Less Than Zero

While grading papers with Chi in my room after school on Friday, a sixth grader was helping out. We listened to some Modern Antiques, and then some of my old music.

"Why don't you write some math songs and then play them for your class?"

So that's exactly why I'm still awake. I've written the first installment of what will probably end up being a total of one installment of math songs. This one is called "Less Than Zero" (not to be confused with Less Than Three) and is about negative numbers. We've already talked about integers this year, but I might still bring in the ol' six string and rock out when we've got a moment. Video pending...

Oh also, after the guitar solo there's a rap section that describes the rules of integer operations. So yes, I spent the last 3 hours sitting in the dark, quietly writing an integer rap (in other words, I need to seriously reevaluate my life). Jay-Z has yet to return my e-mail about participating.

Less Than Zero
When you've got nothing left, I'm gonna take some more
You might be out of money, but honey that's a debt I can't ignore
When you've got nothing left, I'm gonna take some more
And leave a negative number

Your helicopter soared a hundred stories high
The propellers stopped and you dropped a hundred stories from the sky
But you landed safely in the valley, deep and dry
Just like a negative number

Chorus
Down low, don't it feel like falling backwards?
The biggest negative can leave you feeling small
Less than zero, where's the hero, where's the laughter?
Where's the ground to break your fall?

Grab your jacket, girl, it's thirty-five degrees
And when the sun goes down, you're bound to feel the freezing winter breeze
It's dropping 40 more, and it'll bring you to your knees
You'll feel the negative number

Chorus
Down low, don't it feel like falling backwards?
The biggest negative can leave you feeling small
Less than zero, where's the hero, where's the laughter?
Where's the ground to break your fall?

Guitar Solo

If you're adding a negative, you could think of it as good old fashioned subtractin', baby
So adding seventeen and negative three - between you and me? its seventeen minus three
But what about subtraction? Relax, you're askin' a G-T question
Just add the opposite instead (yeah, keep change flip that)
So all of a sudden, a problem like two minus negative two, becomes as easy as two plus two, Welcome back to second graaade, fool
And dividing is easy too: just divide like normal, ignore those signs,
the little lines, they don't mean nothin', until you're done, then you better not forget none
Positive divided by a positive? (positive!)
Negative divided by a negative? (positive!)
Same Siiiiiigns? (positive!)
Same siiiigns? (positive!)
positive divided by a negative? (negative!)
Negative divided by a positive? (negative!)
Different siiiigns? (negative!)
Different siigns? (negative!)
I see you tryin, you multiplyin' the same signs,
A positive answer will await you on the other side, like when you divide
I'm saying negative five times negative five is twenty-five
I'll sing it one more time: negative five times five... (…...negative twenty five)

When you've got nothing left, I'm gonna take some more
You might be out of money, but honey that's a debt I can't ignore
When you've got nothing left, I'm gonna take some more
And leave a negative number
A negative number...
A negative number...