Oh Wonder - High on humans
topic: talking to strangers, communication, random acts of kindness
level: B1+ on
0. Warmer: Thinking + Pairwork: Give your students some time to think about these questions, then ask them to exchange ideas.
0. In what kind of situations do you have to talk to strangers?
1. When was the last time you talked to a stranger?
2. What was the function of the conversation? (if it had any)
3. Who started the conversation?
4. What was the conversation like?
5. What did you learn from it?
(here the question arises what can be considered as a conversation: exchanging some words with a shop assistant? talking to someone on a train for hours? - Leave this question open for interpretation.)
Ask for some feedback
1. First listening
What story does the song tell?
How does the singer feel?
2. Second listening
Check the phrases that you can hear in the song:
Express yourself
Locking eyes with a silent stranger
Body language
Get your message across
Making waves of conversation
Animate the air with a stone cold question
Talk me through it
Tell the world
Every time I meet your eyes
Make contact
What do these expressions have in common?
3. Check them in the lyrics:
I'm getting high, getting high Getting high on humans
Sitting in the backseat, dead heat summer Staring at the ground in a lucid light I can feel a heartbeat built like thunder Running round my head in a holy fire
Open up the doors, let me feel that zephyr Freshen up the air underneath the streets Now I'm locking eyes with a silent stranger Don't run, don't hide
And I can feel the static rising up and out your mouth We're making waves of conversation, got a rush of energy
'Cause I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans
Elevate the headstrong dead long halo Caught up in our skin, gotta fight the grind I can make your day go sun to rainbow Colour in your step, let me lose your mind
Animate the air with a stone cold question Do you have the time? Do you hate your life? Now I'm locking eyes with a silent stranger Don't run, don't hide
And I can feel the static rising up and out your mouth We're making waves of conversation, got a rush of energy
'Cause I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans
Every time I meet your eyes I can feel life come alive And I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans
We ride up, we slide up We won't stop, we won't stop We ride up, we slide up We won't stop, no, we won't stop We ride up, we slide up We won't stop lighting our minds up We ride up, we slide up We won't stop lighting our minds up
'Cause I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans Every time I meet your eyes I can feel life come alive And I'm getting high, getting high I'm getting high on humans
'Cause I'm getting-getting high on humans
3. Working on the vocabulary
Find the corresponding expressions in the lyrics:
1. to travel toward somebody -
2. to move slowly in a slippery way -
3. to look for a long time with the eyes open -
4. to achieve a state of mental euphoria (feeling extremely happy) -
5. to make eye contact -
6. to shock people with something new or different -
7. to fight the daily struggles of life, boredom –
What does the expression “to be high on humans” mean?
4. Jigsaw reading – Student A
Josephine Vander Gucht explained the story behind the song:
"'High On Humans' was inspired by a tube journey. On the way back from (1)______________________, I eavesdropped on a conversation between two girls who worked in a sunglasses shop at the terminal. They were happily going back and forth discussing (2)________________. When one girl declared that she didn't like avocados, I rudely interrupted and said 'what do you mean you don't like avocados?!'. We then proceeded to have a twenty-minute conversation about (3)_____________ and condiments, and the three of us exited the carriage high on adrenaline having connected with strangers.
I then went on to talk to a man who had knocked all his (4)___________ out and was covered in blood. It created a carriage-wide conversation about (5)_________________. Everyone's mood seemed lifted by this random interaction with the unknown. On the way back home from the station, I sang 'I'm getting high on humans' into voice notes on my phone and sat down with Anthony to fully write it the next day."
This song celebrates the potential to 'get high' and feel liberated by talking to strangers. It's something we all fear, and something we should all do more of!" (source: songfacts.com)
4. Jigsaw reading – Student B
(Ask your partner questions to be able to fill in the gaps.)
Josephine Vander Gucht explained the story behind the song: "'High On Humans' was inspired by a tube journey. On the way back from Heathrow Airport, I eavesdropped on a conversation between two girls who worked in (1)______________ at the terminal. They were happily going back and forth discussing their favourite foods. When one girl declared that she didn't like (2)_________________, I rudely interrupted and said 'what do you mean you don't like (2)______________?!'. We then proceeded to have a twenty-minute conversation about hot sauces and condiments, and the three of us exited the carriage high on adrenaline having connected with (3)_______________. I then went on to talk to a man who had knocked all his teeth out and was covered in (4)_____________. It created a carriage-wide conversation about injuries and operations. Everyone's mood seemed lifted by this random interaction with the unknown. On the way back home from the station, I sang 'I'm getting high on humans' into voice notes on my phone and sat down with (5)_______________ to fully write it the next day." This song celebrates the potential to 'get high' and feel liberated by talking to strangers. It's something we all fear, and something we should all do more of!"
5. Discussion questions
1. When did you last have a lengthy conversation with a stranger?
2. How do you usually feel when you talk to strangers?
3. Can you recall any situations when you felt pressure to talk to strangers?
4. Has anyone ever told you that you should never talk to strangers? What do you think about this piece of advice or warning?
5. What benefits can conversations with strangers have?
(These can be questions for pairwork or group discussion - afterwards ask the students to summarize what they were talking about)
6. Speaking
Choose the picture of a person from below. Elaborate on these questions to the person sitting next to you.
If you had the chance to talk to this person, what would you talk about? What would you tell them?
Imagine yourself in the shoes of this person. What kind of conversations do you have during a day?
7. Challenge (homework)
Make someone’s day by doing a random act of kindness. Be as nice as possible (or as generous as possible) toward a stranger.
You can find some ideas here:
Next lesson, you’ll have to talk about what you did and how the person reacted. WORKSHEET - VERSION A
