ESLSongs

Practice phrasal verbs in your ESL class with this song, Hang On by Smash Mouth.

The 14 phrasal verbs used in these lyrics are: keep on, look up, turn up, turn down, gather round, be around, hold on, hang on, get on, go on, throw in (the towel), beat sb down, turn sth back around & tone down.

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

Lyrics

Things are getting weird, things are getting tough
Nothing’s making sense but you keep on looking up
They tell you to be true, you’re trying every day
To keep it on the real, still you gotta find a way
To make your mama happy, to make your papa proud
You wanna turn it up but all you hear is turn it down

So gather round I’m here to say
You’ll never make everybody’s day
But while you’re around you might as well catch the tiger by his tail

And hang on hang on hang on
Everybody just get on get on get on
Get started and go on go on go on
Everybody just hold on

Sometimes I wanna cry and throw the towel in
They try to beat me down but I’ll take it on the chin
And everywhere I go the people are the same
They just wanna know that everything will be OK
Things are getting rough, turn it back around
You gotta turn it up when they tell you tone it down

So gather round I’m here to say
You’ll never make everybody’s day
But while you’re around you might as well catch the tiger by his tail

And hang on hang on hang on
Everybody just get on get on get on
Get started and go on go on go on
Everybody just hold on, just hang on

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Look at the verbs and particles; can you make any phrasal verbs from them? Verbs: be, beat, gather, get, go, hang, hold, keep, look, take, throw, tone, turn. Particles: around, down, in, on, round, up

Now try to put the verbs in the gaps in the song to make phrasal verbs, then listen to check.

Things are getting weird, things are getting tough
Nothing’s making sense but you ¹__________ on ²__________ up
They tell you to be true, you’re trying every day
To keep it on the real, still you gotta find a way
To make your mama happy, to make your papa proud
You wanna ³__________ it up but all you hear is ⁴__________ it down

So ⁵__________ round I’m here to say
You’ll never make everybody’s day
But while you⁶ __________ around you might as well catch the tiger by his tail

Chorus
And ⁷__________ on ⁷__________ on ⁷__________ on
Everybody just ⁸__________ on ⁸__________ on ⁸__________ on
Get started and ⁹__________ on ⁹__________ on ⁹__________ on
Everybody just ¹⁰__________ on

Sometimes I wanna cry and ¹¹__________ the towel in
They try to ¹²__________ me down but I’ll take it on the chin
And everywhere I go the people are the same
They just wanna know that everything will be OK
Things are getting rough, ¹³__________ it back around
You gotta ¹⁴__________ it up when they tell you ¹⁵__________ it down

So ¹⁶__________ round I’m here to say
You’ll never make everybody’s day
But while you¹⁷ __________ around you might as well catch the tiger by his tail

Chorus