Friday, May 28, 2010

Greatest First Grade Program of all time!

I hesitated on posting these videos, but you really can't see any kid's faces because my wife is filming so far back in the Gym-eteri-orium and the quality is so bad.

I am the bozo leading the kids in the white shirt.

What we have here is a version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that I changed the words to. It is all about our year in first grade. If you get bored, skip to 2:52, when our guitar soloist takes the stage.

Also, I have a crummy camera, so I apologize for the crummy footage.



I also taught them, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" by The Clash.




Here are the lyrics I changed to the Bohemian Rhapsody song for First Graders:

Is this
Or is this fantasy?
Caught in a landslide of
Homework brutality
Open your eyes look up to the
and see…

I’m just in first grade.
I need no sympathy
Because I’m easy come, easy go
Say bye bye, say hello
Any way the ball goes
Doesn’t really matter to me…
To me.

MAMA
I’m done with first grade.
I was scared that first day
But now I am so glad I stayed
MAMA
My life has just begun
But summer’s here and now it’s time to play

MAMA!
Ohhhh
I don’t mean to make you cry
You’ll be happy in the summertime
And carry on, carry on,
And mix some pancake batter

MAMA!
Ohhhh.
I’m too old to cry
I think that I have grown so very tall

My mom brings me in a minivan
Give her smooch
And a smooch
Then I see the van van go

Monkeybars and lunchtime
Very, very frightening
ME!

GAL - I - LEO
GAL - I - LEO

Gal - i- leo
Let me grow

I’m such a smart kid
Everybody loves me

He’s just a smart kid
From a smart family

We are so full of curiosity

Recess comes, Recess goes
Will you let me go?
Mish - MULE - Lah
NO! WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO!
Let me go
Mish - MUL - Lah
WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO!
Let me go
Mish - MUL - Lah

WILL NOT LET YOU GO!
WILL NOT LET YOU GO!
WILL NOT LET YOU GO!

No, no, no, no, no no no!

Mama Mia
Mama Mia

MAMA MIA LET ME GO!

Does anyone know when we go to lunch?

Hungry
Hungry
HUNGRY!!!!

So you think we are very small fries
First grade has totally flown by

OH BABY!
Almost second grade baby
Just gotta get out
Just gotta get right out of here


OOOOhhhh
Oh yeah!
Oh yeah!

First grade really mattered
Anyone can see
First grade really mattered
First grade really mattered
TO ME!!!

FIRST GRADE ROCKS!!!

90 comments:

Anything Fits A Naked Man said...

Best kid concert EVER!!! They SO rocked this, Cheese! Awesome work! Thanks so much for sharing this!

Marion Williams-Bennett said...

Teaching kids Queen and the Clash, or at least just the music part, makes you the Best First Grade TEACHER ever!

Honestly, great work Mr. Cheeseboy!

Is it sad to see the class end or are you happy to see them grow and send them on their way?

Nancy C said...

That is awesome.

C'est La Vie said...

well you are just a regular professional composer i believe, this was FREAKING AWESOME

Tree said...

That was CLASSIC!!! And not just the music, but the concert itself! Those kids ROCKED it! LOL

The kids and parents must love you...how fun!! I wish my teachers would've been as creative as you when I was in school. BRAVO!

The Invisible Seductress said...

Oh man do I ever wish you could be my kid's teacher!!! You rock!!! brought a tear to my eye and a smile to my face!!

baygirl32 said...

Best 1st grade show EVER! CLASSIC

teresa and the boys said...

I feel honored to have seen this in person. If I haven't said it enough, thanks for being the BEST 1st grade teacher. Though I fear you may have ruined us... what with this being first grade, and Cooper being the oldest kid 'round here. Quite a high standard.

But heaven help you if you get Alex!

Claire said...

Little man in the middle with the hair may have found his calling!!
Aw, I hope my kids have an awesome teacher!

Living Life said...

I so enjoyed the program! Thanks for sharing. I'll bet those kids just love you as a teacher (and a friend)!! You could be the next Jack Black!!

Lene said...

I think you could change the world with this.

Ally said...

OMG! THAT IS AWESOME! You're the best ever! The Clash! HA HA!

FourthGradeNothing.com

Lisa said...

