Since I know FoLCs are very resourceful I hope someone here can help me.

I’m teaching 11th grade German literature and I want to “modernize” certain parts of a drama (Friedrich Schiller: Die Räuber / The Robbers) we’re reading, so the students can easier identify with the figures.

There are especially several songs that are very hard to understand in their meaning for the students. Now I’m searching for modern (popular) love songs (lyrics) that could be used to express the feelings of a female figure in the drama.

She sings in two situations and the songs express her feelings towards her lover:

Situation a:
It’s a farewell situation.
Her lover has to leave home (and her) because he has to go away to be a soldier/hero or something similar

Now she sings about his leaving and their everlasting love.
She expects him never to return.
The song could also be a duet where the male lover answers that he has to go (and fight/be brave/be a hero) even if he doesn’t want to leave her.
It is also possible that she sings it, when he’s already gone.

Situation b:
The female figure got a message, that her lover is presumably dead.

Now she generally sings about their love, compares it to heaven, describes his kisses and his beauty. In the end is a feeling of despair because he’s gone (died probably) and will never return.

I'm very grateful for your tips

Ines

I have no clue if the songs I'm suggesting below will really fit what you're asking for, but I'm giving it a go:

Makes me think of the Dixie Chicks' Travelin' Soldier: this is about a young soldier going to Vietnam; right before he leaves, he meets a young waitress in a cafe, asks her if he can send her letters, then at the end of the song the little waitress learns that he died in Vietnam:

"I cried
Never gonna hold the hand of another guy
Too young for him, they told her
Waiting for the love of a traveling soldier"

I also thought of Chris De Burgh's Borderline:
"And it's breaking my heart
I know what I must do
I hear my country calling
But I wanna be with you
I'm taking my side
One of us will lose
Don't let go, I wanna know
That you will wait for me until the day
There's no borderline"

At first I thought of My Immortal, by Evanescence... but then a kangaroo eating an apple would make me think of that song (we're talking of my favourite song ever ever ever here)

"I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me"

Then I went blank and had no other thought because I went back to listening to My Immortal.

No clue if that helps at all!

Kaethel

Thank you, Kaethel for your suggestions.

I'll use The Immortal for the second situation, I think it fits mostly.
(And you're right, it is a great song )

It's harder to find a fitting song for the first situation. That's why I haven't found one until now. If I don't find somethin else I might use one of your suggestions.

Thanks again

Ines

Where would a kangaroo get an apple?

Would you prefer the songs in English or German?

I'm not sure exactly how helpful this one might be, but Dido's "My Lover's Gone" is a haunting, beautiful song:

My lover's gone
His boots no longer by my door
He left at dawn
And as I slept I felt him go
Returns no more
I will not watch the ocean
My lover's gone
No earthly ships will ever bring him home again
Bring him home again

My lover's gone
I know that kiss will be my last
No more his song
The tune upon his lips has passed

I sing alone
While I watch the ocean
My lover's gone
No earthly ships will ever bring him home again
Bring him home again

Olympe, German or English, both is fine.

Angelic_Editor, thank you for the tip, another song I'll put on my list.

I also found: "We belong together" by Mariah Carey and by Natalie Cole "Miss you like crazy"

Ines

If German is fine, what about Herbert Grönemeyer - "Der Weg"? I know, he's talking of the wife he has lost, but I don't think that it's too much about a female character. I think you could use it.

Ich kann nicht mehr sehen
trau nicht mehr meinen Augen.
Kann kaum noch glauben
Gefühle haben sich gedreht.
Ich bin viel zu träge
um aufzugeben.
Es wär auch zu früh
weil immer was geht.

Wir waren verschworen
wren füreinander gestorben
haben den Regen gebogen
und Vertrauen geliehen.
Wir haben versucht
auf der Schussfahrt zu wenden
nichts war zu spät
aber vieles zu früh

Wir haben uns geschoben
durch alle Gezeiten
haben uns verzettelt
und verzweifelt geliebt.
Wir haben die Wahrheit
so gut es ging verlogen
es war ein Stück vom Himmel,
dass es dich gibt

Du hast den Raum
mit Sonne geflutet
hast jeden Verdruß
ins Gegenteil verkehrt.
nordisch nobel,
deine sanftmütige Güte
dein unbändiger Stolz
das Leben ist nicht fair.

Den Film getanzt
in einem silbernen Raum
am goldnen Balkon
die Unendlichkeit bestaunt
wahllos versunken, trunken
und alles war erlaubt
zusammen im Zeitraffer,
Mittsommernachtstraum.

Du hast den Raum
mit Sonne geflutet
hast jeden Verdruss
ins Gegenteil verkehrt
nordisch nobel,
deine sanftmütige Güte
dein unbändiger Stolz
das Leben ist nicht fair

Dein sicherer Gang
deine wahren Gedichte.
Deine heitere Würde
dein unerschütterliches Geschick
Du hast der Fügung
deine Stirn geboten
hast ihn nie verraten
deinen Plan vom Glück,
deinen Plan vom Glück.

Ich gehe nicht weg
hab meine Frist verlängert
neue Zeitreise
auf eine Welt
habe dich sicher
in meiner Seele
ich trag dich bei mir
bis der Vorhang fällt,
ich trag dich bei mir
bis der Vorhang fällt.

Unbändiger Stolz würde auch gut zu Karl Moor passen.