“Sunny”

Bobby Hebb, 1963

On Saturday, April 18, 2020, more than 20 million people watched a special TV concert called “One World: Together At Home.” The purpose of the concert was to encourage people to stay home during the Covid-19 pandemic, thank healthcare workers, and raise money for the World Health Organization (WHO). Famous performers like Elton John and Lady Gaga sang their favorite songs, all performing from home.

Billie Eilish, an 18-year-old American singer and songwriter, sang “Sunny” while her brother played the piano. The song was popular more than 50 years ago, so most  young people had never heard it before. On social media, however, they shared that they really liked it.

Choose from the following activities:

  • Listening  Watch Billie Eilish’s performance of “Sunny” on YouTube. The words are a little difficult to understand, so assure students it’s OK if they don’t understand every word. They will read the words to the song later in this lesson. Click on the video below, or click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJuHn8JzhP0

  • Reading  Read the beginning-level story behind the 1963 song.
  • Reading  Read the lyrics to the song “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb and fill in the missing words. Lyrics intended for nonprofit educational use only.

Sunny, lyrics.docx            Sunny, lyrics.pdf

  • Singing  Listen to Bobby Hebb’s recording again. This time, sing along.
  • Sharing  Billie Eilish said the song “Sunny” makes her feel good. Students share the title of a song that makes them feel good. If there is a performance on YouTube that they especially like, they could share that, too.

Image of sun: Copyright © Nvnkarthik | Dreamstime.com. Reprinted with permission.