“Yesterday”: Using Music for Critical Thinking, Perspective Taking and Inference

For Summer School, Tutoring, or Back to School – using music and songs is always a great way to engage students. It can be used to teach narrative structure, critical thinking, perspective-taking, problem-solving, conflict resolution and for improving inference skills and working on social-emotional growth! I wanted to share an example of this using the song “Yesterday” by The Beatles.

This song is fresh in my mind because in movie theaters now is Universal Studio’s movie “Yesterday” starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and Ed Sheeran. I love British films and have heard this one is so sweet and has a feel-good story—I can’t wait to see it!

Also, this past weekend at MGMSpringfield, I went to see a Beatles tribute band in an outdoor concert setting. The band, called The Fab Four (http://thefabfour.com/), was incredible, talented and authentic! I have always loved The Beatles music and this band makes you think you are really watching them. This band’s sound, costumes, and voices take you through the evolution of The Beatles’ musical style and influence. Since going to the concert and reading reviews of this movie, I have been listening to more Beatles music than usual.

With renewed interest, I read an article about the song “Yesterday” that was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The article analyzes the song in many ways, but quotes Paul McCartney as saying that this song “doesn’t resolve into any sense,” and that “you don’t know what happened. She left and he wishes it were yesterday—that much you get—but it doesn’t really resolve.” The song is made up of thoughts and emotions about a breakup. Perfect for analysis with the Critical Thinking Triangle^® of the Story Grammar Marker^®!

As I do with most stories, songs, TV shows, movies, and life experiences, in listening to Yesterday over the weekend, I began to “Story Grammar Marker-ize” (to analyze in my head using Story Grammar Marker^® elements or narrative structure), the song as I watched/listened to it on Youtube (below).

Knowing the intent of the song was to express thoughts and emotions, I built a little Critical Thinking Triangle^® in my head. I fit the lyrics into it—with the kick off, feelings, cohesion words, mental states, and plans. Before we get into sharing that "Yesterday"-inspired Critical Thinking Triangle^®, here is a reminder of the lyrics to what has been called one of the Beatles best songs ever:

Here, using the Story Grammar Marker^® Approach, specifically the Critical Thinking Triangle^® In Action! Set's Student Thinking Mat (pictured here), I analyzed and inferred the feelings and thoughts of the main character “He.” I may have gone a bit overboard (as it is my personality to do so) in the inference and analysis of “his” feelings, but the ability to do this is an essential part of perspective-taking, problem-solving, and resolving conflicts.

Here is a video of how to use the Critical Thinking Triangle in Action! to visualize and kinesthetically “think through” the kick-off, feelings, thoughts/mental states and plans of the character in the song:

Below is how we could put this into sentence/paragraph form with some microstructure elements of feeling words, mental state (thinking) verbs, planning words, as well as cohesive ties (such as suddenly, because, and, so- in purple text). The macrostructure elements of character, setting, kick-off, feeling, mental state (thinking verbs) and plan are identified by the Story Grammar Marker^® Icons.

Yesterday, he was living a carefree, happy life and his troubles seemed so far away. Suddenly, she left and she didn’t say why. He didn’t KNOW why she had to go and he WONDERS if he said something wrong. He REMEMBERS when love was such an easy game to play so he BELIEVES in yesterday when they were happy. He feels HEARTBROKEN because his love left. He is LONELY because he is half the man he used to be without her. He also feels SAD and DEPRESSED because there is a shadow hanging over him. He feels CONFUSED because she didn’t say why she had to go and he feels REGRETFUL if it was because of something he said. He is also feeling WISTFUL because he wishes it was yesterday again. So, he NEEDS a place to hide away because he WANTS to be alone to grieve his lost love.

Since I had The Beatles on my mind, “Yesterday” was what I chose to share with you. However, narrative analysis can be done with any song out there! Use Story Grammar Marker^® as you listen, Google the lyrics and use the Critical Thinking Triangle in Action! Set with your students for a deep analysis.

Genres like Country, Musicals, ’80s Rock, and Rap in particular, often have real “stories” to tell. I think of songs like “Parents Just Don’t Understand” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, “Livin’ On a Prayer” by Bon Jovi, “A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash, “Copacabana” by Barry Manilow, “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “Alexander Hamilton” from Hamilton, “Hotel California” by The Eagles, “One Day More” from Les Miserables, to name several. There are thousands of good narrative/storytelling songs out there—a Google search of “songs that tell a story” will yield 781,000,000 results! Enjoy!