Song: The Sound of Sunshine
Artist: Michael Franti & Spearhead
Year: 2010
Album: The Sound of Sunshine
Language Feature: Fluency, reduced -ing
Episode Description
Ece is extremely busy and she’s feeling a bit overwhelmed. Luckily, she runs into Heather at the park by the river. Heather convinces her that she needs to relax and listen to the sound of sunshine. Does sunshine make a sound? It does when you’re listening to Michael Franti’s 2010 hit song, “The Sound of Sunshine.”
This upbeat, fun song is great for practicing fluency. It might seem way too fast the first time you listen, but we’re confident that with a little practice you will be singing along and enjoying the song. Join us for a relaxing, end-of-summer singalong.
Episode Transcript
<Intro>
H: Hi! I’m Heather.
E: And I’m Ece. Welcome to the fourth episode of Season Two of, “English as a Singing Language.”
H: We’re the co-hosts of this music-themed podcast specifically for those of you who are learning or teaching English.
E: We use songs from many different genres and time periods to learn and practice English pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
H: We sure do.
E: So, Heather, what is the language focus of this episode?
H: In this episode, we’re going to be talking about fluency.
E: Fluency? We haven’t really focused a whole episode on fluency before, but it is an important aspect of learning any language.
H: It is. Being able to speak smoothly, link words together and have natural thought groups, is a key part of speaking a language well.
E: And a “thought group” is a natural grouping of words.
H: Right. For example, in this sentence (pause) you will notice (pause) that I pause (pause) in between ideas.
E: Cool! Well then, I’m very excited to talk about today’s song.
H: Me too! Let’s get started!
<end intro>
H: (humming “Sound of Sunshine”) Oh! Hi Ece! How is everything?
E: It’s ok, I guess. I’m just extremely busy…and tired.
H: I imagine you are. You have your work and your family and the podcast, plus you’re moving to a new place! That’s why I’m surprised to see you here at the riverfront park today.
E: I know. I have so much to do today, but I just needed to take a short break.
H: And this park next to the river is the perfect place to take a rest on a beautiful, sunny summer day.
E: Exactly.
H: Actually, do you know what you should do?
E: What?
H: Shhhhhh…..close your eyes and listen carefully.
E: Ok. Now what?
<pause>
H: Do you hear that?
E: Hear what? I don’t hear anything.
H: That’s the sound of sunshine!
E: What? What are you talking about, Heather? Sunshine doesn’t make a sound!
H: I know. I’m just joking, but I do think you should hear the song I was just listening to.
E: Oh yeah? I heard you humming a song just now and it sounded familiar.
H: It’s the 2010 pop song by Michael Franti & Spearhead called, “The Sound of Sunshine.”
E: That sounds like exactly the kind of song I should listen to! What else do we know about this song?
H: Well, the singer, Michael Franti, is an American musician, rapper, poet, activist, and documentarian, in addition to being a singer-songwriter.
E: Wow! He sounds very talented.
H: He is. And he’s currently working on an independent musical project with his band called, “Michael Franti & Spearhead.” They blend hip hop with funk, reggae, jazz, folk and rock.
E: That sounds great. I don’t think we’ve had one song with that many influences before.
H: I think you’re right. And Michael Franti had this to say about the song, specifically about the official video.
E: Which we will link in the episode notes.
H: Of course! He said, "We shot the video on Venice Beach in California because people from so many different walks of life come there to have a great time; to let go and let the sun shine in. These days there is [so] much to worry about. The economy, climate change, war or just making it through a rough day. 'The Sound of Sunshine' is a song about the sun's ability to make any day better."
E: Well, being here by the river with all of these people relaxing and having fun in the sunshine is certainly making me feel better.
H: So, the thing about this song is that the lyrics are very fast.
E: They are. Listeners, it may take you several tries before you are able to sing it as fast as Michael Franti does.
H: But this is a great song, so you will love listening to it again and again and trying to sing along. Once you are able to sing every word, you’re going to feel really good about your English.
E: I agree. He starts off singing, and I’m doing the slow version so you can hear all of the sounds and words clearly, “I wake up in the morning--it's six o'clock. They say there may be rain, but the sun is hot.”
H: That sounds exactly like the weather here today.
E: The weather where we live is often like that in the summer!
H: And then he sings, “I wish I had some time just to kill today, and I wish I had a dime for every bill I got to pay.” That’s a cool phrase, “to have time to kill.” What does it mean, Ece?
E: You “have time to kill” when you don’t have anything to do for a period of time. You might say, “My class starts at 3:00, so I have 2 hours to kill before then. I have to find something to do to pass those two hours.”
H: Cool! Well, that’s what we’re doing right now! We’re killing time together this afternoon.
E: And also in that line, it sounds like he doesn’t have a lot of money. He wants a dime, or ten cents, for every bill he has to pay.
H: That is what it sounds like. The next line is also fun, “Some days you lose, you win, and the water’s as high as the times you're in.”
E: It sounds like he’s saying “the water is high” meaning that times now are difficult. If you do not know how to swim, you’re going to be in trouble.
H: Yes, because then he sings, “So I jump back in to where I learned to swim, try to keep my head above it the best I can.” He is going to “swim” and do his best.
E: And then he uses another interesting description, “That's why here I am, just waiting for this storm to pass me by.” He uses “high water” and a “storm” to show how difficult things are for him.
H: Those are great examples of figurative language.
E: They are! If listeners are interested in figurative language, they should listen to Season 1 Episode 5.
