Multimedia Monday (On Wednesday): Ben Folds

Here it's Wednesday (for those of you playing along in Korea, anyway), and I'm just now posting Multimedia Monday.

Truth be told, I was having a hard time for this week. The book topic is "in pursuit of perfection" which does not lend itself easily to videos.

Then, I got the idea to find songs with my students' English names. Just, you know, for fun.

I have two girls named Annie, one new and quiet and one old and chatty. It was the older, chatty one I had in mind when I decided to bring in Ben Folds' "Annie Waits:"



Lyrics:

And so
Annie waits, Annie waits, Annie waits
for a call
from a friend.
The same,
it's the same, was it always the same?
Annie waits for the last time. 

The clock
Never stops, never stops, never waits.
She's growing old,
it's getting late.
And so
he forgot, he forgot!
Maybe not.
Maybe he's been seriously hurt.
Would that be worse? 

Headlights crest the hill.
Shadows pass her by and out of sight.
Annie sees her dreams:
Friday bingo, pigeons in the park.

Annie waits for the last time.
Just the same as the last time.
Annie says,
“You see
this is why I'd rather be
alone."

And so
Annie waits, Annie waits, Annie waits
for a call
from a friend.
The same.
It's the same, was it always the same? 

Annie waits as the last
headlights crest the hill.
Who will be the one for ever more?
Annie, I could be,
if we're both still lonely when we're old. 

Annie waits for the last time.
Just the same as the last time.
Annie waits for the last time.
Just the same as the last time. 

Annie waits,
but not for me.

Which then got me to thinking: Ben Folds' lyrics are really good for ESL, aren't they?


He's a songwriter I admire for not only excellent musicianship (though, let's be honest, his singing is kind of eh) but genius lyricism. Despite linguistic simplicity and straightforwardness—as if you couldn't guess, I'm not a big fan of grandiose-sounding poetic nonsense in either my reading or my listening—he accomplishes a lot: biting satire to profound loss to everything in between. The only complaint I have is that he swears about as much as I do, so many of my favorite songs are in no way appropriate for a hagwon classroom. Here are a couple gems that are totally appropriate, though.

Learn to Live With What You Are

I know that you're in there,

I can see you.

You're saying you're okay.

I don't believe you. 

And now that the gig is off,

the spell is broken.

The fat lady sung,

The president has spoken.

These days that you were waiting for

will come and go

like any day.

Just another day. 

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you

while the world is watching.

All you need is the thing you forgotten,

and that's to learn to live with what you are. 

So freak out if you wanna

and I'll still be here.

Don't call me for years and when you do,

yeah, I'll still be here. 

I'm not saying the effort is a waste of time,

but I

just love you for the things you couldn't change,

though you've tried.

These hours of confusion, they will soon expire,

like everything

does. 

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you

while the world is watching.

All you need is the thing you've forgotten,

and that's to learn to live with what you are. 

Sometimes,

everything you've ever wanted

floats above.

He's sticking out his tongue and laughing,

while everything

anyone can ever need

is down below,

waiting for you

to know this. 

There's never gonna be a moment of truth for you

while the world is watching.

All you need is the thing you've forgotten,

and that's to learn to live with what you are. 

You got to learn to live with what you are.

Rockin' the Suburbs (the clean version from Over the Hedge)

Let me tell y'all what it's like,

watching "Idol" on a Friday night

in a house built safe and sound

on Indian burial grounds.

Sham on! 

We drive our cars every day

to and from work both ways,

so we make just enough to pay

to drive our cars to work each day.

Hey, hey! 

We're rockin' the suburbs,

around the block just one more time.

We're rockin' the suburbs,

'cause I can't tell which house is mine.

We're rockin' the suburbs,

we part the shades and face the facts:

they've got better lookin' fescue

right across the cul-de-sac. 

Hot real estate, rising stars,

"get rich quick" seminars,

soap opera magazines

40 thousand watt nativity scenes.

Don't freak about the smoke alarm,

Mom left the TV dinner on. 

We're rockin' the suburbs,

from Family Feud to Chevy Chase.

We're rockin' the suburbs,

numb the muscles in our face.

We're rockin' the suburbs

We feed the dog and mow the lawn,

watching Mommy bounce the checks

while Daddy juggles credit cards.

We're rockin' the suburbs,

everything we need is here.

We're rockin' the suburbs,

But it wasn't here last year.

We're rockin' the suburbs,

You'll never know when we are gone

because the timer lights the front

and turns the cricket noises on

each night. 

Yeah, yeah.

We're rockin' the suburbs.

Arguably these don't lend themselves to a clear-cut grammar objective the way some other songs I've posted do, but they would make nice low-key "reward" classes. The very prose-like nature of his lyrics (check it out, most everything is a complete and grammatically correct sentence) makes it pretty straightforward for English learners to follow. Not only that, I think each song presents a pretty clear theme/picture/element: a chain of unrequited love; advice to a friend; social commentary.

Beyond that, I think it's worth it to take time out from teach teach teach to present confidence-building exercises in proper context. Or whatever. By which I mean: my favorite method of language study is to pick pop songs and disassemble the lyrics, mostly because it's incredibly rewarding when I "get it." Barring that, whenever I hear a new song in a target language and immediately understand any of it, I also feel pretty good about myself.

Part of me also just wants to indoctrinate my students with my musical preferences, too. Not gonna lie.