ESLSongs

“In an Emergency Room” is a song written for English teachers to use in the ESL classroom to practise the topic of health and medicine and it comes with an easy-to-use worksheet!

The lyrics of this song include the following 22 different examples of health & medicine-related vocabulary: ambulance, blood, death, to die, disease, doctor, emergency room, to give birth, injuries, (to take) medicine, to mourn, nurse, patient, (to take) a pill, pregnant, to save a life, siren, surgery, to take care of someone (of yourself), transfusion, vaccine & waters break (her waters broke)

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

Lyrics

In an emergency room a patient lived to see another day
trying to fight off the disease
There was no medicine for what he had, no vaccines or pills that he could take
All the nurse could do was hold his hand

In an emergency room people come and people go and maybe buy a few more days

In an emergency room, another gangster with another gunshot wound
who had to go to surgery
The transfusion failed to save his life, so much blood was pouring on the floor
The doctor mumbled: “he has died”

In an emergency room people come and people go, the ambulances’ sirens call
The sirens mourn

But one day we’ll meet again
So take good care of yourself and live, live your life the best you can

In an emergency room a pregnant girl was giving birth
Her waters broke, the time had come
And just as the baby left the womb, Death looked down and told him with a smirk:
“Have a good life, I’ll see you again soon”

In an emergency room people come and people go
And Death walks with us every step, of the way…

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

You are going to listen to a song called “In an Emergency Room”. Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with the vocabulary: ambulance, blood, death, die, disease, doctor, emergency room, give birth, injuries, (take) medicine, mourn, nurse, patient, (take) a pill, pregnant, save a life, siren, take care of someone, vaccine, victim, womb, wound. You may have to conjugate verbs (like using the gerund) or nouns (like using the plural).

In an emergency room a ¹_____________ lived to see another day
trying to fight off the ²_____________
There was no ³_____________ for what he had, no ⁴_____________ or ⁵_____________ that he could take
All the ⁶_____________ could do was hold his hand

In an emergency room people come and people go and maybe buy a few more days

In an emergency room, another gangster with another gunshot ⁷_____________
who had to go to surgery
The transfusion failed to save his life, so much ⁸_____________ was pouring on the floor
The ⁹_____________ mumbled: “he has ¹⁰_____________”

In an emergency room people come and people go, the ¹¹_____________’ sirens call
The sirens mourn

But one day we’ll meet again
So take good care of yourself and live, live your life the best you can

In an emergency room a ¹²_____________ girl was ¹³_____________
Her waters broke, the time had come
And just as the baby left the womb, ¹⁴_____________ looked down and told him with a smirk:
“Have a good life, I’ll see you again soon”

In an emergency room people come and people go
And ¹⁵_____________ walks with us every step, of the way…

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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