DIDO IS BACK!

Dido is back!  The Mega Successful English singer-songwriter released the highly anticipated “Girl Who Got Away” early this month!  Already climbing up the international iTune charts, Dido is on track for a fantastic 2013!

Where did Dido go?  What has this wonderful singer been doing?

Dido: “I haven’t been in front of another human being for 5 years…Time does seem to sort of slip away. There’s been so much else going on in my life. I got married, then I got pregnant and wanted to hang out with my family, a lot of amazing stuff.  I have just been enjoying being me and having a family.”

Dido now has a 2-year-old son named Stanley with British screenwriter Rohan Gavin.

Why did Dido come out of retirement?

Dido: “I don’t know a life without music. I don’t really know a day without music…I see the world in songs.”

Did the birth of her son impact her latest album Girl Who Got Away?

No, because he wasn’t born yet.  However, young Stanley was in the womb while Dido was recording Girl Who Got Away.

Dido: “I recorded a lot of my vocals while I was pregnant. When I was singing Girl Who Got Away in the studio, Stanley was kicking so hard, it felt like he could hear it. What’s crazy is that song always calms him down. If he’s screaming in the night, I just sing it and he stops and listens.”

How does Dido feel about motherhood?

Elated!

Dido: “Stanley’s two and recently it’s been a lot of fun, ‘cause he loves music, he loves drumming, he loves joining in band rehearsals, he’s just so excited. It’s so nice seeing it through someone else’s eyes, a proper, fresh perspective.”

Cheers to a successful return!  We are glad to see Dido back on the international music scene!  Here is the lead single Freedom (Lyrics Below)!

Language Learning Section

This week some more music to expand your Karaoke repertoire!

To help remember the words, listen to the song once or twice to get a feeling for it.

Now listen again and fill in the blanks with the missing word or words you hear.  Some blanks are missing one word but others are missing more than one word.

Just to let you know, the words that are missing are key words/ideas from the song.  Also, the missing words are high frequency words (answer transcript below).  Enjoy!

DIDO

"No Freedom" Lyrics

Take it by ________.

That I'm free ________.

By the ________ I can tell

You don't think I'll be back for more

Try to think of the world

Where you could ________ and these safe hands could ________

Take your heart above the ________.

Wherever I choose to go

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

________

Even when you don't ________

Even when you don't _________

I'll be ________ low below the ________

And you'll ________all out here

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

________

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

________

Standing here in ­­­­________

The ________ in front of me

Holding you in ­­­________

And seeing as _________

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

__________

__________

Answer Transcript

DIDO

"No Freedom" Lyrics

Take it by your silence

That I'm free to walk out the door

By the look in your eyes I can tell

You don't think I'll be back for more

Try to think of the world

Where you could stay and these safe hands could go

Take your heart above the water

Wherever I choose to go

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

Even when you don't see me

Even when you don't hear

I'll be flying low below the sun

And you'll feel it all out here

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

Standing here in silence

The world in front of me

Holding you in my hand

And seeing as you'd see

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No love without freedom

No freedom without love

No freedom without love

Have a great week and to all the women out there, HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

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Skyfall a Big Hit at the Oscars!

 Skyfall wins Best Original Song at the Oscars!

Adele took the 85^th Academy Awards (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) by storm this year with a sizzling, powerful vocal performance of Skyfall!  After enthralling and memorizing a celebrity filled audience, Adele went on to claim an Oscar, with the famous British music producer Paul Epworth, for the Best Original Song of 2012! 

“THIS IS THE END”

Skyfall opens with a wonderful, bluesy style and a catch line that screams for attention! 

However, the song doesn’t stray too far from the original music themes of the James Bond movie series.  A common formula for success!

Background 

 Paul Epworth and Adele did a fantastic job of composing Skyfall.  Paul created the tune and Adele put the lyrics to Skyfall.  Paul created the tune after listening to the first 13 James Bond movies.  Adele loved the dark, haunting ballad sound and put words to Skyfall in a draft form in 10 minutes.  And of course, after a lot of hard studio work, Skyfall was created! Take a listen and enjoy!

 

Language Learning Section

Instructions

First, listen to the Song Skyfall by Adele.

Next, fill in the blanks with the missing verb forms. If this is difficult listen again a few more times.  Listening Hint - most of the missing words are repeated in the song over and over.  Finally, check your answers below and look up any new words.

Enjoy while you Listen and Practice!

Skyfall Practice Listening: High Frequency Verb forms

THIS IS THE END

______ your breath and ______ to ten                 

______the earth ______ and then                      

______ my heart ______ again                          

For this is the end

I've ______ and ______this moment               

So overdue, I ______ them                             

______, I'm stolen                            

Let the sky fall, when it ______                

And ______ it all together                         

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles              

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At sky fall

At sky fall

Skyfall is where we start

A thousand miles and poles apart

Where worlds ______ and days are dark              

You may have my number, You can take my name        

But you'll never ______ my heart                      

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At sky fall

(Let the sky fall, When it crumbles, We will stand tall x2)

Where you go I go

What you see I see

I ______ I'd never be me without the security         

Are your loving arms ______ me from harm           

______ your hand in my hand and we'll stand            

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At sky fall

Let the sky fall

We will stand tall

At sky falls

Ooooo...

