“Lean on Me”

Bill Withers, 1972 

Describing Bill Withers’ music, The Guardian observed that “the changing tides of fashion never did anything” to diminish its appeal. His song “Lean On Me,” written over 50 years ago, is still heard frequently on radio stations, in public spaces, and at public events (the inauguration of Barack Obama, for example).
The song’s slow tempo and straightforward lyrics of make it ideal for language learning, and its themes of friendship, support, and community, as well as the story behind the song, are great springboards for class discussions.

Choose from the following activities:

Lean on Me, gap-fill.pdf          Lean on Me, gap-fill (webpage)

Lean on Me, lyrics.pdf        Lean on Me, lyrics (webpage)

  • Reading  Read the Story Behind the Song.
  • Reading Comprehension Check  After completing the reading comprehension worksheet below, students could sit with a partner and read the questions and answers aloud. Permission granted to reproduce the worksheet for classroom use.

Comprehension, Lean on Me.pdf       Comprehension, Lean on Me (webpage)

  • Discussion  To follow up on the Story Behind the Song, students talk about what is good and bad about their hometowns. This activity works particularly well in a multinational classroom–students find common ground when they discover that small towns and big cities everywhere have many of the same pros and cons. Permission granted to reproduce the worksheet below for classroom use.

My Hometown.pdf          My Hometown (webpage)

  • Writing Students make posters promoting their hometowns. Here is a suggested format:

Photo of hometown

Top 5 Reasons to Visit __________________

  1. _______________________________________________
  2. _______________________________________________
  3. _______________________________________________
  4. _______________________________________________
  5. _______________________________________________

When I did this activity with international students in an intensive English program, I put their posters on display in the hallway outside our classroom. A lot of passersby stopped to look at them.

  • Discussion Bill Withers wrote the song “Lean on Me” about his hometown of Slab Fork, West Virginia. Ask students: Is there a song about your hometown? If so, play it for the class.
  • Discussion Friederike Kippel suggests this activity in the resource book Keep Talking (“One Day in London,” p. 106). It would be an appropriate follow-up to the Story Behind the Song. Students interview a partner on what activities the partner likes to do while traveling. Students then plan a one-day sightseeing excursion in their native town or city and share the itinerary with their partners. This activity never fails to engage my students.
  • Discussion In the song “Lean on Me,” the songwriter encourages his friend to tell him what he needs. In the worksheet below, students share their lists of what they need. This activity often results in students sharing helpful information with one another. It has benefitted me as a teacher as well. For example, if students list “finding a better apartment” as a need, I prioritize teaching vocabulary and expressions that would help them do that.

what do you need worksheet.pdf          what do you need worksheet (webpage)

  • Discussion/Vocabulary In the song “Lean on Me,” Bill Withers sings, “Please swallow your pride if I have things you need to borrow.” First, students make a list of things people sometimes borrow; the teacher writes the list on the board. You could then follow up with teaching polite expressions used in borrowing and lending. Students role play, using the expressions and the items on the board.
  • Listening Watch one of these videos: the video of Bill Wither’s daughter, Kori, performing “Lean on Me” in a park, or the Boyce Avenue cover.