One of the hazards of being a teacher of English as a foreign language is that it's hard to listen to story songs without imagining how can be put to use in a classroom. So Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' becomes an extended example of the various uses of the verb 'to get' and 'Tom's Diner' by Suzanne Vega shows the present continuous form to perfection.
'Stanley Brinks' song by Stanley Brinks is tailor made for a themed lesson on 'introductions' lesson.
A pre-listening discussion exercise could be taken from a line in it: : "the day that you are born you know who you are".
Suitable comprehension questions could be set. All are answered and helpfully repeated with a single trumpet note of punctuation not making for much distraction. These questions could be:
1.When was the singer born?
(The summer of 1973)
2. What did he look like as a child?
(He had blonde hair and blue eyes)
3.What was his mother like?
(She was quiet and educated)
4.What did his father do?
(He was a doctor who also played the guitar)
5.What did the singer study?
(Biology and philosophy)
6.Were the band he played in successful?
(It depends how you define success - they were "fun but unheard")
7.What are his loves ?
(Movies, the ocean and the idea of an orphan nation)
8.What big change happened in the fall of 2006?
(He changed his name to Stanley Brinks)
The wider significance of question 8 is that Stanley Brinks is the artist formerly known as Andre Herman Dune.
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The name change is doubtless to forge a separate identity from his previous "unheard" band Herman Dune who he left in 2006 but who are still active although still largely unknown. They remain one of Indie pop's best kept secrets and were regular visitors to Peel Acres, recorded numerous sessions and have to date made over half a dozen albums - all well worth tracking down.
Andre/Stanley left to go solo in 2006, not I'm sure with any illusions of gaining world fame but simply to pursue his gentle, idiosyncratic course alone. Being born in Paris to a Swedish mother and Moroccan father it's not hard to imagine how he inherited a wanderlust. He is currently based in Berlin.
The charm of his delicate voice and literate, self deprecating humour is still intact.
Backing the autobiographical A side is another slow song about leaving (a lover?) called 'French Leave - Bolero' built around the beautifully poignant line "all you said was true, although hard to believe"
As with Herman Dune the band, Stanley Brinks' word pictures are deceptively simple but highly evocative.
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