Discussion Topic

Songs that describe Dally's feelings and character in The Outsiders

Summary:

Songs that describe Dally's feelings and character in The Outsiders might include "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood, reflecting his tough exterior and rebellious nature, and "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who, illustrating his hidden vulnerabilities and emotional struggles. These songs capture the complexity of Dally's persona, balancing toughness with underlying pain.

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Which songs relate to Dally's character in The Outsiders?

Of all of the Greasers, Dallas Winston is most definitely the most legitimate criminal of the group. He has spent time in jail, he cheats, he steals, he jumps little kids, and so on. He is a bad guy, and Ponyboy admits that he does not like Dally. Ponyboy respects Dally, but Pony doesn't like him. Because Dally is such a hardened criminal type and has had multiple encounters with law enforcement that resulted in jail or death, I think an especially fitting song is "I Fought the Law" by The Clash. The song has lyrics like "robbin' people with a six gun, I fought the law and the law won."

Another song that I think would fit Dally's wild style of living for the moment would be "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. The song talks about firing guns and living for the moment. This is Dally, as he...

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is not the kind of character that looks beyond his present horizon. He simply exists for the next rush with no long term goals.

If you want to go with more of a pop vibe, then I recommend looking to the King of Pop himself—Michael Jackson. There are a couple of songs by him that might work, such as "Bad" and "Beat It." Both songs talk about hardened criminal types in tough situations.

If you want to go R and B or rap, then Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" seems to fit as well. Dally dies young, and his actions show that he expects death or imprisonment at any moment, and there are some lines within the song that send that message.

Death ain't nothin' but a heartbeat away
I'm livin' life, do or die, what can I say
I'm twenty-three now, but will I live to see twenty-four
The way things are going I don't know.

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Is it supposed to be from the time period? How about "Like a Rolling Stone" from Bob Dylan. Dally seems restless to me. I also think that several of Johnny Cash's songs, especially "Hurt" would be excellent choices. The "Jet Song" from West Side Story is also a good choice, because it is about gang life as well.
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Dally is a really angry guy, right.  So pick angry songs that you know.  Preferably, they should be angry at authority.  They should be angry at parents or the police.  I can't think of any modern songs like that since I don't listen to all that much music that is popular today.  Old songs would include "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister or "F*** tha Police" by NWA.

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