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Braintree Kids Don’t Want
Concerned about the "bad atmosphere" created by second-hand smoke, the fifth graders at the Braintree Elementary School worked together to write a song by that name. Last Friday night, joined by the Braintree sixth graders, they performed it before a crowd on the stage of Chandler Music Hall during the "Mini Mud" show that spotlighted talented kids throughout the area. The song was the product of a residency with Susan Delattre of the Community Tobacco-free Coalition. During the residency, the students from the two classes, along with fifth grade teacher Janni Jacobs and sixth grade teacher Tom Cooch, also worked with musician Colin McCaffrey. The two classes actually wrote two separate songs, but the sixth graders liked the one the fifth graders wrote better than their own, so that was the one chosen when the Braintree students were asked to audition for the "Mini Mud" event by Chandler’s Betsy Cantlin. McCaffrey, who can be heard playing guitar on a recorded version of "Bad Atmosphere," asked the students what style of music they’d like for their song and they decided they wanted it to have country/blues feeling. The title and lyrics came from their own experiences with and feelings about second hand smoke, since many of the Braintree kids have parents who smoke. They noted, however, that McCaffrey told them while they were writing their song, that he didn’t want it to preach. It took the fifth graders two or three hours to write the song, which they sang for Cantlin when she and Patty Warlick were at the school for an arts residency. Cantlin was impressed and asked them to audition for the show at Chandler. They practiced singing it every day and also performed it at the Barnard Central School, where students from the Redding School, who had done their own second hand smoke song with McCaffrey, performed, too. Last Friday morning, Jacobs’ students practiced once more for their Chandler debut by giving a spirited rendition for this reporter. Their song appears below. Bad Atmosphere By Braintree Elem. Grade 5 Bad Atmosphere Bad Atmosphere I want my air to be perfectly clear Not a Bad Atmosphere. Sitting in the dugout and the smoke’s comin’ in. Won’t you send me to the pitcher’s mound? Even when I’m running in the blowing wind The smoke’s still hanging around. Even when the sun is shining Home plate’s a smoky haze. It’s Bad Atmosphere Bad Atmosphere From the people who are smoking near. It’s a Bad Atmosphere. Sittin’ in the Chevy with the window cracked Dad lights a cigarette. Feelin’ kind of queasy with the smoke comin’ back I haven’t lost my breakfast yet. Pretty soon my eyes start burnin’ I can’t help feelin’ trapped In this Bad Atmosphere. Bad Atmosphere. I got smoke in my eyes and ash in my ear in this Bad Atmosphere. Just stop (Just stop) It’s not too late to quit. Just stop (Just stop) Before I have a fit. Just stop (Just stop) ‘Cause I’m feelin’ sick It’s a Bad Atmosphere. Just stop (Just stop) I’m feelin’ green. Just stop (Just stop) ‘Cause I’m feelin’ mean. Just stop (Just stop) I just wanna scream I want air that’s clean Not this Bad Atmosphere Bad Atmosphere. I want my air to be perfectly clear Not this Bad Atmosphere. ____________ |
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