Radio Ga Ga – Queen – Notes
Activity types: Discussion, rhyming words, listening for specific words, gap fill
Level: Pre-Intermediate/Intermediate
Language: Talking about media
Grammar: Present Simple - Past Simple
Notes: This 1984 song by the British rock band Queen was written by their drummer Roger Taylor after he heard his 3-year-old son saying “ radio ca ca ”. For obvious reasons the record company insisted he change the title! The song is about television overtaking radio’s popularity but it also contains some criticism of radio itself for the decrease in variety of programming and the type of music being played. The song makes reference to two important radio events of the 20th century; Orson Wells' 1938 broadcast of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds in the verse " through wars of worlds/invaded by Mars ", and Winston Churchill's 18 June 1940 "This was their finest hour" speech from the House of Commons, in the verse " You've yet to have your finest hour ". American pop star Lady Gaga credits her name to this song. (based on Wikipedia) Radio Ga Ga was part of a radio programme by Tune Into English, broadcast on Radio RAI 3 in February 2011 – you can listen to a podcast of this on the Students’ Area of www.tuneintoenglish.com ______
1. Students discuss the media . You can help them asking simple questions like:
- Which media do you use most frequently? (i.e. radio, tv, newspapers, internet) - Which one do you prefer? Why? - Do you ever listen to the radio? What are your favourite programmes? - Do you like listening to the radio? - Do you think radio is obsolete nowadays? - How do you generally listen to music? - How important was the radio for your parents or grandparents?
2. Give each student a folded copy of the worksheet and ask them to do Activity 1 . They have to match the rhyming words according to their final vowel sound.
Key: • boys – noise • hour – power • care – there • know – radio • cry – fly • light – night • depend - friend • Mars – stars • ears – years • new – you
3. Ask students to listen for the words in Activity 1, numbering them in the order they hear them. Play the song. Then students can unfold the page and complete the song (Activity 2) according to their answers to the previous activity and context. Words can be in any form (e.g. night/nights)
Key: 1.light 2. night 3. know 4. radio 5. stars 6.Mars 7. cry 8. fly 9. noise 10. boys 11. care 12. there 13. power 14. hour 15. new 16.you 17. ears 18. years 19. friend 20. depend
4. Play the song again. Students check their answers in pairs or in groups.
5. Correct in open class, play the song again and sing together!
6. Follow-up. The song shows a contrast between the past and the present. How is it expressed grammatically? Students can group the verbs in the present simple and those in the past simple and compare what radio used to be and what it is now.
This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples
Radio Ga Ga – Queen
ACTIVITY 1. Match the rhyming words:
1. boys 6. fly 11. Mars 16. radio 2. care 7. friend 12. new 17. stars 3. cry 8. hour 13. night 18. there 4. depend 9. know 14. noise 19. years 5. ears 10. light 15. power 20. you
______FOLD ______
ACTIVITY 2. Complete the song with the words from Activity 1.
I'd sit alone and watch your ______We watch the shows, we watch the stars My only friend through teenage ______On videos for hours and hours And everything I had to ______We hardly need to use our ______I heard it on my ______How music changes through the ______
You gave them all those old time ______Let's hope you never leave, old ______Through wars of worlds invaded by ______Like all good things on you we ______You made them laugh, you made them ______So stick around ‘cause we might miss you You made us feel like we could ______When we grow tired of all this visual You had your time, you had the ______So don't become some background ______You've yet to have your finest ______A backdrop for the girls and ______Radio Who just don't know or just don't ______And just complain when you're not ______All we hear is Radio Ga Ga You had your time, you had the ______Radio goo goo You've yet to have your finest ______Radio Ga Ga Radio All we hear is Radio Ga Ga Radio goo goo All we hear is Radio Ga Ga Radio Ga Ga Radio goo goo All we hear is Radio Ga Ga Radio Ga Ga Radio blah blah All we hear is Radio Ga Ga Radio, what's ______? Radio blah blah Someone still loves ______! Radio, what's ______? Radio, someone still loves ______! Radio Ga Ga (repeat 3 times)
You had your time, you had the ______You've yet to have your finest ______Radio This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples
Radio Ga Ga – Queen - Complete
I'd sit alone and watch your light My only friend through teenage nights And everything I had to know I heard it on my radio
You gave them all those old time stars Through wars of worlds invaded by Mars You made them laugh, you made them cry You made us feel like we could fly
So don't become some background noise A backdrop for the girls and boys Who just don't know or just don't care And just complain when you're not there You had your time, you had the power You've yet to have your finest hour Radio
All we hear is Radio ga ga Radio goo goo Radio ga ga All we hear is Radio ga ga Radio blah blah Radio, what's new? Radio, someone still loves you!
We watch the shows, we watch the stars On videos for hours and hours We hardly need to use our ears How music changes through the years
Let's hope you never leave, old friend Like all good things on you we depend So stick around ‘cause we might miss you When we grow tired of all this visual You had your time, you had the power You've yet to have your finest hour Radio
All we hear is Radio ga ga Radio goo goo Radio ga ga All we hear is Radio ga ga Radio goo goo Radio ga ga All we hear is Radio ga ga Radio blah blah Radio, what's new? Someone still loves you!
Radio Ga Ga (repeat 3 times)
You had your time, you had the power You've yet to have your finest hour Radio
This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples