Abraham

If you or the regular classroom teacher or even your whole school has decided that Abraham Lincoln is a subject to be studied more in-depth, this song could be useful as a reinforcement of learning or as a catalyst for discussion. For example, what was his burden? What does "derision" mean? What decisions did he have to make? How did he set all of us free (as opposed to just the slaves)? These and other thought-provoking questions can help to tie this song to your students' studies of President Lincoln. As with any topic that you can bring across the curriculum through the use of music, we recommend you communicate with other teachers to let them know of this musical tool.

The song itself is gentle and easygoing with a light rock/pop feel to it. The melody is somewhat syncopated, but in a natural way, so it feels simpler than it looks. Our singers on the Performance/Accompaniment recording have added slight vocal embellishments, which your singers may also wish to employ, though they are optional. The tune is unison throughout so as not to distract from the message.