10/16/2010

Hand in my Pocket - Alanis Morissette

This is a great song to practice verb to be, adjectives, and to talk about first impressions.
First, as a pre-listening, I show the students a picture of Alanis Morissette and ask them to come up with as many adjectives as they can to describe her. Then, I give them the lyrics with some blanks for them to fill in with either adjectives or verb to be.
After they complete the song, and we check the meaning of words they are not familiar with, I ask them to circle the adjectives that are the same as the ones they had mentioned during the pre-listening.
As a follow up, I ask them to use some of the adjectives to describe themselves.

The lyrics of the song are here, and you can copy and create blanks wherever you want:

"Hand In My Pocket"
Alanis Morissette

I'm broke but I'm happy
I'm poor but I'm kind
I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah
I'm high but I'm grounded
I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed
I'm lost but I'm hopeful baby

And what it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be fine fine fine
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving a high five

I feel drunk but I'm sober
I'm young and I'm underpaid
I'm tired but I'm working, yeah
I care but I'm restless
I'm here but I'm really gone
I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby

And what it all comes down to
Is that everything's gonna be quite alright
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other is flicking a cigarette

And what is all comes down to
Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is giving the peace sign

I'm free but I'm focused
I'm green but I'm wise
I'm hard but I'm friendly baby
I'm sad but I'm laughing
I'm brave but I'm chicken shit
I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

And what it all boils down to
Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet
I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is playing the piano

What it all comes down to, my dear friends
Is that everything's just fine fine fine
'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket
And the other one is hailing a taxi cab...

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