The Logical Song by Supertramp

THE LOGICAL SONG
OBJECTIVES
•
•
•
•
VOCABULARY:
FUNCTION:
WORD-BUILDING:
GRAMMAR:
Music and songs
Expressing pessimism
Suffixes faibles & suffixes forts
So / such
Les interrogatives indirectes
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Supertramp is a rock band that won fame in 1979 with an album entitled Breakfast in America.
This album has become a classic over the years.
The seventies were the time of a “crisis of confidence” in America. President Carter himself used
this phrase in a speech on July 15, 1979: “It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of
our national will. What we see in this crisis is the growing doubt about the meaning of our lives […].”
GETTING READY
Sort out the following qualities. Which according to you are good qualities? Which are bad ones?
being sensitive / being sensible / being intellectual / being logical / being practical / being cynical / being
joyful
THE LOGICAL SONG
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they sent me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world's asleep,
the questions run too deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned?
I know it sounds absurd,
but please tell me who I am.
Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
At night, when all the world's asleep,
the questions run so deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
Supertramp, Breakfast in America, 1979.
THE LOGICAL SONG
USEFUL WORDS
Music and song
a chorus
a hit song
a band
a refrain
a verse
a stanza
in the charts
lyrics
the rhythm
to hum
La musique et les chansons
un refrain repris en chœur
un succès
un groupe de chanteurs
un refrain ordinaire
un couplet ; une strophe; un vers
une strophe
au hit parade
les paroles
le rythme
fredonner
FUNCTION
Expressing pessimism
I no longer know who… / where… / what… / etc.
I wish I could understand who… / what… /etc.
What is the point of…
It is no good + V-ing if …
It is no use + V-ing
There is no point in + V-ing
SAY IT YOURSELF
1. Find what the refrain of the song is. What is the singer’s problem? (use the expressions given
under the heading Function to formulate your answer.)
2. Read the first two stanzas. What does each one deal with?
3. Who do you think the pronoun they (l. 5) refers to?
4. Fill in the gaps to rephrase the first verse:
Whereas he was …, they taught him…
5. Read the whole song and give your own view of what it is like to be sensible, logical, responsible,
practical, cynical.
6. Read the third verse. Who is the singer talking to here?
7. Give reasons why he refuses to sign his name.
SAY WHAT YOU THINK
8. Is it dangerous to speak one’s mind in your opinion?
9. What are educators blamed for in this song?
10. What does the expression “being a vegetable” mean?
11. What ideals does the singer fight for?
12. What is logic opposed to and associated with in this song? Do you share the singer’s point of
view?
13. To what extent does this song reflect the “crisis of confidence” in the USA in the 70s? (see
Background information, p. 1)
-2-
THE LOGICAL SONG
WRITE YOUR OWN ACCOUNT
14. Which of the following adjectives best qualifies the ideas expressed in this song? Write a short paragraph
to justify your choice.
a) utopian
b) old-fashioned
c) hackneyed (i.e. banal, commonplace)
d) romantic
e) fundamental
f) original
SO / SUCH
The questions run so deep for such a simple man.
•
So (= si / tellement) porte sur un adverbe ou un adjectif attribut.
•
Such (= tel / telle /tels /telles) porte sur un nom ou un groupe nominal complexe (nom + adjectif épithète).
Traduire :
a) Le chanteur a l’impression de vivre dans un monde tellement absurde !
b) Ce monde est tellement absurde !
LES INTERROGATIVES INDIRECTES
Comparez :
•
Question directe: Where do I come from?
•
Question indirecte ( dans une subordonnée complétive): Please tell me where I come from.
1. Dans les subordonnées interrogatives indirectes, le verbe est à la forme …………………………....
2. Dans les subordonnées interrogatives indirectes, il n’y a pas de …………………………………… .
PHONOLOGY
Les suffixes et l’accentuation des polysyllabiques
•
Sont appelés suffixes faibles dont l’adjonction n’a aucune incidence sur l’accentuation.
Ce sont : -ment / -al / -ally / -ly / -able / -less / -ful
to a’gree
a’greement
’logic
’logical ’logically
’recent
’recently
’reason ’reasonable
’color
’colorless
’colorful
•
Sont appelés suffixes forts dont l’adjonction fait varier l’accentuation des mots.
Ce sont entre autres :
¾ les suffixes –ee / -ese / -esque / - ade / -ise qui portent eux-même l’accent tonique.
to em’ploy
an emplo’yee
Ja’pan
Japa’nese
¾ les suffixes –ics / -ics / -ion / -ate / qui imposent l’accent tonique sur l’avant-dernière syllabe.
’energy
ener’getic
di’plomacy
diplo’matic
to ’hesitate
hesi’tation
Underline the stressed syllable in the following words:
defenseless / refugee / advise / economic / mathematics / cynical / respectable / wonderful / classical / integration
-3-
THE LOGICAL SONG
LANGUAGE IN CONTEXT
1. Decide whether when is a relative pronoun, an interrogative pronoun, or a time subordinator in
the following sentences:
1. There are nights when all the world’s asleep.
2. Tell me when I was born.
3. When I was young, life was so wonderful.
2. Translate:
•
Quand j’aurai des enfants, je les élèverai différemment.
•
Un jour viendra où je leur dirai ce que je pense.
•
Je me demande quand tu seras raisonnable.
3. And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily (l. 3):
What auxiliary does ’d stand for?
Rephrase this sentence in two different ways:
•
using always;
•
using the verb to keep.
EXERCISES
1. Translate the following expressions:
a) les jeunes
b) un jeune
c) les problèmes des jeunes
d) les personnes âgées
e) un vieux
2. Rephrase the following lines of the song using the words given in brackets:
a) Watch what you say or they’ll be calling you a radical. (Unless)
b) Won’t you please tell me what we’ve learned. (I really wish you)
c) Watch what you say. (everything)
d) I know it sounds absurd, but please tell me who I am. (Even though)
3. Translate into English:
a) On m’a appris à réfléchir avant de dire quoi que ce soit.
b) J’ai appris à me méfier de mes sentiments.
c) Tu aurais dû apprendre à obéir à ceux qui ont le pouvoir.
d) A quoi bon apprendre le cynisme et la logique si l’on oublie la beauté et la fantaisie ?
e) Les jeunes des années soixante-dix remettaient en cause beaucoup de valeurs.
EXPRESSION
1. LLV1 Polynésie Juin 2000 (250 words): Have you ever thought of becoming an artist?
2. ESLV1 Amérique du Nord Juin 2000 (350 words): In what way is music or art in general
necessary in life?
3. LLV1 Asie Juin 2000 (150 words): Is it always an advantage to be different?
-4-