Another Song to Develop Comprehension in Class

I have blogged about the power of music in the classroom and have previously shared a number of songs which can be used in the classroom, especially for reading comprehension. You can read them here. 

The song currently at Number 1 in the charts - These Days by Rudimental feat. Macklemore, Jess Glyne and Dan Caplen - is another great song which can be used in class. Here is a link to the music video:

Here are the lyrics with some suggested questions:

I know you moved onto someone new
Hope life is beautiful
You were the light for me to find my truth
I just wanna say, thank you

• Who is the rapper speaking about?
• Are the couple still together? How do you know? No - moved onto someone new.
• How does he feel towards his old girlfriend? He still likes her - wishes her well
• Is this always the case when people split up? Open to discussion
• Do you think he regrets breaking up with her? No, the relationship helped him grow.
• Why is he thanking her? He recognises that she helped him on his journey to reach his goal.
• Do you think he is speaking straight after the relationship has ended or is this a long time after?

Leaving to find my soul
Told her I had to go
And I know it ain't pretty
When our hearts get broke
Too young to feel this old
Watching us both turn cold
Oh, I know it ain't pretty
When two hearts get broke
Yeah, I know it ain't pretty
When two hearts get broke

• Why did they break up? He wanted to leave to find himself, maybe travel
• Why might this have been a hard decision? As it will have hurt the other person (hearts get broke)
• What does he mean by 'too young to feel this old'? It shows the experience has really matured him, as we get older we tend to learn from our experiences and sometimes mistakes. 
• Is the last line grammatically correct? How should it read?
• Why is it repeated? For emphasis

I hope someday
We'll sit down together
And laugh with each other
About these days, these days
All our troubles
We'll lay to rest
And we'll wish we could come back to these days, these days
These days, these days
These days, these days

• How does the singer feel about her ex-boyfriend? She seems to have moved on and looks back fondly on their time together
• Do you think this was always the case? Possibly not, at the start, she may have felt angry and sad and blamed him but time is a great healer. 
• Do you think they still like each other? Yes
• How do you know? She hopes they can sit down and reminisce.
• How would you describe their relationship? Fun, she wants to laugh at the times they had.
• Do you think she is happier now than she was in the relationship? Open for discussion, yes as she has moved on or no as she wishes she could go back to the old days.

Three years of ups and downs
Nothing to show for it now
And I know it ain't pretty when the fire burns out
Calling me when I'm drunk, remind me of what I've done
And I know it ain't pretty when you're trying to move on, yeah

• How long did the relationship last?
• What is the perfect relationship? Why/Why not?
• How did he feel when the relationship initially ended? Sad maybe angry that once it had ended, there is nothing to show for it.
• Why does the singer reference fire? Fire can link to romance and passion. Usually, a fire will start from two materials coming together. When a fire burns out it signifies the end and also darkness. 
• You may want to dismiss the line that mentions being drunk
• Do you think she was happy when they first split up? No, she was phoning him late at night.
• Was it easy to move on?

I hope someday
We'll sit down together
And laugh with each other
About these days, these days
All our troubles
We'll lay to rest
And we'll wish we could come back to these days, these days
Oh I know, I know
Oh I know, I know
Oh I know, I know
These days, these days
Oh I know, I know
Oh I know, I know
Oh I know, I know
To these days, these days


Cigarettes in the ashtray
Reminiscing on those past days
I thought you’d end up with my last name
But that changed
And I travelled around the world
Think where you living at now?
I heard you moved to Oxford
Got an apartment and settled down
And every once in a while
I start texting
Write a paragraph
But then I delete the message
Think 'bout you like a pastime
I could cry you a river
Get you baptised or
I wasn't ready to act right
Used to always think I'd get you back, right
They say that things fall apart (yeah)
We were gonna move to Brooklyn
You were gonna study Art (oh no, oh)
Love is just a tool
To remind us who we are
And that we are not alone
When we're walking in the dark

• Again, you may want to leave the line about cigarettes. Or you can discuss it being a symbol of the end, as a cigarrette in the ashtray is usually once it has been finished. 
• Do you think this verse is from when they have just split up or long after?
• What did the singer hope from the relationship? They would get married (end up with my last name)
• Why did they split up? He wanted to travel the world.
• Does he miss her? Yes 
• What evidence from the text tells us this? He thinks where she is living, he asks about her which is why he heard she lives in Oxford. He sometimes writes texts but then deletes it.
• What does he write in the text message do you think? Perhaps he writes something in an attempt to reunite, or apologise.
• Why does he delete the message? He might delete it out of shame or maybe just as an attempt to try and get over her.
• Consider the line 'think 'bout you like a past time' - Why is this grammatically incorrect?
• What does the rapper use here? A simile
• Why? Our pastimes are hobbies we do and are fond of. When we are older and usually stop them, we look back with fond memories.
• On a scale of 1-5 how much does he regret ending the relationship? 5, he has cried a river, so much he could baptise her.
• When they split up, did he think that was the end? He thought he could get her back.
• What word could be used to describe his attitude? Naive
• What were their relationship plans? Move to America
• What has the rapper learned from this relationship? Love is not the answer, it helps us and brings us light and helps us to learn about ourselves.

I hope someday
We'll sit down together
And laugh with each other
About these days, these days
All our troubles
We'll lay to rest
And we'll wish we could come back to these days, these days
We'll wish we could come back to these days, these days (these days, these days, these days)

• What do you think the overall message of the song is?
• Is it a happy song or sad song?
• Why do you think the song is popular?