Writing Exercise 4

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Analyze the song lyrics for "Once in a Lifetime" by The Talking Heads. (This link takes you to a site with all the lyrics for the album Remain in Light; from there you will need to scroll down the page to find "Once in a Lifetime.")

This activity contains 2 questions.

What is being said? Consider the what, how, and why of these lyrics and then draft a thesis statement that sums up these lyrics.

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

You will now need to support your thesis statement with evidence. Look closely at the refrain, lines, sentences, phrases, and words. Consider the images and sounds. Analyze each of these parts in turn, looking for patterns and arriving at an understanding of the work's elements. How does it get this idea across? Why is this a significant idea?

To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

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