him vic...to...ri...ous,
__ __ __...__...__...__

Hap...py and glo...ri...ous,
__...__ __ __...__...__

Long to...o re...ign o-ver us,
__ __...__ __...__ __...__ __

Go...od save the King!
__...__ __ __ __

America

My coun-try 'tis of thee
__ __ ... __ __ __ __
Sweet land of lib...er...ty
__ __ __ __ ... __ ... __
Of thee I sing!
__ __ __ __
Land where my fa...thers died,
__ __ __ __ ... __ __
Land of thy pil...grim's pride
__ __ __ __ ... __ __
From e...e...ve...ry moun...tain side
__ __... __... __... __ __ ... __ __
Le...et free..dom ring!
__ ... __ __... __ __

British Yankee Doodle

Yan...kee Doo...dle came to town,

___...___ ___...___ ___ ___ ___

For to buy a fire...lock,

___ ___ ___ ___ ___...___

We will tar and fea...ther him,

___ ___ ___ ___ ___...___ ___

And so we will John Han...cock.

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___...___

American Yankee Doodle

Yan...kee Doo...dle went to town,

___...___ ___...___ ___ ___ ___

A...rid...ing on a po...ny,

___...___... ___ ___ ___ ___...___

Stuck a fea...ther in his cap

___ ___ ___...___ ___ ___ ___

And called it mac...a...ro...ni!

___ ___ ___ ___...___...___...___

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE RHYMING DICTIONARY:

1	Have a paper and a pencil ready.
2	Brainstorm and write down words you think you would like to use in your song.
3	Click open the Online Rhyming Dictionary and type the word you want to rhyme. Remember to use your BACK button to return here!
4	When you click on the second box it shows you different choices for how you want your word to rhyme.
5	Pick what type of rhyme you would like, and then click the last box.
6	HINT: Some words will have lots of matches and some won't.
7	Take your lists of words back to your desk to work on your poem or song.


HALL 5