ESLSongs

Practise narrative tenses in the ESL classroom with this fun song, Alien Superstar by Alan Smith Robertson.

These song lyrics include 12 examples of narrative tenses; six examples of the past continuous and another six examples of the past perfect:

• Past continuous
  • When he came from Mars, the alien superstar was writing…
  • When he came to Earth, he was writing…
  • As his ship came down, it was making a supernatural sound
  • He was perfecting his art
  • He said […] he was having problems
  • He said […] he was feeling…
• Past perfect
  • As his ship came down, it was making a supernatural sound that I‘d never heard before
  • I wondered why he’d come
  • He said he had been cursed
  • He said […] it had left him traumatised
  • He asked if I had ever been…
  • Before today I had never even left the state

This song comes with a worksheet and is available for download in mp3. To see other suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Lyrics

Verse 1
When he came from Mars the alien superstar was writing a new song
He said it wasn’t hard, he always found the right chord on his old guitar
and he played it with his heart

When he came to earth he was writing the verse for a new song
And as his ship came down it was making a supernatural sound
that I’d never heard before till now

Pre-chorus
His voice was celestial!
A real-life work of art
I wondered why he’d come from so afar
What was his desire?

Chorus
Alien superstar
He was perfecting his art
Alien superstar
Take me back to mars
When you depart

Verse 2
He said he had been cursed, and that he was having problems with the words
that he couldn’t rhyme and that he was feeling so unsatisfied
It had left him traumatised

And he was so sad that I asked if I could lend a helping hand
So he asked if I had ever been in a rock’n’roll band
I looked at him and said…

Pre-chorus
His voice was celestial!
A real-life work of art
I wondered why he’d come from so afar
What was his desire?

Chorus
Alien superstar
He was perfecting his art
Alien superstar
Take me back to mars
When you depart

Verse 3
And so here I am on a spaceship and on my way to Mars
And before today I had never even left the state
Now I’m flying through space

Chorus
Alien superstar
He was perfecting his art
Alien superstar
Take me back to mars
When you depart

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Put the verbs in brackets into either past continuous or past perfect. Remember to put the adverbs (never, ever, even) between the two parts of the verb. Then listen to see if you guessed right.

Verse 1
When he came from Mars the alien superstar ¹ was writing (write) a new song
He said it wasn’t hard, he always found the right chord on his old guitar
and he played it with his heart

When he came to earth he ²_____________ (write) the verse for a new song
And as his ship came down it ³_____________ (make) a supernatural sound
that I ⁴_____________ (never hear) before till now

Pre-chorus
His voice was celestial!
A real-life work of art
I wondered why he ⁵_____________ (come) from so afar
What was his desire?

Chorus
Alien superstar
He ⁶_____________ (perfect) his art
Alien superstar
Take me back to Mars when you depart

Verse 2
He said he ⁷_____________ (be cursed) and that he ⁸_____________ (have) problems with the words
that he couldn’t rhyme and that he ⁹_____________ (feel) so unsatisfied,
it ¹⁰_____________ (leave) him traumatised

And he was so sad that I asked if I could lend a helping hand
So he asked if I ¹¹_____________ (ever be) in a rock’n’roll band
I looked at him and said…

Pre-chorus & chorus

Verse 3
And so here I am
on a spaceship and on my way to Mars
And before today
I ¹²_____________ (never even leave) the state
Now I’m flying through space

Chorus

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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.