ESLSongs

Revise the past continuous, the past simple, the present perfect & phrasal verbs in your ESL class with this song, Don’t you want me baby? by The Human League. This song uses the following verbs in the following tenses:

• Past continuous: were working, was working,
• Past simple: met, picked out, shook up, turned around, turned into, put, knew, lived
• Present perfect: has been, you’ve changed, have had, have been

In addition to the tenses mentioned above, this song also contains the following 6 phrasal verbs: pick someone out, shake someone up, turn someone around, turn someone into, put someone (back) down, & change one’s mind back.

To see suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Lyrics

You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out, I shook you up
And turned you around
Turned you into someone new
Now five years later on you’ve got the world at your feet
Success has been so easy for you
But don’t forget it’s me who put you where you are now
And I can put you back down too.

Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see me
Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me

It’s much too late to find
When you think you’ve changed your mind
You’d better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don’t you want me, baby?
Don’t you want me? Oh!
Don’t you want me, baby?
Don’t you want me? Oh!

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
That much is true
But even then I knew I’d find a much better place
Either with or without you
The five years we have had have been such good at times
I still love you
But now I think it’s time I lived my life on my own
I guess it’s just what I must do

Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see me
Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me

It’s much too late find
When you think you’ve changed your mind
You’d better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don’t you want me, baby?
Don’t you want me? Oh!
Don’t you want me, baby?
Don’t you want me? Oh!

[REPEAT x3]
Don’t you want me, baby?
Don’t you want me? Oh!
Don’t you want me, baby?
Don’t you want me? Oh!