Outraged after publisher Joseph Pulitzer increases the cost of newspapers for the delivery boys (“newsies”) by ten cents per hundred, head newsie Jack Kelly organizes a union and ultimately a strike among his fellow newsies. This strike is known in history as the Newsboys’ Strike of 1899. The plot and lyrics of “The World Will […]
Read More
In “Try Me”, delivery boy Arpad Laszlo is pleading for a promotion. After two years of self-training in Maraczek’s Parfumerie to prepare himself for a potential new job as a clerk, Arpad is trying to convince his boss to give him a chance. This song provides a good introduction to the value of on-the-job training, […]
Read More
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have a “rap-off” about whether to have a national bank and whether the US government should assume the debts of the states. Hamilton is for it – Jefferson against. This song, set during George Washington’s presidency, still echoes debates we hear today. The US did open a central bank – […]
Read More
“Just a Housewife” from the musical Working features housewife Kate Rushton, singing how society does not perceive her as intelligent due to her choice to be a stay-at-home mom. Her feeling of incompetence and being expendable increases when realizing that her work and skills are not viewed as valuable in society – specifically from an […]
Read More
“My Shot”, from the musical Hamilton contains lyrics that illustrate several economic concepts. First, Hamilton is talking about going to King’s College (which is now Columbia University) to gain skills as he claims “the problem is I’ve gotta lotta brains but no polish”. In another part of “My Shot” we hear from Mulligan, who’s an […]
Read More
The musical The Last Ship is set in Wallsend, England. In this town, there is one shipyard that will close in the near future. The workers sing about how “the only life we’ve known is in the shipyard”. With the closing of the shipyard, the workers will be unemployed. If their skills don’t translate easily into […]
Read More
The singer, Donna is singing to her one-time romantic partner. In singing “The Winner Takes it All”, she is implying that romantic relationships are a zero-sum game, that one person’s gains are another person’s losses. This is an incorrect view, as consenting relationships must provide benefits to both parties. Discussion Questions for “The Winner Takes […]
Read More
This song sets the stage for Something Rotten (the musical), but it also gives us insight into an interesting period of time. Many new products were invented during the renaissance period. These new products improved the well-being of society dramatically, and include the printing press and improved methods of freezing food products. Discussion Questions for […]
Read More
“Every state in the U.S.A. has something it can boast of”, as the song starts. Because of that, it means that states should find good opportunities to trade. Trade occurs because of the theory of comparative advantage – when one person/area has a lower (opportunity) cost to produce. While this fun song lists fictitious items […]
Read More
Peron and Eva are nervous about being arrested by the military, but they have a secret weapon: unions. In many political systems, some politicians have a symbiotic relationship with unions. The politicians will support the aims of the unions and the unions will help the politicians stay in power. This is a good song to […]
Read More