James Bay - Hold Back the River

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Who is currently topping the charts where you live?

1 What got in between?

2 What does he want to look in?

3 Why does he want to hold back the river?

4 What did they ride into the sky?

5 What are flashing by?

6 What won’t let them wander?

2 Listen to the song and answer these questions:

listening

2 Before listening to the song again, complete the gaps in these extracts from the lyrics. Then listen and check your ideas.

Tried to keep you ___________ to me

Tried to ___________ not being there

But think that I _____________ have been

Can stop for a minute and see where you ___________

Once upon a different ___________

But now we call against the ___________

Can stop for a minute and be by your ___________

Let us ___________ each other

Can you remember the words from the song that mean the following?

1 maintain something in a certain place

2 near

3 make appear correct or right

4 conceal (oneself or an object)

5 the periodic rise and fall of the waters of the ocean

6 pass very quickly

7 move about without any definite purpose or destination

2 Listen to the song again and when you hear the words defined above stop the audio.

Complete these sentences with the words above:V1 “Is the restaurant far?” “No, it is very _______________.”

2 The years really ___________________. It seems like yesterday that we were preparing for the start of a new millenium.

3 “Are you coming for a drink?” “No, I can’t ______________ going out when I have so much work to do.”

4 I _____________ a photo of my family with me at all times.

5 You can hardly see the sea when the _____________ is out.

6 “Did you do anything special when you went to Paris?” “No, we just _______________ around taking photographs.”

James Bay - Hold Back the River

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listening

7 The children __________ in the cupboard and their mother could not find them.

E You saw the meaning of the verb ‘square’ in the song. There are other expressions with ‘square’. What do you think these mean?

1 square meal

2 be back to square one

3 look someone square in the eye

4 fair and square

5 be square

6 square something with someone

7 a square peg in a round hole

8 square off

___ return to where you started

___ something or someone that doesn’t fit

___ be old-fashioned or boring

___ look at someone directly

___ completely just and right

___ prepare to fight; prepare to argue or compete

___ a substantial, nourishing lunch or dinner

___ get someone to agree to something

squaring off

Match the expressions to these explanations:

Complete these sentences with the expressions:V1 She’s so _____________ – she hates doing anything fun!

2 I lost all my work when the computer crashed. I am ________________________.

3 He _______________________________ and denied taking the money.

4 We make sure our children eat at least one ________________ a day.

5 I don’t know if we can afford a car – we’ll have to ______________ it with the bank first.

6 They won the match ___________________. They were the better team.

7 The meeting got very heated and James and Peter _____________________.

8 I always felt very different to my colleagues. I felt like a ________________________.

a square peg in a

round hole

Write sentences of your own with the words.V

intermediate+ (B1+)

week of 16.03.15James Bay - Hold Back the River

Transcript C track 5

Tried to keep you close to meBut life got in betweenTried to square not being thereBut think that I should have been

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyesHold back the river, so ICan stop for a minute and see where you hideHold back the river, hold back

Once upon a different lifeWe rode our bikes into the skyBut now we call against the tideThose distant days are flashing by

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyesHold back the river, so I

Can stop for a minute and be by your sideHold back the river, hold back

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyesHold back the river, so ICan stop for a minute and see where you hideHold back the river, hold back

Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wanderLet us hold each otherLonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wanderLet us hold each other

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes

Hold back the river, so ICan stop for a minute and be by your sideHold back the river, hold back

Hold back the river, let me look in your eyesHold back the river, so ICan stop for a minute and be by your sideHold back the river, hold

Lonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wanderLet us hold each otherLonely water, lonely water, won’t you let us wanderLet us hold each other

student pages 2Teacher’s notes 1

listening

See if the students can remember which words were used and then play the song. They should tell you to stop the audio when they hear the words defined.

1 keep 2 close 3 square 4 hide 5 tide 6 flash by 7 wander

V1 close 2 flash by 3 square 4 keep 5 tide 6 wandered 7 hid

Complete these sentences with the words above:

2 return to where you started7 something or someone that doesn’t fit5 be old-fashioned or boring3 look at someone directly4 completely just and right8 prepare to fight; prepare to argue or compete1 a substantial, nourishing lunch or dinner6 get someone to agree to something

Match the expressions to these explanations:

Complete these sentences with the expressions:V1 square2 back to square one3 looked me square in the face4 square meal5 square6 fair and square7 squared off8 square peg in a round hole