ESLSongs

Practice reported speech in your ESL class with this song, Always on the Run by Lenny Kravitz. The lyrics include only examples of direct speech, but they allow students to convert these direct phrases into indirect speech.

Note that the lyrics of this song are in direct speech; most of the phrases don’t need any conversion, but a few do:

• My mama said that it’s good to be fruitful (no change required)
• My mama said “don’t take more than a mouthful” (My mama told me not to take more than a mouthful)

To see suggestions on how to use this song in class, click here.

Lyrics

My mama said that your life is a gift
And my mama said
There’s much weight you will lift
And my mama said
Leave those bad boys alone
And my mama said
Be home before the dawn
And my mama said
You can be rich or poor
But my mama said
You can be big or small

But I’m always on the run,
Always on the run,
But I’m always on the run.

My mama said
That it’s good to be fruitful
But my mama said
Don’t take more than a mouthful
And my mama said
That it’s good to be natural
And my mama said
That it’s good to be factual

But I’m always on the run,
Always on the run,
But I’m always on the run.

My mama said
Baby don’t ride that crazy horse
And my mama said
You must push with much force
And my mama said
Go get all that you’re after
And my mama said
That love’s all that matters

But I’m always on the run,
Always on the run,
But I’m always on the run ( on the run )

But I’m always on the run,
Always on the run,
But I’m always on the run.

Hmm, what say mama, you want it
Hmm, right now, got to hold on, yeah!