This incredible song "With a little help from my friends" was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon especially for Ringo ( The Beatles’ drummer) to sing. Ringo wasn’t a very good singer, which explains the references to sing out of key. It has been recorded by many other singers including Joe Cocker and Wet, Wet, Wet.
Let's do the following exercise and sing afterwards! 1) Match a question in A with a phrase from the song in B.
A
1( ) what happened when Romeo and Juliet met the first time?
2( ) Why are you looking so sad?
3( ) What do you do before you go to sleep?
4( ) How did you paint your flat?
5( ) How often do men talk about football?
6( ) What would you not like to be when you are old?
7( ) When can you finish the work for me?
8( ) What do people do when a national anthem is played?
9( ) What happened to you at the karaoke night?
10( ) Whose is this jacket?
B
a) My love is away
b) Stand up
c) All the time
d) By the end of the day
e) It’s mine
f) With a little help from my friends
g) I sang out of tune
h) To be alone
i) Turn out the light
j) love at first sight
2) Read the lyrics of the song with the glossary and then listen to it.
With A Little Help from My Friends
What would you think if I sang out of tune?
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
And I'll try not to sing out of key.
(Chorus)
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends,
hm I get high with a little help from my friends,
hm I’m gonna try with a little help from my friends.
What do I do when my love is away?
Does it worry you to be alone?
How do I feel by the end of the day?
Are you sad because you're on your own?
(Chorus)
Do you need anybody?
I need somebody to love.
Could it be anybody?
I want somebody to love.
Would you believe in a love at first sight?
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time.
What do you see when you turn out the light?
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.
(Chorus)
3) Now cover the song and look at the phrases a – j . Can you remember the rest of each line?
Glossary
(sing) out of tune = sing badly
(sing) out of key = sing badly
Walk out on = leave
Get by = survive, manage
Gonna = going to
