Leonard Cohen

Leonard danced LIFE

                                                                                                                                      Photo by EUROPAPRESS

Have you ever heard the song

"Dance Me to the End of Love"?

"Dance Me to the End of Love"

is a 1984 song by Leonard Cohen.

After listening to it, ...

Do you think it is a love song?

Probably your answer is ... YES.

However, 

let me tell you that originally it is NOT a love song!!

Do you know the real origin of this song?

Although it is considered as a LOVE SONG,

"Dance Me to the End of Love"

was in fact inspired by the HOLOCAUST.

In an interview, Cohen said of this song:

"... it's curious how songs begin because the origin of the song, every song, has a kind of grain or seed that somebody hands you or the world hands you and that's why the process is so mysterious about writing a song. But that came from just hearing or reading or that in the death camps, beside the crematoria, in certain of the death camps, a string quartet was pressed into performance while this horror was going on, those were the people whose fate was this horror also. And they would be playing classical music while their fellow prisoners were being killed and burnt. So, that music, "Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin," meaning the beauty there of being the consummation of life, the end of this existence and of the passionate element in that consummation. But, it is the same language that we use for surrender to the beloved, so that the song — it's not important that anybody knows the genesis of it, because if the language comes from that passionate resource, it will be able to embrace all passionate activity." 

LEONARD COHEN

Original Version of "Dance Me to the End of Love"

In short, 

Leonard Cohen danced LIFE to the end of love.

As simple or as complicated as that.

Rest in Peace,

 Maestro.

***

Further Information.-

You can check the LYRICS of the song 

in both languages (English & Spanish).

Ellie

Ellie Goulding

                                       Photo published at Wikipedia (English version)

Many of my students are in their 20's - like her.

Ellie Goulding is an English singer and songwriter in her late 20's.

(She is 29 years old - at the moment).

She was born in Hereford (England) in 1986, 

and she received her first Grammy Award nomination 

for "Best Solo Performance" in 2015.

As an example of her music, 

let's select "YOUR SONG"

(originally by Elton John).

Watch the following video-clip

and pay attention to the lyrics:

TASK 1:

* Listen to the song and fill in the blanks:

                                                                       "Your Song"                                                                                                                                                                             

It'..... a little bit funny, this feeling inside

I'..... not one of those who can easily hide

I don't have much money, but boy if I did

I'd buy a big house where we both could live

So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do

See I've forgotten if they'...... green or they'..... blue

Anyway the thing ..... what I really mean

Yours ..... the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

And you can tell everybody this ..... your song

It may ..... quite simple, but now that it'..... done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life ..... now you'..... in the world

If I ..... a sculptor, but then again no

Or a girl who makes potions in a traveling show

I know it'..... not much, but it'..... the best I can do

My gift ..... my song, and this one'..... for you      

                                                                                                                   Oh [x8]

And you can tell everybody this ..... your song

It may ..... quite simple, but now that it'..... done

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life ..... now you'..... in the world

***

TASK 2:

* What do all the missing words have in common?

(Justify your answer using a chart).

SELF-CORRECTION.-

Check out your answers using the LYRICS of "Your Song".

(Web: azlyrics)

TASK 3:
* Translate the lyrics of the song into Spanish, with the help of an on-line dictionary - if necessary.

&

Compare your translation with the translation offered at the web musica.com. 

(Look for any incoherence on the mentioned website).

FURTHER INFORMATION.-

You can get more information about ELLIE GOULDING at:

in English:

Wikipedia (English version)

or in Spanish:

Wikipedia (Spanish version)

DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP !!

Welcome Back

We always have 

new objectives in our minds.

Despite the difficulties,... 

let's work hard and

let's do our best to achieve them!!

                                                                       Photo published at: http://bashny.net/t/es/18533 

Welcome to the new school year.

It's time to start again
your English classes using this blog.

Are you ready?

***

Before starting, 

It is important to have 3 ideas in mind

to face the new school year and succeed:

1.- Be prepared,

2.- Stay positive, and

3.- Work hard.

