After teaching an entire novel, many teachers naturally seek to end the unit with something fun that will drive home the important themes and topics discussed throughout the book. Easily we can turn to the countless movie adaptations of our novel. However, there are some interesting and fun alternatives. There are countless songs and albums that are either based off of or directly influenced by our favorite literary works. We can utilize these songs to connect more with students who might prefer music over film.
We also must consider what a song written about a book means. The composers and writers of the songs were at one point the readers of the same books we are studying. Therefore, the contents of the song represent an interpretation of the text. These songs can be used to access new perspectives and new interpretations. We look to academic articles and papers to get new interpretations of a text, so why can’t we look at other forms of media? We can start a lesson over the novel by playing a corresponding song and getting students interested.
Almost every classic piece of literature has a song that has been written about it. Musicians have been drawing inspiration from novels for years and will for years to come. While there are countless songs based on literary texts, here are some of my personal favorites:
| Songs | Books |
| 1984 – David Bowie | 1984 – George Orwell |
| White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane | Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carrol |
| Lolita – Lana Del Rey | Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov |
| Lost Boy – Ruth B | Peter Pan – J. M. Barrie |
| If I Die Young – The Band Perry | Lady Shallot – Lord Tennyson |
| Mastodon – Blood and Thunder | Moby Dick – Hermann Melville |
| Ramble On – Led Zeppelin | Lord of the Rings – J. R. R. Tolkien |
| One – Metallica | Johnny Got His Gun – Dalton Trumbo |
| For Whom the Bell Tolls – Metallica | For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway |
| Dante’s Inferno – Iced Earth | The Divine Comedy – Dante Alighieri |
| Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper | Frankenstein – Mary Shelley |
| Behind the Wall of Sleep – Black Sabbath | Behind the Wall of Sleep – H. P. Lovecraft |
| Communion of the Cursed – Ice Nine Kills | The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty |
| Brave New World – Iron Maiden | Brave New World – Alduos Huxley |
| Home – Breaking Benjamin | The Wizard of Oz – Frank Baum |
| Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Iron Maiden | Rime of the Ancient Mariner –Samuel Taylor Coleridge |
| Lord of the Flies – Iron Maiden | Lord of the Flies – William Golding |
For students who are particularly interested in music, you may want to recommend them check out ‘concept albums’. ‘Concept Albums’ are albums that follow a theme or concept, and, on many occasions, they tell a story who’s plot progresses with each song. For me, concept albums revived a love for story and storytelling that had been driven out of me due to the mandated reading of school. I have always had a fondness and am inclination to be drawn to a great story. Concept albums were a combination of my love for music and my love for story. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
Leviathan – Mastodon
Every Trick in the Book – Ice Nine Kills
Nightfall in Middle Earth – Blind Guardian
In conclusion, there are many ways to utilize music to accompany the teaching of literature. If I didn’t cover a novel you are teaching in this list, there may very likely be a song that fits your desired text. Keep this in mind next time you are looking for different mediums to accompany a text you are teaching.
Writing With Music 