“VIVA LA VIDA” – used to/would
1. Which of these countries have a king or queen?
2. Discuss
the questions in groups:
What does a
king/queen do? What is his/her job? How is being a king or queen different now
than it was a long time ago (in the 15th century, for example)?
A king or a queen rules the country. But the terms have changed since we have democracy in modern world. Now the titles are merely symbolic.
3.
Collocations – Match the verbs with the nouns to form phrases from the song.
|
blow down (the doors)
|
someone’s name
|
|
call (someone’s name)
|
the dice
|
|
give (the word)
|
the doors
|
|
hold (the key)
|
the key
|
|
roll (the dice)
|
the windows
|
|
rule (the world)
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the word
|
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shatter (the windows)
|
the world
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Which verbs in the list are irregular? What are their past tense forms?
blow = blew give = gave hold = held
4.
In pairs, imagine you saw your partner doing
one of these actions. Take turns to ask and answer questions to find out
more, e.g.
--I saw you [crying] in the street yesterday, why were you [crying]?
--Because I was sad.
--Why were you sad? etc., etc.
“I saw you…
rolling dice on the street corner yesterday
shattering
all the windows on your neighbour’s car
calling
someone’s name very loudly in the street yesterday
blowing
down someone’s front door like the Big Bad Wolf
5. Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with the phrases.
“Viva la vida” (Coldplay)
I used to rule the world,
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep
alone,
Sweep the streets I used to own
I used to roll the dice,
Feel the fear in my enemies’ eyes
Listen as the crowd would
sing:
“Now the old king is dead!
Long live the king!”
One minute I held the key,
next the walls were closed on
me
And I discovered that
my castles stand
upon pillars of salt and
pillars of sand
I hear Jerusalem bells are
ringing, Roman Catholic choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield, My missionaries in a
foreign field
For
some reason I can’t explain, Once you know there was never,
Never an honest word…that was when I ruled the world
It was the wicked and wild wind,
blew down the doors to let me
in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums,
people
could not believe what I’d become
Revolutionaries wait
for my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely
string—
Oh who would ever want to be
King?
I hear Jerusalem
bells are ringing, Roman Catholic choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword, and shield, My missionaries in a
foreign field
For some reason I can’t explain, I know Saint Peter won’t
call my name
Never an honest word…and that was when I ruled the world
--What emotions do you think
the “king” is feeling in this song?
Why?
I feel nostalgia, and a little bit sadness. Because this song is about missing the past, so I feel sad for a person who misses their past but I don't miss my past at all.
--Look at these sentences and
phrases from the song. Do they refer to
things that happen in the present or in the past?
“I used to rule the world.” “…the
streets I used to own.”
“The crowd would sing:
now the old king is dead, long live the king.”
“Seas would rise when I gave the
word.”
These sentences refer to things that happen in the past.
6. Look at the information about using used to and would.
7. Think of
a famous king or queen from history (or today), or choose one of these “other”
kings: Write a
poem from the perspective of the king you chose, using the form below:
I didn't choose a king or a queen, but here's my poem for Princess Diana.
I used to sway around in my white gown.
They
would forgive me, even when I was wrong.
Now in
the morning I walk alone
In the
streets I used to call home.
I used
to be the one and only
I would
wave as they happily called me
Listen
as the crowd would scream my name
Now I’m
lost because of the unholy fame.
One
minute I find love and be happy,
Next,
paparazzi chase me and I’m not free.
I
discovered that everything was a lie in this world
Now that
I rot in the cold, unforgiving earth.
