A Lot of Days Are Gone
The Arizona-based band Hacienda Brothers describes their music as “western soul”, as they blend together country music and R&B (rhythm and blues). The song "A Lot of Days Are Gone," written by Jeb Schoonover and Dave Gonzalez, illustrates this style of music with the steady drums and cymbals, the electric guitar, and the bass. But perhaps most noticeably, the pedal steel guitar is featured in this song.
The pedal steel guitar is one of the most distinctive instruments of American country music, and is played by manipulating foot pedals, moving a metal bar (the ‘steel’) across the strings of the instrument, and plucking the strings with the fingers or a guitar pick. The lyrics of "A Lot of Days Are Gone" also express a typical country music theme: that of regrets for the events of the past, and longing for a loved one who has been lost.
Lyrics and Classroom Activities
Do you want to use this song in your classroom? Here are the lyrics and classroom activities to get started.
American Rhythms
The Sing Out Loud American Rhythms CD includes a variety of musical genres from many different artists in the U.S.A. These songs will appeal to teens and young adults. This "hybrid" CD also contains a teacher's guide to using music in the classroom.