Are there any modern songs that tie in thematically with the phrase 'carpe diem'?

Question

I'm teaching this philosophy in a 11th/12th grade English classroom.

Answer 1

"carpe diem" = sieze the day. hmmm. Don't know if these are what you're looking for, but I think a couple of them might fill the bill. Check 'em out! Nice course, prof!


Dylan, "Highway 61 Revisited";
Doors, "Light My Fire"; "Break on Through";
Eagles, "Take it to the Limit";
Jefferson Airplane, "Ride the Tiger";
Little Feat, "Texas Twister";
Pink Floyd, "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun";
Steve Miller, "The Joker";
Steve Winwood, "When you see a chance, take it";
U2, "Pride (In the name of Love)";
ZZ Top, "Sharp Dressed Man"

Answer 2

There's a country song about a man who goes to prison but makes his escape after he befriends the warden, who asks him to care for his dog. The prisoner writes a cousin who smuggles a female dog down and the prisoner takes the warden's dog don to see her ... and the dogs fall head over heels, which allows the prisoner to make his escape. Refrain is "red ____ blue ticks all over the south" and "love got my in here and love got me out."

Next we have the Daiquiri Song, in which the singer sees a personal ad about liking to walk barefoot in the moonlight, etc. He is dating a woman, but it has become a stae routine. He immediately arranges to meet the writer of the ad at a bar the next day, only to find the writer is his own girlfriend. Might add to the the debate of "is it right?" A little dated.

My personal favorite for this category might be the song about the wife-beating Earl, by the Dixie Chicks. Poor Earl's wife is beating her, so one day she kills him and stuffs him in the trunk, then tells the officers that no, she hasn't seen him (all the while knowing she rid herself of the wife-beater on her own -- well, with the assistance of her childhood friend from Atlanta).

Good luck! I think your idea of linking the concept to modern day text is wonderful -- I wish you all the best!!