ESLSongs

Practice adjectives in your ESL class with this song, The Logical Song by Supertramp.

The 24 adjectives which appear in these song lyrics are: wonderful, beautiful, magical, sensible, logical, responsible, practical, dependable, clinical, intellectual, cynical, asleep, deep, simple, absurd, radical, liberal, fanatical, criminal, acceptable, respectable, presentable, digital & unbelievable. It also contains the adverbs: happily, joyfully, playfully & too.

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily,
Joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
Logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
Clinical, intellectual, cynical.

There are times when all the world’s asleep,
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am.

Now watch what you say or they’ll be calling you a radical,
Liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won’t you sign up your name, we’d like to feel you’re acceptable
Respectable, presentable, a vegetable!

At night, when all the world’s asleep,
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am.

‘Cause I was feeling so logical
Digital
One, two, three, five
Oh yeah, it’s getting unbelievable…

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Put the adjectives in the list in the right gaps: absurd (x2), acceptable, beautiful, deep (x2), dependable, digital, fanatical, intellectual, logical, respectable, responsible, sensible, simple (x2), unbelievable, wonderful

When I was young, it seemed that life was so _____________,
A miracle, oh it was _____________, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily,
Joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be _____________,
Logical, _____________, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so _____________,
Clinical, _____________, cynical.

There are times when all the world’s asleep,
The questions run too _____________
For such a _____________ man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds _____________
Please tell me who I am.

Now what you say or they’ll be calling you a radical,
Liberal, _____________, criminal.
Won’t you sign up your name, we’d like to feel you’re _____________
_____________, presentable, a vegetable!

At night, when all the world’s asleep,
The questions run so _____________
For such a _____________ man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds _____________
Please tell me who I am.

‘Cause I was feeling so _____________
_____________
One, two, three, five
Oh yeah, it’s getting _____________