That is absolutely fabulous! I wish I'd had a teacher like you in the 1st grade. :O)

tammy said...

These are awesome! Please post the lyrics. And also please considering moving to AZ and teaching my kids.

Melinda said...

Dude, you have no idea how much I love Queen, and Bohemian Rhapsody is my favorite of their songs EVER! I so loved this--seriously AWESOME! You need to post the words so we can see!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I like Mrs. Carlton (my first grade teacher. May she rest in peace.) But she was no Cheeseboy! Your kids are very lucky!
xoRobyn

jayayceeblog said...

OMG, that is some energy. It had to be a lot of work teaching them all the words, but they carried it off beautifully. You are a great teacher! Have a wonderful Summer!!!

Macey said...

That is THE BEST concert EVER!!!! I would have brought a bbq lighter and held it up. :)

Karen said...

This is awesome. I'm glad you shared the videos with us.

Pedaling said...

parents appreciate "hip" teachers like you!

too cute!

you have so much creativity that you ooze fun and originality all over the place!

mamahasspoken said...

1st grade headbangers are great! Awesome job there Abe! Oh and the one boy with the guitar, white shirt and tie is a teacherinfourth (Jason) look-a-like;o)

Anonymous said...

Gee they did a great job of this hehe, love the words!!

Jason, as himself said...

You are truly one of a kind. In a very good way. What a breath of fresh first grade air!

Amy said...

I agree with Teresa and the boys, you have set the standard high. Jessi's school career has started with a bang having had you as her teacher.

This program was the icing on the cake! The lyrics you came up with for the Bohemian Rhapsody were brilliant. Come on, pancake batter? That was genius!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Damn, the guitarist made the show! Was that really a seven year old kid?

You are one hip teacher, Cheeseboy!

Joann Mannix said...

Cheeseboy, You have won my heart for all times with those videos!

Dude, you HAVE to put that on youtube. That will go viral like lightning. And don't worry, the kids are definitely too far away. Put your fantastic interpretation of the song on the screen. I have no idea how to do that, but my daughter's a film major if you want me to ask. But, put those words up there and show your incomparable talents to the world!

And as utterly awesome as the first video was, I love the Clash video so much. That Joe Strummer, "Whoo" they give at the beginning, was perfect. Did you teach that little girl, guitar mojo, cause she had it going on!

If you don't mind, I think I'm going to post tomorrow, just a little blurb for everyone to go check this out.

Thanks for this. LOVED it.

Oh, and your wife deserves major applause for her steady camerawork, cause it sure sounded like a little voice was trying to distract her.

Everyday Goddess said...

that is going to be their favorite memory ever.

you are one helluva guy!

what is it next year? Ramble On?

Love it!

Hart Johnson said...

This is BRILLIANT! I love that you have a district that lets you DO this! (some principals have no sense of humor)--FABULOUS~

ScoMan said...

Ha.. You could totally be Jack Black in School of Rock.

I love changing the words of songs to make them about other things.

And I love The Clash.

Great videoes. Well done. I wish I had had a first grade teacher like you.

Emmy said...

That song is so somawesome!! That would be a fun concert to be at

Mrs. M said...

YOU ROCK!!! What a great thing to do!!

Saimi said...

I'm thinking about leaving preschool and joining your first grade class!!

Who taught the two girls on both sides to rock like that? Swinging their hair and their arms!! Too Cool!!

Love the remake of Queens song!!
well done!

Tammy said...

Fabulous job Abe!!!!

Is this all of the first graders in the school? Or just your class?

mintifresh said...

I bow to your genius.

Seriously though, where do you teach? I have a first grader....I may transfer...

janjanmom said...

If my kids had had teachers like you, I probably wouldn't be a homeschooler...maybe.

Seriously great job!

tiburon said...

That might be the greatest thing I have ever seen.

She ROCKED that guitar solo.

Well played Cheese. Well played.

lindsey v said...

Much better than the hippopotamus song my son sang at his 1st grade program last week. Great lyrics!

Anonymous said...

Oh, this was so great to see. Inspires me to try to think of cool songs to alter with math and reading jingles to teach during the year. Thanks! So cute!

Mary said...

that was totally awesome, and quite entertaining!!!

GEM said...

You rock! I hope you have an awesome weekend.

