ESLSongs

Practice the interrogative and/or reported speech in your ESL class with this song, Mother by Pink Floyd.

The questions that appear in these song lyrics are: do you…, should I…, will they…, is it…, will she… & did it… This song is also great for reported speech practice because the lyrics represent a conversation between a mother and her son (for example: “he asked his mother if she thought they would like his song”).

There is a suggestion on how to use this song in your ESL classes below, but for more ideas, click here.

Lyrics

Mother, do you think they’ll drop the bomb?
Mother, do you think they’ll like this song?
Mother, do you think they’ll try to break my balls?
Ooooh aah, mother, should I build the wall?

Mother, should I run for president?
Mother, should I trust the government?
Mother, will they put me in the firing line?
Ooooh aah, is it just a waste of time?

Hush now, baby, baby, don’t you cry
Mama’s gonna make all of your nightmares come true
Mama’s gonna put all of her fears into you
Mama’s gonna keep you right here under her wing
She won’t let you fly but she might let you sing
Mama’s gonna keep baby cosy and warm

Ooooh, babe, ooooh, babe, ooooh, babe
Of course Mama’s gonna help build the wall

Mother, do you think she’s good enough?
Mother, do you think she’s dangerous?
Mother, will she tear your little boy apart?
Oooh aah, mother, will she break my heart?

Hush now, baby, baby, don’t you cry
Mama’s gonna check out all your girlfriends for you
Mama won’t let anyone dirty get through
Mama’s gonna wait up till you get in
Mama will always find out where you’ve been
Mamma’s gonna keep baby healthy and clean

Ooooh, babe, ooooh, babe, ooooh, babe
You’ll always be a baby to me

Mother, did it need to be so high?

Suggested activity: convert the conversation into reported speech

Download this exercise (PDF)

Convert the lyrics of this song into reported speech. Below is one possible set of answers:

The son asked his mother if she thought they would drop the bomb
The son asked his mother if she thought they would like that song
The son asked his mother if she thought they would break his balls
The son asked his mother if he should build a wall

The son asked his mother if he should run for president
The son asked his mother if he should trust the government
The son asked his mother if they would put him in the firing line
The son asked his mother if it was just a waste of time

The mother told her son to be quiet, and not to cry
The mother told her son that she was going to make all of his nightmares come true
The mother told her son that she was going to put all of her fears into him
The mother told her son that she was going to keep you right there under her wing
The mother told her son that she wouldn’t let him fly, but that she might let him sing
The mother told her son that she was going to keep him cosy and warm
The mother told her son that she was going to help build the wall

The son asked his mother if she thought his girlfriend was good enough for him
The son asked his mother if she thought his girlfriend was dangerous to him
The son asked his mother if she would tear her little boy apart
The son asked his mother if she would break his heart

The mother told her son to be quiet, and not to cry
The mother told her son that she was going to check out all his girlfriends for him
The mother told her son that she wouldn’t let anyone dirty get through
The mother told her son that she was going to wait up till he got in
The mother told her son that she would always find out where he’d been
The mother told her son that she was going to keep her baby (him) healthy and clean
The mother told her son that he would always be a baby to her

The son asked his mother if it needed to be so high