Answers

Take a look at the Skyfall lyrics and fill in the verb forms you missed.  Then listen to Skyfall again; especially to the parts or words you found difficult. And, of course, try singing Skyfall with your friends at your next karaoke party!The words will come easy now!

THIS IS THE END

Hold your breath and count to ten                

Feel the earth move and then                      

Hear my heart burst again                         

For this is the end

I've drowned and dreamt this moment                

So overdue, I owe them                             

Swept away, I'm stolen                            

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles                

We will stand tall                                

And face it all together                           

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles              

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At sky fall

At sky fall

Skyfall is where we start

A thousand miles and poles apart

Where worlds collide and days are dark              

You may have my number, You can take my name         

But you'll never have my heart                      

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At sky fall

(Let the sky fall, When it crumbles, We will stand tall x2)

Where you go I go

What you see I see

I know I'd never be me without the security        

Are your loving arms keeping me from harm           

Put your hand in my hand and we'll stand            

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

Let the sky fall, when it crumbles

We will stand tall

And face it all together

At sky fall

Let the sky fall

We will stand tall

At sky falls

Ooooo...

Until next week enjoy some more of the fabulous Adele!

 

 
MORE James Bond!

Do you have what it takes to be James Bond?
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Katy Perry “The One that got Away”

Katy Perry “The One that got Away”

This week, I wanted to do a follow up on last week’s feature “Katy Perry’s Musical Influences”.  As everyone knows, music influences language and culture.  Katy’s songs are chart toppers and therefore ‘talk to’ a very large North American and International audience. When people like a song they listen to it over and over.  The words and expressions become more popular with mainstream culture.  So, let’s take a look at Katy Perry’s lyrics to her musical hit  “The One That Got Away!”

 

Part One

Now to make it a bit more fun, listen to the video and try to fill in the blanks with the missing word(s).  After that, try the North American pop culture quiz related to this song.

Lyrics - The One That Got Away 

Summer after high school when we first met

We ¹__________in your Mustang to Radio head

And on my 18th birthday we got that chain tattoos

Used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof

Talk about our future like we ²__________

Never plan that one day I'd be losing you

And in another life I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

And in other life I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were ³________

⁴________

I was dreaming you were my Johnny Cash

Never one, we got the other, we made a pact

Sometimes when I miss you, I put those records on, whoa

Someone said you had your ⁵________removed

Saw you downtown singing the blues

It's time ⁶________, I'm longer your ⁷________

And in another life I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

And in another life, I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

The one that got away

The one, the one, the one

The one that got away

All these money can't buy me a time machine, no

Can't replace you with a million rings, no

⁸________, whoa

'Cause now I ⁹________

In another life I would be your girl

We keep all our promises, be us against the world

And in another life, I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

The one that got away

The one, the one, the one, the one

And in another life I would make you stay

So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

The one that got away

(Repeat)

Answers + Meaning

1. make out : to make out with someone - to kiss and touch in a sexual way.

2. had a clue : to not have a clue (usually used with a negative) - to have no knowledge of or no information about something. Ex. I don’t have a clue where we are. We are really lost.   In the song the lyric says “Talk about our future like we had a clue”.  Katy Perry infers a negative or opposite meaning to this sentence through intonation.  She is being a bit sarcastic with herself.

3. the one that got away :  the one - a former lover  that got away – the relationship broke up and the other person left the relationship.  The person currently feels regret because they might let their soul mate or ideal match leave their life.  The speaker realizes these feelings now but didn’t in the past. 

4. the one that got away : same as number 3

5. tattoo : a tattoo - a permanent image, pattern or word on the skin which is created by using needles to put colors under the skin.

6.  to face the music - to receive punishment; to accept the unpleasant results of one's actions.

7. muse : a muse - a source of inspiration; the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.

8. I should've told you what you meant to me (direct meaning)

9. pay the price : to pay the price - to suffer the consequences for doing something or risking something.

 

Pop Culture Quiz

 1. What’s a Mustang in this song?

1. a horse
2. a car
3. a condiment

2. Which genre best describes Radio Head?

1. Heavy Metal
2. Classical
3. Alternative Rock

3.  What does a chain tattoo symbolize in this song?

1. love
2. hate
3. oppression

4. Who was Johnny Cash?

1. a musician
2. a politician
3. a model

5.  Who was June?

1. The name of a month
2. The name of a bug
3. The name of Johnny Cash’s second wife

Answers

1. b. a car

2. c. Alternative Rock

3. a. love

4. a. a musician

5. c. The name of Johnny Cash’s second wife

Part Two

Here are a few comprehension questions.

1. When did the girl and guy meet?

2.  Why did the guy get away?

3.  What does her ex-boyfriend do for a living?

4.  Who is singing at the end of the song (after Katy Perry)?

5. What is the name of the excerpt of the song being played at the end of the video?

Answers

1. “Summer after high school”

2. She didn’t tell him her deepest feeling about him.  She didn’t tell him how important he was to her. - “I should've told you what you meant to me”

3. He is a singer. - “Saw you downtown singing the blues”

4. Johnny Cash

5. You are my Sunshine

 See you next week and in the meantime here is an old time video 

of

And of course!

 

ALEX

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