Green-Eyed Momster

Kristina P. said...

You are a genius! Adorable.

sammy said...

haha thats awesome!

my son is in the first grade and i know he'd love to perform that song.

also you may want to look into a song writing career!

Claudya Martinez said...

You're awesome!

Alexandra said...

WHY do kids love to sing that song??? MY 3 can't get enough of it...in the van, they go crazy.

I suppose, it is fun..

Marnie said...

Now this is great! My daughter will be in grade 1 next year. You sound like a very fun teacher. I hope her teacher in September is like you. Those kids will miss you.

Unknown said...

This is the best concert ever. I loved it. Good job, Cheeseboy. You are an amazing teacher!:)

Powdered Toast Man said...

I liked the second video better, I couldn't really hear what they were singing in the first one.

You're a lyrical genius.

SueLovesCherries said...

Awesome as usual! Go to my blog (do not pass GO, do not collect $200)to see something special!

Sharon's New Life said...

I love this video Cheese... great work! I can tell you will be remembered fondly as everyone's favorite teacher!
Sharon:)

Joann Mannix said...

Yo! Check out my blog today when you have a minute, you know, in between creating rock anthems for 6 year olds.

CiCi said...

Your work is so important. Wonderful concert.

Writing Without Periods! said...

Okay...I want you as my teacher!!!!
Too cool.
Mary

Katie's Dailies said...

That's it---I'm going to sneak into your class next year and be your oldest 1st grade student! WHy couldn't I have you back in '72?? You were WAY cooler than MY first grade teacher (who scared us all to death because he was about 9 feet tall)!

Shell said...

I LOVE the song!

And you definitely need to make that award that I saw you talking about over on Laundry Hurts My Feelings. Taking Names and Kicking Ass. Now,THAT would be an awesome award.

Bossy Betty said...

Oh My Gosh! Loved this! So creative! Where were you when I was in first grade?

(Don't answer that!)

I♥thesecrazykids said...

You are such an awesome teacher!

Queenie Jeannie said...

You are the coolest teacher of all time!! Queen & The Clash?? Total awesomeness!!!!!!

One Photo said...

OK, I am a big fan of Joann's blog. I am also a life-long fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury and first saw them before they were even famous, in a cattle market hall in the wilds of England which was the best concet I ever went to, because I was right by the stage all night and later, when Queen became so well known, I would be straining my eyes to try and see them on a stage far away. So when Joann mentioned there was this first grade teacher who did a version of Bohemian Rhapsody with his class I had to come and see. You did not disappoint. Just wonderful, if Freddie Mercury was here today and could see and hear this I know he would just love it.

Beth Zimmerman said...

Abe! That was just incredible! Thank you for the time, energy, creativity, and love you invest in those precious kids! I wish all kids could have teachers like you!

And the first grade program that I went to earlier this month had NOTHING on this! You are AMAZING!

The Bipolar Diva said...

This is awesome! I loved it!

I came by via Joanne's blog. I think I'm going to stick around and follow....awesome blog!

Tracie said...

This is full of The Awesome! I really think it could go viral on YouTube.

Gigi said...

SWEET!!! You are a super cool 1st grade teacher...I only wish my 1st grader had somebody this fun teaching him! GREAT job!!!

Lori said...

That program is a classic Abe! Great job on the lyrics as well as the music. Do I hear "Teacher of the year" coming up in your future? Very cool, once again!

Mike

Anonymous said...

I will wait til after the weekend to share with my friends. I don't want any one to miss this.
So- are you allowed back next year?
We never had teachers like you in our grade schools (and see how we turned out.) They are beyond lucky to have you.
I have to give cudos for hair twirling and flipping.

Farmers Wifey said...

I love this and want to sing it to my kids...

skcoe said...

Oh. My. GOSH. That was so amazing...I've watched 3 times and I'm still giggling at the guitar!

You're a genius and I'm pretty sure I'm moving so my kids can have you as their teacher.

PS Aren't cafe-gym-etoriums the BEST?!

Connie said...

That is amazing! You are amazing! Loved watching it!

Lori said...

This was hilarious! I found you from Laundry Lady's blog. So glad I popped over.

Anonymous said...

Very Good Mr. Cheeseboy!
Your first graders are excellent singers and you are a very good composer.
Thanks for sharing the videos.

