Party Tyme Karaoke: Christmas, Vol. 6 CD

In October, two songs from Stretch were used in a literature class at one of the University System Of Georgia colleges. Students analyzed "The Long Lost Works of Benjamin Lloyd" and "30 Miles From Memphis" in relation to lyrics as literature. The students were asked to examine the lyrics in relation to literary elements such as narrative structures, images, allegories, and thematic messages. The professor, who is a fan of Crane's music, explained how the assignment came about: "The textbook I use for the class has an excerpt from a Bruce Springsteen song. When I saw that, I decided to do a unit on lyrics, but I decided to use Rick's work." Continuing, she added," I'm using the lyrics unit as a springboard to the poetry section of the class. A lot of students fear poetry. They expect it to be confusing and complicated. They expect not to understand it. But all of the students relate to music. It's a big part of their lives. They feel comfortable with it. I think the best music lyrics have all the components that a good, classic piece of poetry has. That's why I decided to use Rick's songs. I wanted the students to examine the lyrics like they would examine any piece of literature. Therefore, I needed something well-written, deep, and complex enough to spend class time talking about. I also wanted something with a positive message." Beyond that, this was a unique exercise for the students because the assignment allowed them to ask Crane himself questions. "That is unusual," the professor stated. "Most of the time we study the works of people who are ...