Table of Contents
Listening Activity
This listening activity is based on the famous song “Hey Jude” by The Beatles. It is ideal for beginner and intermediate students and includes interesting language points such as the imperative.
Let’s begin with some information about the song!
Hey Jude By The Beatles
“Hey Jude” is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. This page provides information about the song and links to the lyrics and the official video.
Level
Beginner and intermediate students.
Facts about the song
- Song: Hey Jude
- Date of release: 26 August 1968
- Genre: Rock, pop
- Length of the song: 7 minutes and 11 seconds
- Writer: Lennon-McCartney
- Produced by: George Martin
Interesting information about the song
In 1968, John Lennon and his wife Cynthia Lennon separated because of John’s affair with Yoko Ono. Soon afterwards, Paul McCartney drove out to visit Cynthia and John’s son, Julian. “We’d been very good friends for millions of years and I thought it was a bit much for them suddenly to be personae non gratae and out of my life,” McCartney said.
Cynthia Lennon recalled, “I was truly surprised when, one afternoon, Paul arrived on his own. I was touched by his obvious concern for our welfare… On the journey down he composed ‘Hey Jude’ in the car. I will never forget Paul’s gesture of care and concern in coming to see us.”
The video
The lyrics
Language points
The song includes many interesting language points:
- Expressions that may be useful to students:
- Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad
- Take a sad song and make it better
- Remember to let her into your heart
- Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude: Vocabulary Quiz
Complete the following sentences with the following words or expressions:
- afraid
- refrain
- carry the world upon your shoulders
- let her into your heart
- let her under your skin
- plays it cool
- make it better
Gap-fill Exercise:
- Hey Jude, don’t be ______.
- And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, ______.
- Don’t ______ the ______ ______ ______ ______.
- Remember to ______ ______ ______ ______.
- The minute you ______ ______ ______ ______,
- For well you know that it’s a fool who ______ ______ ______
- Take a sad song and ______ ______ ______.
Source: Wikipedia