Anonymous said...

As someone who directed her summer school kids once to do something similar, I get really into this kind of thing and give you alot of credit - your kids did great!! I am so impressed - that song (great lyric substitution btw) couldn't have been easy to sing plus they did 2 of them, and totally rocked them both. Big pat on the back!

Babe in Boysland said...

JEEN. YUS.

Brilliant. Brave. Funny. Timeless.

BRAVO.

Babe in Boysland said...

BTW- You asked long ago if you could post my blog on here, and I forgot. But yes, post away!

Anonymous said...

Abso-frickin-awesome-tastic!!!

What great memories for those kiddos! Major kudos to you!

UnicycleRose said...

That is about the MOST creative first grade perfromance I have ever seen....loved all of it.....I am speechless. Don't stop impacting our future in such a fun ways....

Wendy @RunningonMTT said...

That was fun to see and I have to say you are in the ranks with my son's Kindergarten teacher. He and our Music teacher co-wrote a play about Math and used songs that we can relate to and put them to MATH principles and it was the cutest performance ever! Each child said a line about Math too.

Anyways, I want to congratulate you for inspiring young kids with great music that we parents can enjoy. Our performance was the best Kindergarten performance to date -- my K child is my youngest so I've seen a few shows over the last 7 years! :O)

I will list my blog if you'd like to check it out. I split all the songs up into little videos!

http://runningonmtt.blogspot.com/2010/05/feel-good-friday.html

I stumbled over here via I hate doing laundry...and glad I did! Thanks for sharing your wonderful show with us in blogworld!

Liz Mays said...

You are so clever!!! The headbanging was hysterical!

imbeingheldhostage said...

I want to move to where ever you are teaching...

Adoption of Jane said...

HAHAHAHA!!! Why oh why weren't you my Teacher!!

Bumpkin on a Swing said...

Great Show, how cute are they?
You did a really good job, and the teachers of these children in the future will have a hard act to follow, they parents will be thinking, wow remember when. We both loved this! Just too good for words.
The Captain and The Bumpkin

Kelly said...

Oh MY! I usually have a rule that if there are over 50 comments I just can't scroll down that far but I had to comment on this. Those kids are so lucky to have learned your awesome song. Way to go. How long did that take for them to learn. I am just amazed!

Barbra The Bloggess said...

Kids never seemed to get in trouble singing Queen or The Clash. That's probably why I was with the group singing, Pink Floyd's-Another Brick in The Wall. All that rukus and I still became a teacher! Sheesh.
I like your version the best!

Jillybean said...

Dude, I totally know where you teach. (actually, I didn't recognize it, my kid did)
I would like you to transfer to our current school so that you can be Max's first grade teacher.
That was the coolest school program I've ever seen!! (and believe me, with 4 kids, I've sat through many)

Anonymous said...

That is absolutely brilliant!!!!!! I wish you taught my kids!!! Please never lose your creativity, the kids need you!

Lisa Loo said...

WOW--83 comments??!! All praise and flowers??!! I thought your head was looking a little big in that Burt Reynolds video.

But I too must say that you must be a pretty amazing teacher and yours kids are so awesome to have memorized all that! Teaching children to find joy in learning is so important and you are rocking dude!

Faythe said...

Cheesy...
I am left without words! You know how hard that is???! You know those kids will never have another teacher as cool as you... their school life may just as well be over...
oh, I guess I managed to squeak out a few words after all! I will have to return for Burt's Truck video, as I seem to have dropped my cheese-curd and need to find a napkin!

Didactic Pirate said...

Amazing. The fact that you got those kids to memorize the entire rhapsody (First Grade edition) is a feat in itself. Well done, Music Teacher Cheese Man! I wish my daughter was in your class.

P.S. You just got yourself another regular reader.

Just SO said...

Can I go back in time and have you as my first grade teacher!! That is seriously awesome. Were there parents there or was it just for the school?

Captain Dumbass said...

Wish my first grader had been in your class this year.

KLZ said...

That is just unbelievably awesome. More please.

Pat said...

You are the coolest teacher EVER! You've created a whole slew of "Gleeks"! I loved this! I laughed until I cried - in a good way, really! This was simply adorable!