A little something about 'Boomtown Rats'
The Boomtown Rats were at a US radio station for an interview when the story of Brenda Spencer came over the news wire.
The 16 year old California high school student made headlines when she grabbed her father's pistol and opened fire on her school from her house across the street at 8.30 a.m., just as students were heading into their classes from the playground. She injured nine students and killed the school principal.
When later asked why she'd gone on the shooting spree, she responded "I don't like Mondays."
As a loud mid '70s rock band, the Boomtown Rats were (respectfully if not completely accurately) branded punks by the media. As the Sex Pistols and the Clash became the voice of young London punks, The Boomtown Rats carried the flag for the youth of Dublin. After their debut album saw respectable sales in 1978, they recorded "I Don't Like Mondays," their most successful and most enduring hit despite the fact that many US radio stations refused to play it.
Boomtown Rats - I don't like Mondays
The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.
And nobody's gonna go to school today,
She's going to make them stay at home.
And daddy doesn't understand it,
He always said she was as good as gold.
And he can see no reason
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.
The telex machine is kept so clean
As it types to a waiting world.
And mother feels so shocked,
Father's world is rocked,
And their thoughts turn to
Their own little girl.
Sweet 16 ain't so peachy keen,
No, it ain't so neat to admit defeat.
They can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.
All the playing's stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with her toys a while.
And school's out early and soon we'll be learning
And the lesson today is how to die.
And then the bullhorn crackles,
And the captain tackles,
With the problems and the how's and why's.
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die?
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.
from the album "Fine Art of Surfacing" (1979)
Workfun:
Let’s get started!
- Similes
a bone - a bat - iron - grass - a sheet - lead - a bee - night - snow - a berry - a cucumber - a rake - a dog - feather - gold - a doornail - a mouse - a parrot - an ox - a peacock
As good as … / As white as … & …As proud as … / As sick as … & …
As dead as … / As brown as …
As blind as … / As cool as …
As thin as … / As hard as …
As strong as … / As busy as …
As quiet as … / As dry as …
As heavy as … / As black as …
As light as … / As green as …
- Irregular verbs
INFINITIVE / PAST TENSE / PAST PARTICIPLE
be
felt
get
went
kept
learn
made
shot
run
saw
shown
tell
understood
Put these verbs in the past:
to die / I …
to like / She …
to look / He …
to play / We …
to stop / You …
to switch / They …
to turn / I …
- School on Mondays or …
Brenda Spencer didn't like Mondays.
Which day of the week don't you like? …
Tell me why? …
Which day of the week do you prefer? …
Tell me why? …
There are 7 days in a week:
______
The shooting took place January 29, 1979.
Which month of the year don't you like? …
Tell me why? …
Which month of the year do you prefer? …
Tell me why? …
There are 12 months in a year:
______
______
- Gossiping about Brenda…
Work in pairs, take some notes and afterwards we'll discuss these questions together.
Why do you think Brenda Spencer started shooting?
Would you be able to do such a thing?
Do you think she should be punished for her actions?
Why (not)?
What do you think about pistols?
Would you ever consider to buy one? Why (not)?
If you were Brenda Spencer's mother/ father, how would you feel or react when you find out that your daughter has been shooting, with your pistol?