Lecture 21 Listening to Songs and Analyzing Lyrics

Review of Lecture 20 In lecture 20, we learnt how to – Describe pictures and places – Use prepositions to state locations – State the differences between two pictures – Use descriptive adjectives and phrases – Write a short descriptive text

Objectives of Lecture 21 After completing lecture 21, you should be able to – Understand and appreciate songs in English – Analyze lyrics

Warm-up Questions Do you like music? Do you pay attention to song lyrics while you’re listening? What kind of songs do you listen to? How much of English songs can you understand? Why is it easy / difficult to understand songs in English?

Task 1 Listen to the song by Yusuf Islam and answer the following questions: 1.What’s the title of the song? – Ramadan Moon 2.What kind of song is it? – Religious song 3.Can you find rhymes in the song? – Coming and going / to-ing and fro-ing – Soon / moon – Started / sighted – Here / prayer 4.Can you identify the chorus? – Moon! Moon! Come out soon! We're out to see the Ramadhan Moon Clouds shif, fog lift! City, put out your lights! We want to see the Ramadhan Moon.. Tonight!

Stanza 1 Oh, the people are coming and going Getting ready, to-ing and fro-ing There's a buzz in the world tonight People are so excited! Daddy's coming home soon Hoping to see the moon Hoping to catch a sight Everyone's so happy! Moon! Moon! Come out soon! We're out to see the Ramadan Moon Clouds shift, fog lift! City, put out your lights! We want to see the Ramadan Moon.. Tonight!

Stanza 2 Now Ramadan has started And the Moon has just been sighted Tomorrow we all fast Every Muslim must Now, 'Esha time is here And it's a time to leave for prayer The Imam is in the Mosque The Qur'an is in his heart Moon! Moon! Come out soon! We're out to see the Ramadan Moon Clouds shift, fog lift! City, put out your lights! We want to see the Ramadan Moon.. Tonight!

Stanza 3 From the early break of dawn We go the whole day long Shops are full of dates But still we have to wait Till the sun goes down And it's time to break our siyyam The food is on the plate Oh, it tastes so good! Moon! Moon! Come out soon! We're out to see the Ramadan Moon Clouds shift, fog lift! City, put out your lights! We want to see the Ramadan Moon.. Tonight!

Stanza 4 Now Grand Dad is in i'tikaf Only ten days are left He's praying every night Dressed all in white Hands held high With tears in his eyes Asking for forgiveness and paradise.. Moon! Moon! Come out soon! We're out to see the Ramadan Moon Clouds shif, fog lift! City, put out your lights! We want to see the Ramadan Moon.. Tonight!

Last Stanza Now it's time again for Eid Ramadan runs with speed Will it come again? Like an old friend, Ramadan Moon.. Like an old friend, Ramadan Moon..

Yusuf Islam Birth nameSteven Demetre Georgiou Also known asSteve Adams Cat Stevens Yusuf Islam Born21 July 1948 London, England GenresFolk rock, pop rock, religious songs, hamd OccupationsSinger-songwriter, musician Converted to Islam1977 Years active1965–1980 (as Cat Stevens) 1995–present (as Yusuf Islam/Yusuf) Some Popular SongsThe wind, Peace train, Don’t let me be misunderstood, A is for Allah, Tala'al Badru Alayna,

Task 2 Now listen to the song “Don’t worry, be happy” by Bobby McFerrin. Can you understand the lyrics? What kind of song is it? What’s the theme? What lines are repeated? Why?

Task 3 Now listen to “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell while you read the lyrics on screen. Can you make sense of the song? What’s the main idea behind it? What’s lines are repeated? What do they mean?

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell Stanza 1 They paved paradise And put up a parking lot With a pink hotel, a boutique And a swinging hot SPOT Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got ‘Til it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell Stanza 2 They took all the trees And put them in a tree museum Then they charged the people A dollar and a half just to see 'em Don't it always seem to go, That you don't know what you've got ‘Til it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell Stanza 3 Hey farmer, farmer Put away that DDT now Give me spots on my apples But LEAVE me the birds and the bees Please! Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got ‘Til its gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell Stanza 4 Late last night I heard the screen door slam And a big yellow taxi Took away my old man Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got ‘Til it's gone They paved paradise And put up a parking lot

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell Last Stanza I said Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got ‘Til it's gone. They paved paradise And put up a parking lot They paved paradise And put up a parking lot They paved paradise And put up a parking lot

Task 4 Now listen to “Earth Song” by Michael Jackson and pay attention to the lyrics. What’s the main idea? Does the song move you?

Practice Situations Listen to any English song of your own choice. Pause and replay the song to write down its lyrics. Listen to it again to make any changes to the lyrics. Now search for the lyrics of the song on the net. Try the following websites: – – Note: Don’t get discouraged if you get it wrong. Just keep on trying!

Summary of Lecture 21 In lecture 21, we learnt how to – Understand and appreciate songs in English – Analyze lyrics