Song: Fight Song
Artist: Rachel Platten
Year: 2015
Album: Released as a single
Language Feature: Consonants f and v
Episode Description
International Women’s Day is on March 8th. We like to think about all of the smart, strong, beautiful women we know on this day. In fact, Ece is planning a party to celebrate the day, and she is creating a playlist full of inspiring music. What is the first song she is going to add? It’s Rachel Platten’s 2015 hit, “Fight Song.”
This song has extremely inspiring lyrics, and it has great practice with the sounds [f] and [v]. We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating all of the women in your life. Happy International Women’s Day!
Episode Transcript
<Intro>
H: Hi! I’m Heather.
E: And I’m Ece. We’re the co-hosts of the language-learning podcast, “English as a Singing Language.”
H: We choose a song for each episode that has a different language feature.
E: We talk about pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and fluency.
H: As language teachers-
E: and language learners ourselves -
H: We believe that using music to learn language is really fun.
E: And it makes the language easier to learn and remember.
H: Agree. And in this episode, we’re talking about a very important pronunciation feature.
E: Hmmmm… I think I can guess what it is.
H: I bet you can! I can’t wait to talk about this song.
E: Me neither. Let’s get started!
<end intro>
E: <humming “Fight Song”>: Oh! Hi Heather! How are you?
H: I’m doing well, thanks. What are you doing?
E: I’m working on a playlist for the party next month.
H: You mean, your party for International Women’s Day?
E: Yes! We had so much fun at the party last year! It was wonderful to have so many smart, strong, and beautiful women together to celebrate the day.
H: Listeners, if you haven’t done so yet, check out Season 1, Episode 13, to hear us talk about Hailee Steinfeld’s hit song, “Most Girls.” That was our episode for International Women’s Day last year.
E: And here we are one year later, and I’m planning another party for March 8th to celebrate International Women’s Day with our friends.
H: Oh! I can’t wait! What’s on the playlist for this year’s party?
E: Well, the first song I added was the one I was listening to just now.
H: I recognize that song! It’s Rachel Platten’s 2015 hit song, “Fight Song,” right?
E: Yes! “Fight Song” was extremely popular during the 2016 presidential election in the United States.
H: I remember that. What else do we know about the song, Ece?
E: Well, Rachel Platten has said, “When I wrote 'Fight Song,' I was in a particular low point. I needed to remind myself to not give up, that I still believed in myself and that I still had fight left.”
H: I think that’s a powerful message, especially for women, to hear.
E: I agree. It’s important to never give up. And there’s also a very useful pronunciation feature we can focus on in this song.
H: Hmmmm…. let me guess, is it the consonant sounds [f] and [v]?
E: Yes! Those can be tricky for speakers of many different languages.
H: For example, in Japanese or Korean, there isn’t an English [f] or [v] sound. The famous mountain in Japan, Mt. Fuji, is pronounced more like F/Puji.
E: Or for speakers of Arabic, there is a [f] sound, but not a [v] sound, so speakers might pronounce the word “very” as “ferry,” and those are two different words in English, “very” and “ferry.”
H: Spanish speakers also sometimes have trouble with [v], pronouncing it more like a [b] sound. So the words “vote” and “boat” might sound the same.
E: So, how do you make the [f] and [v] sounds in English?
H: You have to make sure to put your top teeth on your bottom lip. Then push the air out across your teeth.
E: Like this, [fffffff].
H: Perfect! For the [f] sound, there is no vibration. It’s just air, [ffffffff], but for the [v] sound, there is vibration, [vvvvvvv]. Your mouth is in the same shape, so the difference is vibration or no vibration.
E: So, [f,f fan] versus [v, v van].
H: Yep! So let’s see which words have those sounds in the lyrics.
E: And we can talk about the meaning of the lyrics, too.
H: The song starts off with some great figurative language.
E: It does! And if you want to listen to another song that has interesting figurative language, check out Season 1, Episode 5, Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten.”
H: The figurative language here starts, “Like a small boat on the ocean, sending big waves into motion.”
E: She’s comparing herself to a small boat that can make big waves. She can make important things happen, even though she is just one person. And you can hear the [v] sound in “waves.”
H: Yes. And then she continues, “Like how a single word can make a heart open.”
