The Golden Age

When our students were studying the archetype of the Golden Age, we showed stills from the movie WALL-E of the wrecked and polluted Earth to illustrate the Iron Age.

Next we played this clip to illustrate a civilization that actually enacts their longing to reclaim the idyllic Golden Age again. Because this is a children's movie and a Disney movie and a Hollywood fantasy, they are able to do so and move into the peace and beauty of the Silver Age with the development of agriculture and education. Ah, for second chances.

Finally, we examined the lyrics to the Peter Gabriel song "Down to the Ground" and had the students annotate the words (underline significant words and phrases and add comments, questions, and observations) in relation to the characteristics of the Golden Age.

Did you think that your feet had been bound
By what gravity brings to the ground?
Did you feel you were tricked
By the future you picked?
Well, come on down

All these rules don't apply
When you're high in the sky
So come on down
Come on down

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow up on the mountains
We've got rivers down below

We're coming down to the ground
To hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
We send the seeds out in the breeze

Did you think you'd escaped from routine
By changing the script and the scene?
Despite all you made of it
You're always afraid of the change

You've got a lot on your chest
Well, you can come as my guest
So come on down
Come on down

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow up on the mountains
We've got rivers down below

We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
We send the seeds out in the breeze

Like the fish in the ocean
We felt at home in the sea
We learned to live off the good land
We learned to climb up a tree

Then we got up on two legs
But we wanted to fly
Oh, when we messed up our homeland
And set sail for the sky

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We got rivers down below

We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
We send the seeds out in the breeze

We're coming down
Comin' down to earth
Like babies at birth
Comin' down to earth
Redefine your priorities
These are extraordinary qualities

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We've got rivers down below

We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
We send the seeds out in the breeze

We're coming down to the ground
There's no better place to go
We've got snow upon the mountains
We've got rivers down below

We're coming down to the ground
We'll hear the birds sing in the trees
And the land will be looked after
We send the seeds out in the breeze

Redefine your priorities
These are extraordinary qualities
To find on earth

Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down