Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall – Notes

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall – Notes

Activity type: gap fill, identify correct word, ordering, listening for specific words.

Grammar : Prepositions.

Note: The first single from Coldplay’s 2011 album Mylo Xyloto , this song contains elements of “I Go To Rio”, a 1976 hit for Peter Allan – Coldplay have acknowledged this on their website, but refute suggestions that it also draws from the 1990 hit “Ritmo della Noche” by the Sacados, claiming this is also based on Peter Allan’s hit. You can ask students to look for these songs on youtube, and compare them (The songs are also on www.tuneintoenglish.com)

1) Preposition game: Elicit a list of prepositions on the board, to include the following:

as between but from in into of on so to until up

2) Ask your students to choose just one of the prepositions, and to count the number of times it appears in the song you will play. Play the song. Key: as – 2 in – 4 so – 1 between – 1 into - 1 to – 3 but – 2 of – 0 until – 2 from – 1 on – 5 up – 3

3) Give each student a copy of the worksheet. Ask them to look at the first exercise and try to predict the answers (individually or in pairs). Play the song and let them check. Key: See complete version.

4) Play the next part of the song. Students complete the second exercise. Key: See complete version.

5) Play the third part of the song. Students order the lines. Key: 6, 2, 1, 7, 8, 4, 3, 5

6) Ask students to try to complete the final exercise, individually or in pairs, based on context and their previous knowledge of the song. Then play the final part and allow them check and correct. Key: See complete version.

7) Feedback on all exercises, then sing the song together.

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2012 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Rosa Maria Conte, Laterza (TA)

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

1. Listen to the first part of the song and underline the correct option.

I turn the music up, I got my records / recalls on I shut the world outside until the lights / the fights come on Maybe the streets / the strips alight, maybe the trees / the threes are gone I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song

And all the kids / all the fears they dance, all the kids / all the tears all night Until Monday / Sunday morning feels another life I turn the music up / down I’m on a roll this / that time And heaven is /has in sight

2. Listen to the next part of the song and fill in the blanks.

I turn ______up, I got my ______From underneath the rubble ______a rebel ______Don’t want to see ______generation drop I’d rather be a ______than a ______

Maybe I’m in ______, maybe I’m on ______Maybe I’m in the gap ______the two trapezes But my heart ______and my pulses ______Cathedrals in ______

3. Listen to the next part and number the following lines in the correct order.

(___) And every tear’s a waterfall (___) I swear you, emerge blinking into (___) As we saw oh this light (___) It’s a waterfall (___) Oh (___) As we soar walls (___) To tell me it’s alright (___) Every siren is a symphony

4. Put the following words in the correct space, then listen and check.

So you can ______, hurt me ______But still I’ll ______the ______teardrop every was hurt It was a wa-a-terfall raise waterfall flag bad A wa-a-terfall

______tear Every tear Every ______is a waterfall

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2012 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Rosa Maria Conte, Laterza (TA)

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall – Complete

I turn the music up, I got my records on I shut the world outside until the lights come on Maybe the streets alight, maybe the trees are gone I feel my heart start beating to my favourite song

And all the kids they dance, all the kids all night Until Monday morning feels another life I turn the music up I’m on a roll this time And heaven is in sight

uh...

I turn the music up, I got my records on From underneath the rubble sing a rebel song Don’t want to see another generation drop I’d rather be a comma than a full stop

Maybe I’m in the black , maybe I’m on my knees Maybe I’m in the gap between the two trapezes But my heart is beating and my pulses start Cathedrals in my heart

As we saw oh this light I swear you, emerge blinking into To tell me it’s alright As we soar walls, Every siren is a symphony And every tear’s a waterfall It's a waterfall Oh It's a waterfall Oh It's a waterfall Every tear It's a waterfall Oh oh oh

So you can hurt , hurt me bad But still I’ll raise the flag

Oh It was wa-a-terfall A wa-a-terfall

Every tear Every tear Every tear is a waterfall

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2012 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Rosa Maria Conte, Laterza (TA)