Staying Alive

sung by The Bee Gees

(Album: Staying Alive)

THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE

• Exercise 1:  Jigsaw sequencing (intermediate +) Please scroll to next box

• Exercise 2:  Out of order sequencing (upper-intermediate)

• Suggestions for further practice

• Title:                  Staying Alive
• Exercise:            1
• Level:                 Intermediate +
• Activity:              Jigsaw Listening
• Practice:            Contextual order

• Students enjoy the physical involvement of this exercise.  Confident students should either work alone, or be teamed with weaker students.

• Cut the photocopy into strips as indicated.  Instruct students to scatter the pieces in front of them, so they can read them easily.
• Play the song at an appropriate speed to suit students' ability.

TIP:  To make the strips more user-friendly and to preserve them for future use, laminate the photocopied sheets before cutting.  If making more than one set, use different coloured paper for each set.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

(I've) Got the wings of Heaven on my shoes;

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

(My) Life's going nowhere.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

(My) Life's going nowhere.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

(My) Life's going nowhere.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

(My) Life's going nowhere.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And if I can't get either, I really try.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And now it's all right. It's OK.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And now it's all right. It's OK.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And we're staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And we're staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And we're staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And you may look the other way

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

And you may look the other way.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'll live to see another day.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm a dancing man and I just can't lose.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'm staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

I've been kicked around since I was born

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -.

I've been kicked around since I was born

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -.

Music loud and women warm,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Music loud and women warm,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me, yeah.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me, yeah.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me, yeah.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me, yeah.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Somebody help me.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The New York Times' effect on man.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The New York Times' effect on man.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The New York Times' effect on man.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

We can try to understand

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

We can try to understand

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

We can try to understand

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well now, I get low and I get high,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Whether you're a brother, or whether you're a mother,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Whether you're a brother, or whether you're a mother,

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

You know it's all right. It's OK.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

You're staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

You're staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

You're staying alive, staying alive.

#- - - - - - - - - - - - -

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• Title:                  Staying Alive
• Exercise:            2
• Level:                 Upper-Intermediate +
• Activity:              Out of Order
• Practice:             Contextual order

• Give each student an exercise sheet.

• Students enjoy the difficult challenge of this exercise and should work alone.  Weaker students should choose exercise 1.

• Instruct students to write the number of the line at the beginning. (Some lines of lyrics appear several times in the song.)
• Play the song at an appropriate speed to suit students' ability. (i.e. most difficult would be to play the song continuously.) Aid students by calling out the number of each line as it is played. (Numbers have been added to the lyric key for convenience of checking)

1. ................ Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive

2. ................ Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

3. ................ And if I can't get either, I really try.

4. ................ And now it's all right. It's OK.

5. ................ And we're staying alive, staying alive.

6. ................ And you may look the other way.

7. ................ Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

8. ................ I'll live to see another day.

9. ................ I'm a dancing man and I just can't lose.

10. ................ I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.

11. ................ I'm staying alive.

12. ................ I've been kicked around since I was born.

13. ................ (I've) Got the wings of Heaven on my shoes;

14. ................ (My) Life's going nowhere.

15. ................ Music loud and women warm,

16. ................ Somebody help me, yeah.

17. ................ Somebody help me.

18. ................ Staying alive.

19. ................ The New York Times' effect on man.

20. ................ We can try to understand

21. ................ Well now, I get low and I get high,

22. ................ Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,

23. ................ Whether you're a brother, or whether you're a mother,

24. ................ You know it's all right. It's OK.

25. ................ You're staying alive, staying alive.

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The Answer Key

Suggestions for Further Practice

• Encourage students to describe the singer's personality (confident? timid? couldn't care less? caring? irresponsible? responsible? etc.)
• Compare the singer with someone who has a very different personality from him (i.e. a friend, a pop star, a film star, etc.)
• Use the information as appropriate:
  • to create a role-play with one man giving advice to another 
  • to write either a dialogue, or monologue (see example)

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  Pedagogic Ideas by Bibi Baxter 2006

  www.musicalenglishlessons.org

The Lyrics Answer Key

Staying Alive

sung by The Bee Gees

(Album: Staying Alive)

1. Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,

2. I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.

3. Music loud and women warm, 

4. I've been kicked around since I was born.

5. And now it's all right. It's OK.

6. And you may look the other way

7. We can try to understand

8. The New York Times' effect on man.

9. Whether you're a brother, or whether you're a mother,

10. You're staying alive, staying alive.

11. Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

12. And we're staying alive, staying alive.

13. Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive.

14. Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

15. Well now, I get low and I get high,

16. And if I can't get either, I really try.

17. (I've) Got the wings of Heaven on my shoes;

18. I'm a dancing man and I just can't lose.

19. You know it's all right. It's OK.

20. I'll live to see another day.

21. We can try to understand

22. The New York Times' effect on man.

23. Whether you're a brother, or whether you're a mother,

24. You're staying alive, staying alive.

25. Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

26. And we're staying alive, staying alive.

27. Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive.

28. Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

29. (My) Life's going nowhere. 

30. Somebody help me.

31. Somebody help me, yeah.

32. (My) Life's going nowhere. 

33. Somebody help me.

34. Somebody help me, yeah. 

35. Staying alive.

36. Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,

37. I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.

38. Music loud and women warm,

39. I've been kicked around since I was born.

40. And now it's all right. It's OK.

41. And you may look the other way.

42. We can try to understand

43. The New York Times' effect on man.

44. Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,

45. You're staying alive, staying alive.

46. Feel the city breaking and everybody shaking,

47. And we're staying alive, staying alive.

48. Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive, staying alive.

49. Ah, ha, ha, ha, staying alive.

50. (My) Life's going nowhere. 

51. Somebody help me.

52. Somebody help me, yeah.

53. (My) Life's going nowhere.

54. Somebody help me, yeah.

55. I'm staying alive.

R-Z

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