Happy – Pharrell Williams – Notes

Happy ? Pharrell Williams ? Notes

? Activity types: Phonetics, listening for specific words, gap fill

? Level: Pre-intermediate/Intermediate

? Language Focus: Informal use of double negative

? Notes: From the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack, this was Pharrell Williams third million selling single in 2013, following his appearances on Get Lucky with Daft Punk (there is also a worksheet for this on ) and Blurred Lines with Robin Thicke. Williams also published a 24-hour video for the song (at ), and the song has become a youtube viral hit with videos made in different cities throughout the world () ? perhaps your students would enjoy making one?!

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Pre-listening activities

Give each student a folded copy of the worksheet and ask them to do Activity 1. They list the words according to their final vowel sounds. Key:

/a/

/e/

/u:/

/?/

/a/

fine

high

break

say

do

roof

back

down

time

why

space

way

truth

you

that

Note: There is a Phonetic Chart on the Teacher's Area of

now

Listening activities 1. Ask students to listen for the words in Activity 1, numbering them in the order they hear

them.

2. Play the song. Key: 1. say 2. break 3. space 4. way 5. roof 6. truth 7. you 8. do 9. that 10. back 11. fine 12. time 13. why 14. down 15. high 16. now

3. Ask them to unfold the page and complete the lyrics (Activity 2) with the words from Activity 1, according their answers to the previous activity and context.

4. Play the song again. Students check their answers in pairs or in small groups.

5. Correct in open class, play the song again and sing together!

Follow up

Can students find more words in the song with the same final vowel sound? Ex. /?/ clap - /ei/ take - /u:/ room - /ai/ like, etc.

Language Focus

Point out the informal use of the double negative in "can't nothing bring me down", which means "nothing can depress me".

A double negative uses two negative words in the same clause to express a single negative idea. Double negatives aren't considered acceptable in current standard English and you should avoid them in all but very informal situations [based on Oxford Dictionaries]

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity ? Tune into English 2013 ?

Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples

Happy ? Pharrell Williams

Activity 1. List the words below in the correct column according to their final sounds:

back ? break ? down - do ? fine - high - now - roof - say ? space ? that ? time truth - way - why - you

/a/

/e/

/u:/

/?/

/a/

__________________________________________________FOLD_________________________________________________

Activity 2. Complete the song with the words from Activity 1.

It might seem crazy what I'm about to ________ Sunshine she's here, you can take a ________ I'm a hot air balloon that could go to ________ With the air, like I don't care baby by the ________

Because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a ________ Because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like happiness is the ________ Because I'm happy Clap along if you know what happiness is to ________ Because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna ________

Here come bad news talking this and ________ (yeah) Well, give me all you got, and don't hold ________ (yeah) Well, I should probably warn you I'll be just ________ (yeah) No offense to you, don't waste your time Here's ________

Chorus

Hey, come on

(Happy) Bring me ________ Can't nothing bring me ________ My level's too ________ Bring me ________ Can't nothing bring me ________ I said (let me tell you ________) Bring me ________ Can't nothing bring me ________ My level's too ________ Bring me ________ Can't nothing bring me ________

I said

Chorus (x2)

Hey, come on

(happy) Bring me down, can't nothing Bring me down, my level's too ________ Bring me down, can't nothing Bring me down, I said

Chorus (x2)

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity ? Tune into English 2014 ?

Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples

Happy ? Pharrell Williams ? Complete

It might seem crazy what I'm about to say Sunshine she's here, you can take a break I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space With the air, like I don't care baby by the way

Because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof Because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth Because I'm happy Clap along if you know what happiness is to you Because I'm happy Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do

Here come bad news talking this and that (yeah) Well, give me all you got, and don't hold back (yeah) Well, I should probably warn you I'll be just fine (yeah) No offence to you, don't waste your time Here's why

Chorus

Hey, come on

(Happy) Bring me down Can't nothing bring me down My level's too high Bring me down Can't nothing bring me down I said (let me tell you now) Bring me down Can't nothing bring me down My level's too high Bring me down Can't nothing bring me down I said

Chorus (x2)

Hey, come on

(happy) Bring me down, can't nothing Bring me down, my level's too high Bring me down, can't nothing Bring me down, I said

Chorus (x2)

This worksheet is to be used for educational purposes only Activity ? Tune into English 2014 ?

Worksheet written by Prof. Mena Bianco, Naples

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