E: Sometimes, all you need is the right word to be able to start a relationship with someone or to make something happen.
H: The next lines are even more powerful, “I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion.”
E: So I hear the [v] sound in “have,” and I love the comparison in that line.
H: Me too. She’s comparing herself to a match. A “match” is a tiny piece of wood that has something on the end of it which can start a fire when you rub it against something with a rough surface. She’s just one, small person, but she has the power to make something big happen. That’s a great description.
E: And in the next lines, she sings, “And all those things I didn't say, wrecking balls inside my brain.”
H: I feel like that sometimes. Words that I wanted to say but didn’t say bounce around my head like wrecking balls.
E: I have felt like that before, too. But then she sings, “I will scream them loud tonight. Can you hear my voice this time?”
H: It’s much better to say the words out loud, or even to scream them. And I heard another [v] sound in the word, “voice,” [voice.]
E: And then the refrain goes, “This is my fight song. Take back my life song. Prove I’m alright song.”
H: Wow! Well, first I heard a great example of [f] in “fight” and “life.” And then there’s a [v] in “prove.”
E: Nice. And we can also point out that the noun “life” has a [f] sound and the verb “live” has a [v] sound.
H: That’s interesting. So I can say, “I try to live a good life.”
E: That’s a good example. Then she sings, “My power’s turned on. Starting right now I’ll be strong.”
H: I love that idea! The next time I feel tired or overwhelmed, I’m going to “turn on my power and be strong.”
E: Me too! That’s a great way to think about it. I’m just going to turn on my power now! And then in the last lines of the refrain she sings, “And I don't really care if nobody else believes, ‘cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me.”
H: First, there’s the word, “believe.” And that’s another pair of words that have a [f] and a [v]. The verb is “believe,” and the noun is “belief.”
E: For example, “I don’t believe in his beliefs.” There’s also a [v] in the word “I’ve” when she sings, “I’ve still got.”
H: There are good examples of [f] and [v] in the next line, too. “Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep, everybody's worried about me.”
E: I heard [f] in “friends” and [v] in “everybody.” I also like how she sings, “chasing sleep” instead of just saying, “I’m having trouble sleeping.”
H: Yes! That’s another good use of descriptive figurative language. And what about when she sings the next line, “I’m in too deep.” What does that mean, Ece? Everybody is worried about her because she’s, “in too deep.”
E: If a person is, “in too deep,” it means that they are in a difficult situation that they cannot get out of.
H: Oh, so I could say, “She wanted to get out of the situation, but she was in too deep.”
E: Exactly. So, do you know what I think right now?
H: You’re thinking we’re ready to sing, right?
E: I am! There’s a link in the episode notes to the 2015 hit, “Fight Song,” sung by Rachel Platten.
H: This is a powerful song everybody! Make sure you sing out loud!
E: And pay attention to those [f] and [v] sounds!
H + E: This is our fight song! Take back our lives song! Prove we’re alright sooooong.”
<outro>
H: I can’t wait to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th.
E: Me neither. I’m especially excited about the playlist I have prepared.
H: I am, too. I can’t wait to hear what other powerful, inspiring songs you have chosen.
E: You’ll just have to wait and find out!
H: Until then, I will be listening to “Fight Song!”
E: We should also remind everyone to like and subscribe to the podcast wherever you listen.
H: Which includes YouTube now!
E: That’s right. And you can access resources like transcripts for each episode on our website.
H: Listeners should also definitely follow us on Instagram, @singinglanguages to find out when the latest episode is released.
E: We love to hear from you, so if you have a question, idea or comment you’d like to share, please email us at singinglanguages@gmail.com.
H: And until the next episode, have fun and…
H + E: … just keep singing!
Official YouTube Video
Complete Lyrics
Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion
And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?
refrain:
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Losing friends and I'm chasing sleep
Everybody's worried about me
In too deep
Say I'm in too deep (in too deep)
And it's been two years I miss my home
But there's a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believe
And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
A lot of fight left in me
Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion
This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I'm alright song
My power's turned on
Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)
I'll play my fight song
And I don't really care if nobody else believes
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Know I've still got a lot of fight left in me
Songwriters: Dave Bassett / Rachel Platten
Fight Song lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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