But, above all, 

remember the quotation of this month

(October, 2016):

"Whatever you do, 

no matter how hard it may be,

Don't give up the ship!" 
                                                                               (George P. McCallum)
***

Watch the video,
Listen to the song,
Pay attention to the lyrics and
complete the missing letters from the Chorus:

D_ _' _  Y _ _  G _ _ _  U _
I  W_ _ ' _  G _ _ _  U_
L _ _  M _  L _ _ _  Y _ _

Check out the following information from the previous video:

                         - SINGER: 

                         - TITLE OF THE SONG:

                         - CHORUS: 

And now,
just to finish,

let me play with the Chorus of the song

and let's change the verb of the last line!

LET ME LOVE YOU

"LET ME HELP YOU"

That will be my slogan for this new school year:

"LET ME HELP YOU...

to achieve your goals"

The blog "English@Edrissis"

and the English teacher

wish you all a successful school year.

Good Luck!!

"HELLO"

"HELLO"

Adele at Madame Tussauds (London)

Adele says "Hello" to the 1 Billion Club

According to CNN, 

the song "Hello" has reached 1 billion views on Youtube

becoming the fastest video in YouTube's history to do so. 

The music clip received its 1 billionth view in just 87 days.

Apart from Adele's "Hello",

you can watch other video clips

with more than 1 billion visits on YouTube 

in here.

Adele also says why

The song "Hello" is taken from the new album 25.

Adele introduces, on her official website, 

her new famous song ...

Hello

When I was 7, I wanted to be 8. When I was 8, I wanted to be 12. When I turned 12 I just wanted to be 18. Then after that I stopped wanting to be older. Now I’m ticking 16-24 boxes just to see if I can blag it! I feel like I’ve spent my whole life so far wishing it away. Always wishing I was older, wishing I was somewhere else, wishing I could remember and wishing I could forget too. Wishing I hadn’t ruined so many good things because I was scared or bored. Wishing I wasn’t so matter of fact all the time. Wishing I’d gotten to know my great grandmother more, and wishing I didn’t know myself so well, because it means I always know what’s going to happen in the end. Wishing I hadn’t cut my hair off, wishing I was 5’7”. Wishing I’d waited and wishing I’d hurried up as well.

My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make-up record. I’m making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up for everything I ever did and never did. But I haven’t got time to hold on to the crumbs of my past like I used to. What’s done is done. Turning 25 was a turning point for me, slap bang in the middle of my twenties. Teetering on the edge of being an old adolescent and a fully-fledged adult, I made the decision to go into becoming who I’m going to be forever without a removal van full of my old junk. I miss everything about my past, the good and the bad, but only because it won’t come back. When I was in it I wanted out! So typical. I’m on about being a teenager: sitting around and chatting shit, not caring about the future because it didn’t matter then like it does now. The ability to be flippant about everything and there be no consequences. Even following and breaking rules… is better than making the rules.

25 is about getting to know who I’ve become without realising. And I’m sorry it took so long, but you know, life happened.

                                 Love,

                                                        Adele

* If you are interested in the LYRICS of the song click here.

Highly Recommended.-

To get to know more about Adele's "Hello" ...

it is worth having a look at the lesson published by RealLife English.

In such a lesson you can: have a look at the lyrics of the song; 

pay attention to grammar, vocabulary and expressions, 

learning some tips to improve pronunciation 

and even take a quizz to check 

"How well you know Hello"

Have a look at RealLife English.

***

Let's keep on dancing

LET'S KEEP ON DANCING

"Let's dance

put on your red shoes

and dance the blues"

Let's dance (1983)

by David Bowie

David Bowie has died today.

Although that is sad news

let's think about all the legacy he has left us all and...

... Let's Keep on dancing !!

Let's pay tribute to him 

remembering his song

"Let's dance"

Thanks, David

Rest in Peace

Lyrics:

Let's Dance

FURTHER READING.-
In English: SKY NEWS
In Spanish: EL PAIS 
.