Listening - Song - The Glorious Dead - Joe Henry (B2)

Watch the video and complete the activities below.

ACTIVITIES

Verse 1: Gap Fill

Listen to the first verse and fill in the missing words.

The bells at St. Martin's and moan,

rolling like an down the hill.

Horses guard the like sweating stone

where the dead just can't keep .

Chorus: Unscramble the Lines

Drag and drop the lines to place them in the correct order as you hear them.

But lifts my eyes

She hikes her gown then moves,

Returning time, refusing all I know

now everything is news:

Verse 2: Spot the Mistake

In each line, there is ONE word that is wrong. Click on the wrong word to cross it out and write the correct word in the box.

1. Standing by the weak arm of the sea

Correction:

2. Desire waving out from boat to shore

Correction:

3. The fallen night has made quick work of me

Correction:

4. The rising sun still asking something more

Correction:

5. The rising moon still feeling something more

Correction:

Chorus (Sing along!) She hikes her gown then moves,
now everything is news:
Returning time, refusing all I know
But lifts my eyes

Verse 3: Multiple Choice (Vocabulary)

Listen carefully and click on the correct word you hear in each sentence.

1. The queen ( rides / walks ) by,

2. a great hat on her ( head / hair ),

3. she ( waves / smiles ) as if she wants to draw me near.

4. Flowers fly like ( birds / flags ) above the dead,

5. And fill the ( air / sky ) like every rising cheer.

Verse 4: Find the Extra Word

The singer does NOT say ONE of the words in each line. Click on the extra word to cross it out.

1. Well, once I laid my index finger to your lips

2. like they were a holy Bible writ in Braille

3. And might be moved to let a little secret slip,

4. might be open to the slow twisting of the tale

Chorus (Final Time) She hikes her gown then moves,
now everything is news:
Returning time, refusing all I know
But lifts my eyes

Final Interpretation

Choose the correct meaning based on the lyrics.

1. When the singer says "The fallen night has made quick work of me," he most likely means:

A) The events of the day have left him feeling exhausted or defeated.

B) He was able to finish all his chores much faster than expected.

C) He is happy that the sun is finally setting so he can go to a party.

2. Why does the narrator describe the lips as a "Bible writ in Braille"?

A) To suggest the person is blind and needs help reading.

B) To show that he is literally trying to teach the other person how to read.

C) To express that he is trying to understand the other person deeply and with reverence through touch.