As the kids head back to school this week, we spin a few adult tunes built around children-sung choruses:
1. M.I.A., “Paper Planes” (Kala, 2007)
Cash registers, gunshots and youngsters—shocking no one fused the three elements till now.
2. Pink Floyd, “Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)” (The Wall, 1979)
Those authority-challenging tots would sound mighty silly without their wicked British accents.
3. Justice, “D.A.N.C.E.” (†, 2007)
A hip dance-floor fave that doubles as an educational spelling device.
4. Nas, “I Can” (God’s Son, 2002)
Annoying? Sure, but we can’t stay mad at a song that mashes preteens with “Fur Elise.”
5. Yo La Tengo, “Nuclear War [Version 2]” (Nuclear War EP, 2002)
“It’s a motherf--ker/Don’t you know/If they push that button/Your ass gotta go.” Fun for the whole family.