Songs

Song lessons

Kate NashNicest ThingPractise I wish
Michelle ShockedAnchorageBasic practice with Past simple
Mighty SparrowPrince Philip My DearVocabulary exercises
Van MorrisonBrown Eyed GirlShort exercise
Human LeagueDon't You Want MePrepositions, conjunctions and adverbs
Bob DylanIt's All Over Now Baby BlueSong vocabulary, relative clauses
West Side StoryAmericaSong vocabulary
Nancy SinatraThese Boots Are Made For WalkingExercise with the verb mess
Johnny CashA Boy Named SueExercises with mean and would
Jim CroceTime in a BottleExercise with Second Conditional
Joan OsborneOne of usExercise with Second Conditionals
BeyoncéIf I were a boyConditionals
The OffspringShe's got issuesVocabulary, questions with if and I wish

Discussions related to songs

Judas PriestYou've got another thing comingHow an idiom has changed
Joan OsborneOne of us Conditionals and no Subjunctive
Snow PatrolChasing CarsDid they get it right?

Exercises based on several songs

Conditionals in songs

Songs for teaching various grammar points in TEFL and ESL


This list has been compiled from a lot of sources on the web, mainly by googling around. Thanks to everyone who makes their resources public. Click on 'G' to go straight into a Google search. This should bring up videos, lyrics, Wikipedia etc in one handy list.

I've also added a list of links to song collections, and other teachers' ideas about how to use songs for ESL, TEFL etc

I'll gradually add other grammar functions to this list as time allows.

List of songs using conditionals


Zero conditional

Yvonne EllimanIf I Can't Have YouG
I think this is stretching it a bit, but there's not a hell of a lot of songs about water boiling at 100 degrees centigrade

First conditional

BeatlesCan't buy me loveG
Cat StevensMoonshadow
ChicagoIf You Leave Me NowG
EminemIf I get Locked up TonightG
Leonard CohenI'm your manG
Manic Street PreachersIf You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be NextG
PixiesHeyG
Rod StewartI don't want to talk about itG
Simply RedIf You Don't Know Me by NowG
Tom JonesIf You Go AwayG
Tracy ChapmanThe promiseG

 First and second

Lesley GoreIt's my partyG
BeatlesShe's leaving homeG

Second conditional

AbbaMoney money moneyG
Bare Naked LadiesIf I had a million dollarsG
Beach BoysWouldn't it be niceG
Bellamy BrothersIf I said you had a beautiful bodyG
BeyoncéIf I Were a BoyG
Bon JoviI’d Die For YouG
CherIf I could turn back timeG
Eric ClaptonTears in HeavenG
Fiddler on the roofIf I were a rich manG
Frank SinatraThe Sunny Side of the StreetG
Pete SeegerIf I had a hammerG
Joan OsborneOne of usG
Jim CroceTime in a bottleG
Jennifer LopezIf you had my loveG
Katie MehluaIf you were a sailboatG
MadonnaHolidayG
SilencersWild Mountain ThymeG
Simon and GarfunkelEl Condor pasaG
Steven SeagalGirl It's AlrightG

Third conditional

Brian McKnightCoulda, shoulda, wouldaG
Gracie FieldsIf I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cakeG
RednexCotton-Eye JoeG

Mixed Conditionals

Here's hopin'

I wish

Kate NashNicest thingG
Box Car RacerI feel soG

Would

Dusty SpringfieldSon of a Preacher Man - past habitG
Johnny CashA boy named Sue - past habit, will in the past, 'd - had or wouldG
Oliver (the musical) I'd do anything - hidden conditional (if you loved me?)G

Tenses

PoliceCan't stand losing youG
Stevie WonderLately - (Perfects and continuous tenses)G
ABBAThe winner takes it allG
Human LeagueDon't you want me babyG

Present continuous

Fool's GardenLemon TreeG
Suzanne VegaTom's DinerG

Relative Clauses and nominal relative clauses

Natalie ImbrugliaTornG

Links


Teaching Ideas

Celta tips
Anglik
TutorTunes
Esl Base
Many things
Esl Games
Beatles phrasal verb crossword
Ets Everywhere Blog
Ana ESL Blog

Teacher Frank
Lyrics Training - listening exercises
Songs for teaching Busy Teacher -worksheets - need to register

Song Lists

Isabel Perez with worksheets
Learn English with Michelle
Songs about work - helendipity blog
ESL Galaxy
Musical English
Esl Lounge
Esl Games
Esl Cafe
Madrid Teacher

Best Song Lists

Rolling Stone 500
Telegraph 100
Forum
Best songs ever 100