Bruno Mars "It will rain"....First Conditional

 

Bruno Mars.....
popular, handsome and a clear voice! Perfect for my ESL students to listen to.
I am introducing First Conditionals in my grammar lesson this week. This song is perfect for that point.
Here are the lyrics for "It will rain"  by Bruno Mars. It is repetitive, perfect for ESL listening for grammar. I have highlighted the conditional forms. Poor Bruno! His heart is really aching!

"It Will Rain"

If you ever leave me, baby,
Leave some morphine at my door 
'Cause it would take a whole lot of medication
To realize what we used to have,
We don't have it anymore.
There's no religion that could save me
No matter how long my knees are on the floor (Ooh)
So keep in mind all the sacrifices I'm makin'
To keep you by my side
To keep you from walkin' out the door.
'Cause there'll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There'll be no clear skies,if I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away,
Everyday it'll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain
I'll never be your mother's favorite
Your daddy can't even look me in the eye
Ooh, if I was in their shoes, I'd be doing the same thing ( note this is second conditional)
Sayin' "There goes my little girl
Walkin' with that troublesome guy"
But they're just afraid of something they can't understand
Ooh, but little darlin' watch me change their minds
Yeah for you I'll try, I'll try, I'll try, I'll try
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding
If that'll make you mine
'Cause there'll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There'll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away
Everyday it'll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain
Oh, don't you say (don't you say) goodbye (goodbye),
Don't you say (don't you say) goodbye (goodbye)
I'll pick up these broken pieces 'til I'm bleeding
If that'll make it right
'Cause there'll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There'll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
And just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away
Everyday it'll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain

Procedure 1( low prep)

For a simple low prep idea, ask the students to just listen( play as many times as they need):

Write on the board:


1. What will happen if he loses his girl/baby?


2. Why is his girl leaving him?

Possible answers


Question 1

• he wants morphine
• he'll try
• no sunlight
• no clear skies
• his eyes will rain/it will rain
• change her parents minds
• try to pick up broken pieces

Question 2


Her parent don't like him.
He is troublesome.

To continue in this lesson you could write the example conditional sentences from the song on the board. WI like to have my students analyze the grammar point. We write the rule together on the board.

If + subject + simple present tense verb, subject + will/can verb.

or
Subject + will/can verb, If I + subject + simple present tense verb.


Here is the video with lyrics!

Apologies for not posting in so long. I get vacation time soon. I'll try to post some more songs.

Comin' Home by City and Colour (aka Dallas Green) Present Perfect Tense

Comin' Home-City and Colour (aka Dallas Green)  

Present Perfect Tense

Level: Lower Intermediate and up.

City and Color is the recording alias for Canadian singer and songswriter, Dallas Green, who was also the guitarist and vocalist of the band Alexisonfire. He plays melodic acoustic and folky sounding music. The name City and Colour comes from his own name: Dallas a city and Green a colour. He is from St. Catharines, Ontario (a city close to my heart) and is my first Can Con (Canadian Content) on this Blog. Enjoy. (Thanks to Wikipedia for the info).

This song is slow and sad. The lyrics are clear and simple. Could lead to some homesickness.... 

 

Procedure for an easy lesson

1. Listen without lyrics or video. Have students write what he has seen and done.

On board:

What has he seen? 

What has he done? 

Where has he never been?

2. Listen again. 

On board: What would he rather do?

3. Listen again with the lyrics on the hand out or on the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tkKDbQVLg

On board:

What is his last question? 

What has happened to the singer and his relationship?( for higher levels)

 4. Follow up ideas:
1. Find the places he sings about on a map.
2. Ask students to rewrite the lyrics with their own travels overseas or away from home.

Lyrics 

"Comin' Home" by City and Colour

Well I've been down to Georgia
I've seen the streets in the West
I've driven down the 90, hell I've seen America's best
I've been through the Rockies, I've seen Saskatoon
I've driven down the highway 1 just hopin' that I'd see you soon

Cause I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home

I've never been to Alaska, but I can tell you this,
I've been to Lincoln, Nebraska and hell you know it ain't worth shit
I've been through Nova Scotia, Sydney to Halifax
I'll never take any pictures cause I know I'll just be right back

Cause I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home

I've seen a palace in London, I've seen a castle in Wales
but I'd rather wake up beside you and breathe that ol' familiar smell
I never thought you could leave me, I figured I was the one
but I understand your sadness so I guess I should just hold my tongue

But I'm comin' home, I'm comin' home

I know that we're takin' chances, you told me life was a risk
but I just have one last question...
will it be my heart or will it be his?

I'm comin' home

Pdf of this lesson is here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/161377310/Comin-Home-City-and-Colour?secret_password=29womqolwc8ck1t920am