My Essay's Playlist

Instead of boring everyone this week with even more redundant repetitiveness concerning foreign language education, I've decided to create the playlist of music I've been listening to as I have been researching and writing. It's mostly from a German band called "SEEED" who I've fallen in love with lately. I'm a German Studies major, so it's been helpful in working on my American accent, but it's also very varying. (yes, the redundancies and alliterations are on purpose. Loosen up and try to smile;)  What's really cool about SEEED is that even if you can't understand the language, listening to the music or watching the video WILL entertain you at least somewhat, I guarantee it. One of my friends, not even an hour ago, was having great fun watching the music videos, even though he knows no German. (Another alliteration, I'll stop them here. I promise.) Granted, he had a bit too much SAUCE with his dinner, if you catch my meaning, but still, just watch one or two of them, and if you don't find any kind of enjoyment from them whatsoever, I might be willing to kneel before you, because obviously you have the lack of sense of humor and the heart of stone that will take you to the top of the world someday, so I might as well get my insincere butt-kissing out of the way early.

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYg9omPYx_M (SEEED - Dancehall Caballeros)
• For those of you who like rap, this might get your blood flowing a little bit. Or if you like cowboy-western parodies, this might put a smile on your face. (and make the world a better place.
• For those who don't understand the lame reference, click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnOn6pcyPoU) WARNING* [Don't watch the entire video or you might find yourself scrolling through the related videos for hours on end searching for other cool songs from this time period!]
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9-eMzm0bbg&NR=1 (SEEED - Music Monks)
• Karate Kid meets German hip-hop. This song is almost entirely in English (except the last breakdown), although you still might not understand all the words on the first run through. Dialects are fun if you spice them up a little. Ya hurr dat?
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYK-NfOo7b4&NR=1 (SEEED - Dickes B)
• This song is all about Berlin, "der dickes B". This video actually has a lot of the sites around Berlin, like the Reichstag (German Capitol building), U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations (subway and street train), and a few scenes of reconstruction in former East Berlin that was underway when the video was shot (all the way back in 2001!!!!). If you want to skip ahead to the English part, it starts at 2:18. (Good luck!)
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYK-NfOo7b4&NR=1 (SEEED - Aufstehn)
• This is SEEED at their finest, proving that some German reggae groups are better than the original Rastas. This song is pure reggae, and inspired me to take a stand about foreign languages education (the reason I'm writing my paper on FL programs in school is because I was thinking about that subject the first time I heard this song.) So light up a piece of mellow and listen to this jam. (English alert, 2:18)
5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX1ZePcUako&feature=relmfu (SEEED - What You Deserve is What You Get)
• This video is hilarious, as the band (of cavemen) discover the modern world for the first time. And even though they're thousands of years behind, they still run things, proving that even as cavemen, SEEED are bosses. (English, 3:25)
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yWU0lFghxU (SEEED - Ding)
• Hip-hop meets Jungle Book, as the video captures  the scene of claymation jungle animals going crazy at the bar. An orangutan tries to allure weasels with top hats to his busty raccoonette prostitutes, but ends up getting totally hammered and passing out! As usual, the bartender is the only one who profits that night! haha  (English, 2:08)
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6cosC_QHNo ( SEEED - Schwinger)
• This song is about the promiscuous office (expletive) who has a revelation after attending SEEED's concert. She punches her boss KO! then steals his keys to his car, his house, and begins travelling the world with his money! (English, 1:35, 2:51)
8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ1ORYDx1Uk ( SEEED - Riddim No. 1)
• This is another chill reggae riddim, the chorus of which is English. If you don't necessarily listen to reggae for thrills, then at least watch the video, which shows SEEED getting their butts whipped in a soccer game against some hefty opponents, who don't mind throwing their weight around! I don't know how you guys might like it, but I always get a few giggles.
9. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs_Xt2EY940 (SEEED - Waterpumpee)
• This is another uber-chill reggae song, with plenty of English, but you still might have to try to pick up the words. This is personally my favorite song on the list, and it lowers my blood pressure every time. An' dat wut chillun mean to me.
10. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9eCO4u123M ( K.I.Z. - Urlaub fürs Gehirn)
• This video is actually pretty interesting. The lyrics are all about poverty and how it affects kids in Germany. They describe the social settings of poverty-stricken families, and how these settings directly influence the outlook of those kids on life. The video is about a doctor who seeks to make these criminals into contributing members of society by giving them brain transplants. First the bank robbers, then a murderer, and finally a 'desecrator' (he illicits prostitution, then strangles her). Ultimately, this experiment fails to return them to normal functioning, but they can apprently stamp government documents with approval! (Who says all government employees have a brain? haha)
11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBRj7AF8YjQ ( Kansas - Icarus)
• This isn't necessarily related to my project, but Kansas really caught my attention again when this song came on my playlist. I've listened to this song eight times already today, but I can't get enough. It's beautiful music, and I just had to include it, although I'll be surprised if any readers actually make it through the entire playlist.

So in conclusion, here is the music I've been listening to while defending foreign language programs in public schools. Instead of asking you all to read another bit of un-scholarly scholarly writing (oxymoron/redundancy again! Call me butter, because I'm on a roll :) I thought I might add a few music videos which would maybe inspire you to defend foreign language education yourself! (I don't actually expect that to happen, but you might like the rythyms, and maybe even the videos.) So what do you have to lose? Spend a bit more time on Youtube and listen to productions of another culture for a change!