English Classics - Lyrics Series

Instructions:

  1. Open a new browser.
  2. Copy and paste the following keywords into a search engine.
  3. Choose an appropriate website, read the lyrics and answer the following questions.

I Hope You Dance

"I Hope You Dance" is a crossover country pop song written by Mark D. Sanders and Tia Sillers and recorded by Lee Ann Womack, an American country music singer, with Sons of the Desert, an American country music band. It is the title track on Womack's album I Hope You Dance released in 2000. "I Hope You Dance" is a mid-tempo country pop song in which the persona expresses her wishes to an unknown "you". Over time it has been adopted as a motivational song that encourages young people to live life to the fullest. The song won a Grammy in 2000 for Best Country Song and was later covered by other singers such as Ronan Keating.

1. In Verse 1, what is the message of "you get your fill to eat, but always keep that hunger"?

  1. Insufficient food is given to fill your stomach.
  2. You have good appetite and can eat to your heart's content.
  3. You stay curious and eager for more.
  4. You can overcome hunger and the desire for food when you are starving.

Your answer:

The hunger is beyong a physical need here.

2. The persona asks "you" to "never take one single breath for granted". What is the meaning of "never take something for granted"?

  1. to receive something without appreciation or gratitude
  2. to treasure and cherish something
  3. to value something lightly
  4. to believe something should always be provided and readily available

Your answer:

If you take something for granted, you fail to appreciate something.

3. "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean" implies that the persona wants "you" to have:

  1. a humble heart
  2. safety awareness
  3. respect for God and nature
  4. adventures and discoveries
  1. (i) & (iii)
  2. (ii) & (iii)
  3. (ii) & (iv)
  4. (i), (iii) & (iv)

Your answer:

The persona wants "you" to remember humans are small in front of the vast nature.

4. The line "Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens" reminds us of sayings such as "God never closes a door without opening another" or "When God closes a door, He opens a window". What does the saying mean?

  1. Ample choices and opportunities will be provided for you.
  2. There will always be an alternative or a better way out.
  3. A smooth path will be planned to prevent you from being led astray.
  4. A contingency plan is always ready in case of unpredictable circumstances.

Your answer:

The "door" and "window" in these sayings symbolise an exit or a solution to a problem.

5. Which of the following are the persona's beliefs and views on love?

  1. Love may leave someone in complete loss.
  2. Love requires the courage to take risks and chances.
  3. Great caution is needed to avoid making mistakes in love.
  4. Love will always be provided and rewarded by God.
  1. (i) & (iii)
  2. (ii) & (iii)
  3. (ii) & (iv)
  4. (ii), (iii) & (iv)

Your answer:

Pay attention to the line "God forbid love ever leave you empty handed" (Verse 1) and "Loving might be a mistake, but it's worth making" (Verse 3).

6. Fill in the blanks with words NOT from the lyrics to explain the meaning of the following lines. Use only ONE word for each blank.

I hope you never fear the mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance

I hope that you will be 6a. enough to face challenges in life. Don't be satisfied with an 6b. life with few 6c. because only through challenging yourself can your experience everything that life has to offer.

6a. an adjective for a person who can overcome fear
6b. A smooth path is _______ to walk. The word must start with a vowel sound as the article "an" is used.
6c. Resistance is uncountable. Think of a synonym of the word that is countable.

7. Identify the three pairs of rhyming words in Verses 2 and 3.
Verse 2: from "I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean" to "And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance"
Verse 3: from "I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance" to "Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin'"

7a.
7b.
7c.

Rhyming words are words that end with the same sound. They are usually found at the end of the line.

8. In the backing chorus (the bracketed part), what feeling is suggested in the rhetorical question?

I hope you dance (Time is a wheel in constant motion)
I hope you dance (Always rolling us along)
I hope you dance (Tell me, who wants to look back on their years)
I hope you dance (And wonder where those years have gone?)

  1. gratitude
  2. excitement
  3. loneliness
  4. regret

Your answer:

Feeling sad with the passage of time is sometimes because of something you wish you had done but you did not.

9.In the line "Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter", what does the underlined adjective mean?

  1. evil
  2. ambitious
  3. stubborn
  4. heavy

Your answer:

When you are hell-bent, you are excessively determined. When you are excessively determined, sometimes you do not listen.

10. In the line "When you come close to selling out, reconsider", what does "selling out" mean?

  1. selling all the things you have
  2. feeling weary and weak
  3. losing your mind
  4. betraying your principles

Your answer:

To sell out is to give up one's belief usually for personal gain.

11.What is the main purpose of the song?

  1. to give "you" some advice on life
  2. to warn "you" against wasting time
  3. to persuade "you" to believe in God
  4. to implore "you" to mend one's ways

Your answer:

The tone of the song is more caring and warm than harsh.

12. Based on the tone of the lyrics, which of the following is most likely to be the relationship between "I" and "you"?

  1. husband and wife
  2. parent and child
  3. friends
  4. employer and employee

Your answer:

A significant difference in age and life experience of "you" and "I" is implied in the lyrics.

I Hope You Dance

Score Sheet

Questions Results
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6a
Question 6b
Question 6c
Question 7a
Question 7b
Question 7c
Question 8
Question 9
Question 10
Question 11
Question 12
Total

Extended Questions: Think and Share

13. "Dance" is used as an extended metaphor in the song. The persona reminds "you" to choose dance over sitting out. Explain the symbolic meaning of "to dance" and "to sit out" based on the song.

Suggested answers:

14. To whom would you like to dedicate this song (e.g. yourself, a friend, your brother)? Pick a few lines from the lyrics that you think would particularly speak to him/her. Explain why.