ESLSongs

“Come back home” is a song written for English teachers to use in the ESL classroom to practise the interrogative and it comes with an easy-to-use worksheet!

This song contains 17 questions including 2 yes/no questions and 10 different question words (how, how long, how many, how much, when, where, which, who, whose, why).

• where have you been?
• did you have fun?
• why did you go away for so long?
• who have you seen?
• what have you done?
• why did you come back home?
• how much have you learnt?
• how many jobs have you worked?
• did you conquer the world?
• how many heads have you turned?
• whose hearts did you break along the way?
• how long are you staying?
• when are you leaving again?
• which way did you go?
• how could you leave me alone?
• how long are you gonna be away?
• when are you coming back home?

This song comes with a worksheet, and is available for download in mp3 format in both its original version and a barebones acoustic guitar version so inspire your students to greatness in the classroom and practise grammar and vocabulary the fun way with this fun, original song. To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

NOTICE that there are two versions of this song; the original version:

…and a barebones acoustic guitar version:

Lyrics

Hey there my dear! Welcome back home
Where have you been? Did you have fun?
Why did you go away for so long?
Who have you seen? What have you done?

And why did you come back home?

My life was empty when you left
You took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

How much have you learnt? How many jobs have you worked?
Did you conquer the world? How many heads have you turned?
And whose hearts did you break along the way?
How long are you staying? When are you leaving again?

And why did you come back home?

My life was empty when you left
You took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

And again you have gone, and again my heart broke
Which way did you go? How could you leave me alone?
This time how long are you gonna be away?
When are you coming back home?

Oh! why did you come back home?

I was so happy till you left
You took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

My life is empty now you’ve left
You took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest
But birds like you cannot be caged

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Look at the lyrics below, which question words do you think go into each gap?
Sometimes there is more than one possible question word.

Hey there, my dear! Welcome back home!
¹_____________ have you been?
Did you have fun?
²_____________ did you go away for so long?
³_____________ have you seen?
⁴_____________ have you done?

And ⁵_____________ did you come back home?
My life was empty when you left, you took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged

⁶_____________ have you learnt?
⁷_____________ jobs have you worked?
Did you conquer the world?
⁸_____________ heads have you turned?
And ⁹_____________ hearts did you break along the way?
¹⁰_____________ are you staying?
¹¹_____________ are you leaving again?

And ¹²_____________ did you come back home?
My life was empty when you left, you took your song away from me
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged

And again you have gone, and again my heart broke
¹³_____________ way did you go?
¹⁴_____________ could you leave me alone?
This time ¹⁵_____________ are you gonna be away?
¹⁶_____________ are you coming back home?

Oh! and ¹⁷_____________ did you come back home?
I was so happy ’til you left, you took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged
My life is empty now you’ve left, you took your song away again
I wish you didn’t have to leave the nest, but birds like you cannot be caged.

Listen to the song to check.

If you enjoyed the song or if you think it will be useful for your students at least, remember this song comes with a worksheet, and is available for download in mp3 format in both its original version and acoustic version.