I don't like Mondays

Most of times we hear a song we do not realize about the lyrics that songs involves. In this case, I would like to comment a song which reflects an incredible fact happened some years ago. The song I am going to talk about is “I don’t like Mondays”.

When I was fourteen years old I remember my mother told me about a song whose lyrics talked about an American teenager who shot several children and adults who were in the break time in a school which was located opposite her house. Her name is Brenda Ann Spencer, and she took a rifle which was given to her by her father as a Christmas present.

The crime happened in San Diego, California in 1979. As she lived opposite the school, she started to shoot randomly from her bedroom window. Brenda starred in a shootout with several people who were injured and two fatalities in an American school on Monday January twenty-ninth. The incident ended up six hours later and when she was arrested the police officer asked her why she had committed that crime, she simply answered: “ I don’t like Mondays, I have no reason, it was just for fun, I saw children who were like ducks by a pond and a herd of cows surrounding them, easy targets”. Finally, she was found guilty of two murders and assault with a deadly weapon, and sentenced to serve a minimum prison term of 25 years to life imprisonment in a penal institution for women in Corona, California.

Brenda's crime and his lack of remorse inspired Bob Geldof to write the song "I don't like Mondays", based on the answer given by Brenda when she was asked about the reason for her crime. This fact makes us think about some countries policies are regarding to possession of guns, but this is other topic that may be treated on another occasion.

The song became popular in a few days but not many people knew about its meaning. So I think that we have to listen the songs not only hear, and this activity is very interesting to practice in the classroom with their children. Because children love music we can work their pronunciation, increase vocabulary and discuss in class the meaning of his lyrics, and it is also a fun activity.

I see you in my next post! =)