TEACHERS: Mr. Nicky is booking his 2024 virtual assemblies and online history songwriting lessons! These programs (via Zoom/Google Meet/etc.) meet state learning standards in both social studies and ELA, and they’re tons of fun. Please send an e-mail to mrnickychicago@gmail.com for full information. (Students will not receive a response, but thank you for your support!)
- LYRICS BELOW -
Here's the MERCH! : https://www.bonfire.com/store/mr-nickys-world-history-songs/

Lesson on Ancient China
by Mr. Nicky
To the tune of "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell and T.I.
Backing track property of Karaoke Version/Tency Music.

(This is Ancient China . . . hey hey hey)

"China's Sorrow" is the Huang He
That river's yellow, and when it floods
it kills and causes famine
but makes such fertile farmland
with that North China Plain loess

The ancient towns of Shang were once production centers
Those rulers in Anyang prayed to their dead ancestors
making the future known by
cracking Oracle Bones, I
have few records to go by
but one Shang ruler's name was

Fu Hao
Wife of the Shang king
His name was Wu Ding
Look in her tomb

She ruled her own town
And led some armies
Her ruling family is
The Shang Dynasty

Read these cracked lines
on these burnt sheep bones
To make decisions
Its writing mentions

Lady Fu Hao
Her ruling family's
The Shang Dynasty
In the Huang He Valley

When the Dynasty of Shang
was defeated by Wuwang
by the Mandate of Heaven
China started its Classic Age!

Such creativity
the most that been seen
in Chinese history



Okay, the Duke of Zhou
was putting down rebellions
He let his nephew grow
but could have easily killed him

The Zhou made iron weapons
Their coins were being accepted
It made trade more effective
They ran their government like

Fu Hao
Wife of the Shang king
His name was Wu Ding
Look in her tomb

She ruled her own town
and led some armies
her ruling family is
the Shang Dynasty

Read these cracked lines
on these burnt sheep bones
to make decisions
Its writing mentions

Lady Fu Hao
Her ruling family is
the Shang Dynasty
in the Huang He Valley

In the Zhou Dynasty
during the Warring States Period they were trying to see
how to rule wisely, Kong Fu Zi
a.k.a. Confucius said the key
to happiness and prosperity
was education, then Lao Zi
said Daoism showed The Way to be
It's the "Hundred Schools" of Philosophy

Then look out for Ying Zheng cause he
took the throne for the Qin Dynasty
That 13 year-old changed names and he
was the 1st Grand Emperor, Shihuangdi

He standardized the writing
Built the Great Wall of China
His legalism made him enemies, is that why
he had a terra-cotta army that would guard him when he died?

When he died, Liu Pang
Rose up and led the Han

They called him Gao Zu
He defeated Hsiang Yu
Then he started to rule, hey . . .

Emperor Wudi based government on Confucius
Grew the bureaucracy, they took exams for service

The Han kept on advancing
In science and mathematics
made paper, seismographs, and
expanded language, saying

Fu Hao
Wife of the Shang king
His name was Wu Ding
Look in her tomb

She ruled her own town
And led some armies
Her ruling family is
The Shang Dynasty

Read these cracked lines
on these burnt sheep bones
to make decisions
Its writing mentions

Lady Fu Hao
Her ruling family is
the Shang Dynasty
in the Huang He Valley

(This is Ancient China . . . hey hey hey)