ESLSongs

Practice the topic of health, medicine & drugs in your ESL class with this song, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd.

The medical vocabulary and expressions which appear in these song lyrics are: to be feeling down, ease your pain, get you on your feet again, relax, can you show me where it hurts, pain, fever, numb, pinprick & feel a little sick.

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

Lyrics

Hello? Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me, is there anyone at home?

Come on now, I hear you’re feeling down
Well I can ease your pain, get you on your feet again

Relax, I’ll need some information first
Just the basic facts, can you show me where it hurts?

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child I had a fever
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I’ve got that feeling once again
I can’t explain you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably numb

Okay, just a little pinprick
There’ll be no more, AAAH! but you may feel a little sick

Can you stand up? I do believe it’s working, good
That’ll keep you going through the show, come on it’s time to go

There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb

Suggested activity: fill the gaps

Download this exercise (PDF)

Listen to the song and put the medical vocabulary and expressions into the correct gaps: be feeling down*, can you show me where it hurts, ease your pain, feel a little sick, fever, get you on your feet again, numb, pain, pinprick & relax

* you’ll have to conjugate the verb “to be” here

Hello? Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me, is there anyone at home?

Come on now, I hear you ________________________
Well I can ________________________, ________________________

________________________, I’ll need some information first
Just the basic facts, ________________________?

There is no ________________________you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child I had a ________________________
My hands felt just like two balloons
Now I’ve got that feeling once again
I can’t explain you would not understand
This is not how I am
I have become comfortably ________________________

Okay, just a little ________________________
There’ll be no more AAAH! but you may ________________________

Can you stand up? I do believe it’s working, good
That’ll keep you going through the show, come on it’s time to go There is no ________________________ you are receding
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably ________________________