Monday, April 30, 2007

Sad Songs

Time for some sad song lyrics.

Sad song # 1: Gloomy Sunday

This is a song about a person whose lover has died and she (or he) is thinking about killing herself to join her lover in the afterlife. Then she wakes up to find it was a dream. The version I have is by Sarah Brightman, but the original version was in Czech!

Sunday is gloomy,
My hours are slumberless
Dearest the shadows I live with are numberless
Little white flowers will never awaken you
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you
Angels have no thought of ever returning you
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you
Gloomy Sunday

Sunday is gloomy
With shadows I spend it all
My heart and I have decided to end it all
Soon there'll be flowers and prayers that are said I know
But let them not weep let them know that I'm glad to go

Death is no dream for in death I'm caressing you
With the last breath of my soul I'll be blessing you
Gloomy Sunday

DreamingI was only dreaming
I wake and I find you asleep
In the deep of my heart dear Darling I hope that my dream never haunted you
My heart is telling you how much I wanted you
Gloomy Sunday
Gloomy Sunday


Sad song #2: A change is gonna come

This is a soul classic by Sam Cooke. He talks about how he's always been poor and nobody would help him. Awww ... so sad! But he's optimistic - he says that 'A change is gonna come'.

I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh and just like the river I've been running ever since
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die
Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

I go to the movie and I go downtown somebody keep telling me don't hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother
And I say brother help me please
But he winds up knocking me
Back down on my knees
Ohhhhhhhhh.....There been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
But now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will


Sad Song #3: Dust in the wind

This classic ballad by Kansas is the saddest song of all. It talks about how we are unimportant compared to the vast size of space and time. We 'refuse to see' that all we are is 'dust in the wind'. Wow.

I close my eyes
Only for a moment, then the moment's gone
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind

Same old song
Just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind, ohh

Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind


These are three great songs, by the way. I highly recommend you buy them if you can find them!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

WORD STRESS

It's not enough just to know individual sounds in English. To have a natural accent, you need to get the word stress correct.

For example, the DEsert is where camels live. deSSERT is a sweet treat like cake or ice cream!

Can you hear the difference or can you pronounce the different? The word stress in English is usually on the first syllable, but there is no set rule. (I know, ESL learners hate to hear 'there's no set rule!)

Practise word stress in English with this activity:

http://www.roadtogrammar.com/wordstress/

Business English Listening Activities

I have just uploaded a new listening section on Road to Grammar's business English page. It features 20 short conversations suitable for...