Joni Michell, 1967
Many singers have recorded Joni Mitchell’s song “Both Sides Now.” Her own version, with its slow tempo and clear diction, is particularly well-suited for language learning. The song’s language is poetic but comprehensible to language learners, and the repetition of the adverbial phrase “at all” models how the phrase is used. Plus, the song has a poignant story behind it. All in all, it’s a great choice for the language classroom.
Choose from the following activities:
- Listening Listen to Joni MItchell sing “Both Sides Now” while filling in the missing words in the song. Lyrics intended for non-profit educational purposes only.
both sides now, lyrics gap-fill.pdf
- Post-Listening The song repeats the adverbial phrase at all several times. The exercise below gives students practice using the phrase. Permission granted to duplicate for classroom use. For levels high beginning and up.
- Post-Listening Read the story behind the song.
Songs and Activities for English Language Learners 