Roll To Me – - Notes 

 Activity type: vocabulary, gap fill.

 Function: giving advice.

 Time: 40 mins.

 Note: This was a 1995 single from the Scottish band Del Amitri, taken from the album Twisted. It was their most successful ever single, reaching number 10 in the U.S.A.’s Billboard Hot 100. This song is not typical of the band’s sound, and they were unhappy that what they see as a throwaway pop song gave them their biggest hit.

1) Ask students if they know what an Agony Aunt is. Key: an Agony Aunt writes a column for a newspaper, replying to readers’ letters about their personal problems. Note that the Agony Aunt may be a man, a woman, or a team of writers. A good example is the Speak Up column, written by John Peter Sloan, at http://www.speakuponline.it/articolo/1027295224 .

2) Play the song. How many times do the students hear the phrase “Roll To Me”? Also, who has a problem, and who should they turn to? What is the advice? Key: “roll to me” appears nine times. The singer suggests a female friend is unhappy with her boyfriend and should talk to him (and perhaps become his girlfriend).

3) Give each student a folded copy of the worksheet. Ask them to work in pairs or small groups to predict the words based on the definitions. Key: (but do not correct at this stage) 1. world 7. need 13. pretty 2. baby 8. finger 14. down 3. hoped 9. think 15. raining 4. situation 10. soul 16. look 5. roll 11. talk 17. everything 6. heart 12. there 18. guy

4) Play the song. The correct answers appear in the same order in the song. Note some words are used more than once. Ask students to tick the words as they hear them, and correct when necessary.

5) Ask students to unfold the worksheet. They fill in the gaps with the missing words, based on their answers to the previous activity and context.

6) Check in pairs, then play the song again.

7) Tell students they are going to give advice. Elicit some phrases used to give suggestions, offer advice and solve problems, e.g. “You should/shouldn’t...” “What about doing...?”

8) Cut out the problem cards on the following page (make two or more copies if necessary) and give one card to each student. Ask them to move around the class and ask at least three different people for advice. They also give advice to others when asked.

9) Feedback, then sing the song together.

Homework: Students write an imaginary letter to an Agony Aunt, then also prepare the reply.

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Maria Gulczynska, Ancona Roll To Me – Del Amitri – Problem Cards

I feel very tired these days. My neighbours are too noisy.

I failed my last English test. I have a job interview but nothing to wear.

I cannot sleep at night. My boy/girlfriend is angry with me.

I’m broke (have no money). I have a toothache.

My friend is always late. I really like someone but they don’t know.

My boss keeps asking me to go on a date I forgot to buy my sister a birthday with him/her. present last week.

I have too much homework in English to do. I’m really stressed these days.

I put on weight (5 kilos) last month. I have a headache.

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Maria Gulczynska, Ancona

 Roll To Me – Del Amitri 

Work in pairs. Read the definitions and guess the words.

1. the earth/globe 10. a person, human being 2. a man often calls his girlfriend this (informal) 11. speak with somebody 3. wished 12. in that place 4. state of affairs 13. beautiful 5. move on wheels 14. opposite of up 6. an organ of blood circulation 15. falling water falling from the sky 7. urgent want 16. see something 8. one has five on each hand 17. all 9. use one’s brain 18. man

These words are in the same order in this song. Listen and correct, ticking the words as you hear them.

______FOLD______

Complete the song with the missing words.

Look around your ______pretty ______Is it everything you ______it’d be The wrong guy, the wrong ______The right time to ______to me

Look into your ______pretty baby Is it aching with some nameless ______Is there something wrong and you can’t put your ______on it Right then, ______to me

And I don’t ______I have ever seen a ______so in despair So if you want to ______the night through Guess who will be ______?

So don’t try to deny it ______baby You’ve been ______so long you can hardly see When the engine’s stalled and it won’t stop ______It’s the right time to ______to me

And I don’t ______I have ever seen a ______so in despair So if you want to ______the night through Guess who will be ______?

So ______around your world pretty baby Is it ______you hoped it’d be The wrong ______, the wrong situation The right time to ______to me The right time to ______to me The right time to ______to me OOOOOHHHHH

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Maria Gulczynska, Ancona

 Roll To Me – Del Amitri - Complete 

Look around your world pretty baby Is it everything you hoped it'd be? The wrong guy, the wrong situation The right time to roll to me Roll to me

Look into your heart pretty baby, Is it aching with some nameless need ? Is there something wrong and you can't put your finger on it? Right then, roll to me

And I don't think I have ever seen a soul so in despair So if you want to talk the night through Guess who will be there ?

So don't try to deny it pretty baby, You've been down so long you can hardly see When the engine's stalled and it won't stop raining It's the right time to roll to me Roll to me, roll to me

And I don't think I have ever seen a soul so in despair So if you want to talk the night through Guess who will be there ?

So look around your world pretty baby Is it everything you hoped it'd be? The wrong guy , the wrong situation The right time to roll to me The right time to roll to me The right time to roll to me OOOOOHHHHH

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity © Tune into English 2011 – www.tuneintoenglish.com Worksheet written by Prof. Maria Gulczynska, Ancona