I believe that this is a good exercise to conduct in classrooms. A teacher may begin the session by asking the students to think about some of their favourite songs. Then, the teacher can bring to the notice of the students that, in the name of artistic expression, many song lyrics are often times grammatically incorrect. With the help of a couple of examples provided by the teacher, the students may depart on their adventures of discovering how to correct the grammar of lyrics in songs.
In my personal opinion, it is a fun way to teach correct grammar.
(Also, if an English teacher happens to have time on their hands and a vast music collection, they may also enjoy this activity to pass the time. This is essentially how this article came to be.)
Here are my top five picks:
5- “If I was your boyfriend”, Boyfriend by Justin Bieber
Let the record show that I intensely dislike Mr. Bieber. That is all.
Correction: “If I were your boyfriend”
Explanation: “Were” and “was” are conjugations for the infinitive to be. “Were” is used only in the second person, either singular or plural. “Was” is used for both first and third person.
4- “Diamonds are my bestest friend”, Body Electric by Lana Del Ray
Ms Del Ray’s song is a minefield of incorrect grammar. But I thought that this one was the most pertinent to this article.
Correction: “Diamonds are my best friend”
Explanation: The term “best” is already in its superlative form. The adjective form is “good” and the comparative form is “better”. Correct grammar is good. Correct grammar in songs is better. Students learning correct grammar from songs is the best!
3- “Lay down, Sally” Lay Down Sally, by Eric Clapton
The epic battle between the use of “lay” and “lie” rages on! (Clearly, my definition of what constitutes as epic is rather all-inclusive).
Correction: “Lie down, Sally”
Explanation: The verb “lay” is a transitive verb which must be followed by an object. This means that there is something that must be laid. For example, Jimmy must lay down the ground rules for the match. However, the verb “lie” is an intransitive verb and so does not need to be followed by an object. It is a free bird!
2- “Who you gonna call?” Who You Gonna Call (Ghostbusters Theme Song), by Ray Parker Jr.
Anyone reading this yelled “Ghostbusters!” in their head, didn’t they. If not, I apologise but it is my duty to notify you that you have not been educated correctly.
Correction: Whom are you going to call?
Explanation: “Who” is used to refer to the subject of the sentence while “whom” is used to refer to the object of a sentence. Consider this sentence: Donald Trump stated he wants to be friends with India.
Questions about this sentence can be as follows:
Who has made false promises regarding international relations? Ans: Donald Trump.
Whom does Donald Trump want to be friends with? Ans: India.
1- “We don’t need no education!” Another Brick in the Wall, by Pink Floyd
This is one of my favourite songs (and grammar mistakes).
Correction: “We don’t need an education”
Explanation: The sentence is a prime example of double negatives in English grammar. Don’t use double negatives in sentences, kids.
Source:
Header image: medium.com, http://bit.ly/2ejLSxg
The English Teacher 