Hurts - Wonderful life

Topic: a wonderful life, positive thinking

1. brainstorming : wonderful life

2. introduction of the band and the song

3. while listening gapfill and sentence ordering

4. vocab

5. inspirational songs

6. discussion: What makes you happy (padlet provided)

1. pre-listening brainstorming + intro Write the title on the song on the board and ask your students what comes to their minds.

What comes to your mind if you hear "WONDERFUL LIFE"?

After this activity, introduce the band and the song.

Hurts are an English band formed in 2009, consisting of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesist Adam Anderson.

Song background:

In interview with entertainment website Digital Spy lead singer Theo Hutchcraft said of the song: "It's basically based on two extremes: the first being a man who wants to kill himself and the second being love at first sight. He's standing on the bridge about to jump and he's stopped by a woman. They see each other and fall in love. She basically says, 'Come with me, it's all going to be fine'. The song only offers a snippet of someone's life, so we don't know what happens at the end of it."

2. While listening:

Ask the SS to read through the lyrics before listening, then familiarize them with their tasks: in the first verse, they have to fill in the gaps, then, they have to order the sentences.

If you have time, you may listen to the song twice: 1st listening - without the lyrics, 2nd listening with the lyrics and the exercise.

Fill in the gaps:

Order the sentences:

So she throws him at the wall, Her kisses burn like fire, And suddenly he starts to believe, And he takes her in his arms but he doesn’t know why, But he thinks that he begins to see

She says: 'Don’t let go, Never give up its such a wonderful life, (x2) (x3) Wonderful life, wonderful life, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful life, Wonderful life, wonderful life, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful life

After listening:

Did the song match your previous expectations about "a wonderful life"?

1. Explain the expressions or provide synonyms: let go - ______________________ the world has got him on his knees - _____________________ he begins to see- _________________ grab somebody - _____________________ give up - ____________________