ESLSongs

Practice the past simple (especially irregular verbs) in your ESL class with this song, Sympathy for the Devil by Rolling Stones. The 11 irregular verbs in this song are: stole, was, had, made, stuck, saw, rode, held, stank, fought & laid and the regular verbs are: killed, rage, scream, seal, shout, wash & watch.

Note: this is quite a long song at 6 minutes 22 seconds. I recommend doing a fadeout during the guitar solo at the 3 minute mark.

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

Lyrics

Please allow me to introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
I’ve been around for a long, long years
Stole many a man’s soul and faith
And I was ’round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

I rode a tank
Held a general’s rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
(woo woo, woo woo)
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
(woo woo, woo woo)
I shouted out,
“Who killed the Kennedys?”
When after all
It was you and me
(who who, who who)
Let me please introduce myself
I’m a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay
(woo woo, who who)
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
(who who)
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby
(who who, who who)
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what’s confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
(woo woo, who who)
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
‘Cause I’m in need of some restraint
(who who, who who)
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
(woo woo)
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I’ll lay your soul to waste, um yeah
(woo woo, woo woo)
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, um yeah
(who who)
But what’s puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down
(woo woo, woo woo)
Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!
(woo woo)
Tell me baby, what’s my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, what’s my name
I tell you one time, you’re to blame
Oh, who
woo, woo
Woo, who
Woo, woo
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Oh, yeah
What’s my name
Tell me, baby, what’s my name
Tell me, sweetie, what’s my name
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Oh, yeah
Woo woo
Woo woo

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Do you know the meaning of these verbs? Which are irregular? What is the past simple? be, fight, have, hold, kill, lay, make, rage, ride, scream, seal, see, shout, steal, stick around, stink, wash & watch.
Look at the lyrics below. Which words go in each of the gaps? First try to guess, then listen to the song to check your answers.
Can you guess the name of the narrator?

Please allow me to introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste
I’ve been around for a long, long years, (I) ¹_____________ many a man’s soul and faith
And I ²_____________ around when Jesus Christ ³_____________ his moment of doubt and pain
(I) ³_____________ damn sure that Pilate ⁴_____________ his hands and ⁵_____________ his fate

Pleased to meet you, (I) hope you guess my name
But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game

I ⁶_____________ around St. Petersburg when I ⁷_____________ it was a time for a change
(I) ⁸_____________ the czar and his ministers, Anastasia ⁹_____________ in vain

I ¹⁰_____________ a tank, ¹¹_____________ a general’s rank
when the blitzkrieg ¹²_____________ and the bodies ¹³_____________

Pleased to meet you, (I) hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I ¹⁴_____________ with glee while your kings and queens
¹⁵_____________ for ten decades for the gods they ¹⁶_____________
I ¹⁷_____________ out, “Who ¹⁸_____________ the Kennedys?”
When after all it ¹⁹_____________ you and me

Let me please introduce myself, I’m a man of wealth and taste
And I ²⁰_____________ traps for troubadours who get killed before they reach Bombay

Pleased to meet you, (I) hope you guess my name, oh yeah
But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down!

fade out during the guitar solo, at the 3 minute mark