H: You’re right. That episode, Natasha Beddingfield’s song, “Unwritten,” has excellent examples of figurative language.
E: Ok, let’s talk about the next verse before we talk about the refrain.
H: Sure! He sings, “I saw my friend Bobby, he said, ‘What's up, man? You got a little work or a twenty to lend?’"
E: So, Bobby is hoping that his friend will be able to give him some money, twenty dollars, or help him find a job.
H: Right. But the next line is, “I opened up my hand, he said, ‘I'm glad to see, they can take away my job but not my friends, you see.’"
E: So Michael Franti doesn’t have any money for Bobby, but he can offer him his hand in friendship.
H: And that’s very important.
E: It sure is. And we should point out the fluency practice here.
H: Right. You can really hear the rhythm of English in this song. You can start slowly, “I opened up my hand, he said, ‘I'm glad to see, they can take away my job but not my friends, you see.’"
E: And once you can repeat the lines slowly, you can increase the speed.
H: Until you can speak and sing the lines as quickly as Michael Franti does, “I opened up my hand, he said, ‘I'm glad to see, they can take away my job but not my friends, you see.’"
E: In the final verse he sings, “Yo, yo, here we go I want to go where the summer never ends
With my guitar on the beach, there with all my friends.”
H: There’s also fun rhyming in this verse with “ends” and “friends.”
E: And in the next lines, “The sun so hot, and the waves in motion, and everything smells like suntan lotion.”
H: “Motion” and “lotion” rhyme.
E: How about, “The ocean, and the girls so sweet, so kick off your shoes, and relax your feet.”
H: “Sweet” and “feet.”
E: The next lines are very fun, too. “They say that miracles are never ceasin’, and every single soul needs a little releasin’.”
H: There’s a lot to talk about in those two lines. First of all is the verb, “to cease,” which is a more academic word that means, “to stop.”
E: So, he feels like there are never-ending miracles, that’s good.
H: Yes! And I often feel like my soul “needs a little releasing.” We should let go of the pressure of our everyday lives. And the rhyming again of “ceasin’” and “releasin’.” Those are also examples of reduced -ing. Ceasing, ceasin’ and releasing, releasin’.
E: The final two lines of that verse are very fun, “The stereo bumpin’ 'til the sun goes down,
And I only want to hear that sound.”
H: “Bumpin’”? What does that mean, Ece? From the context, I feel like it must mean that the music is very loud.
E: Yes. It means that the music is loud, has a good beat, and usually a lot of bass, you know the “bump” sound in a song.
H: And the sound he’s talking about is the “sound of sunshine,” right?
E: That’s the most important line of the refrain, “And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.”
H: I love the idea of a happy, sunny, warm, beautiful day by the water listening to the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
E: That’s just what we’re doing today! And do you know what? I feel so much better about…everything.
H: And Ece, you’re the one I wanna be with when the sun goes down.
E: Me too! What a great day! And I think we’re ready to sing!
H: I agree! There’s a link to Michael Franti’s 2010 hit song, The Sound of Sunshine, in the episode notes.
E: Don’t forget to sing out loud!
H: And focus on singing smoothly, naturally and fluently!
H + E: “And that’s the sound of sunshine coming down!”
<outro>
E: What a great day and a cheerful song.
H: A cheerful song that’s also perfect for practicing fluency.
E: What could be better?
H: Maybe some ice cream?
E: Mmmm….yes! Ice cream would be perfect!
H: Well, before we go get some ice cream, let’s encourage everyone to like the podcast and subscribe wherever they listen.
E: Definitely! And listeners should also check out our website for additional resources such as song activities and transcripts for each episode.
H: Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram @singinglanguages.
E: And finally, we have an exciting announcement.
H: What’s that?
E: “English as a Singing Language” has a YouTube channel! We know that for a lot of our listeners, it’s more convenient to listen to episodes on YouTube.
H: That’s really great! I hope everyone will check it out!
E: Until next time, have fun and…
H + E: …just keep singing!
Official YouTube Video
Complete Lyrics
I wake up in the morning--it's six o'clock.
They say there may be rain, but the sun is hot.
I wish I had some time just to kill today,
And I wish I had a dime for every bill I got to pay.
Some days you lose, you win
And the water’s as high as the times you're in.
So I jump back in to where I learned to swim,
Try to keep my head above it the best I can.
That's why Here I am, just waiting for this storm to pass me by.
Refrain
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
I saw my friend Bobby, he said, "What's up, man?
You got a little work or a twenty to lend?"
I opened up my hand, he said, "I'm glad to see They can take away my job but not my friends, you see."
And here I am Just waiting for this storm to pass me by.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
Yo, yo, here we go I want to go where the summer never ends
With my guitar on the beach, there with all my friends.
The sun so hot, and the waves in motion,
And everything smells like suntan lotion.
The ocean, and the girls so sweet
So kick off your shoes, and relax your feet.
They say that miracles are never ceasin’,
And every single soul needs a little releasin’.
The stereo bumpin’ 'til the sun goes down,
And I only want to hear that sound.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
And now say, you're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down.
You're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down.
Sing, you're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes down.
You're the one I wanna be with
When the sun goes.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
And that's the sound of sunshine comin’ down.
When the sun goes down When the sun goes down
When the sun goes down miracles are never ceasing
Songwriters: Michael Franti / Carl Rogers Young / Jason Patrick Bowman The Sound Of Sunshine lyrics © Universal Music Corp., Frantic Soulutions, J Bowman Music
ความคิดเห็น