CHAMPS is a band from the Isle of Wight. They have appeared on the British Council's Selector music radio show. 'Down Like Gold' is the name of this song and it's also the name of their first album.

CHAMPS appeared on the British Council's Selector music radio programme, which brings you the best of new, British music. To find out more about CHAMPS and to listen to more of their music, have a look at their website. Music and lyrics by Michael & David Champion (cc).

Preparation: matching

Match the vocabulary with the correct definition and write a–h next to the numbers 1–8.

1. …….. a suburb    a. to make eye contact with someone, to attract someone’s attention
2. …….. to catch someone’s eye    b. to attach (someone or something to something with a string or rope)
3. …….. the heavens    c. to pass one end of a piece of cotton or thread etc. through something
4. …….. to break down    d. a long, thin, pointed weapon
5. …….. to tie    e. a residential area on the outskirts of a city
6. …….. an arrow    f. the sky (poetic)
7. …….. to thread through    g. to have the opportunity to do something
8. …….. to get to do something    h. to become emotionally destroyed

1. Check your vocabulary: gap fill

  Listen to the song. As you listen, write the words to fill the gaps.

1. Now and then I see you pass me by

See you on the only road we ever went down

And every time you seem to catch my _______________

Following the path down the gold dust highway

Down where we never _______________ to stand

Down where the rivers _______________ the oceans to your hand

2. Here come you, come you down like gold,

Oh that was a moment in _______________,

There you go with your _______________ so cold,

Was that just a moment in time.

3. Now and then I see you in my dreams

Colouring the morning like the _______________ dusts seems

Oh travelling through all the in betweens

_______________ needles through the stars with the

strongest _______________

Spinning through the dark _______________ sky,

Down where the rivers meet the oceans when you die,

4. Here come you, come you down like _______________,

Oh that was a _______________ in time,

There you go with your heart so _______________,

Was that just a moment in time.

5. If only I still saw you everyday,

Pulling my _______________down the gold dust highway

I’ve seen you in every single way,

_______________as the night

_______________down in state.

Oh down where we always used to _______________

Out on the rivers where the _______________ took your hand

(Chorus…)

Music and lyrics by Michael & David Champion (cc).

2. Check your pronunciation: grouping

  Are the vowel sounds the same or different in each pair? Write the words in the correct group.

gold – down               gold – cold               dreams – seems               time – still          heart – stars               sky – die               then – where               now – road

The same vowel sounds	Different vowel sounds

3. Check your understanding: multiple choice

  Choose the best option to complete these sentences.

1. The song starts with …

    a. two female voices and a piano.

    b. a male voice, a female voice and an acoustic guitar.

    c. two male voices and an acoustic guitar.

2. ‘Here come you, come you down like gold’ are the lyrics to …

    a. the first verse.

    b. the second verse.

    c. the chorus.

3. Compared to the verse, the chorus has …

    a. a thicker texture (= more instruments and layers).

    b. a thinner texture (= fewer instruments and layers).

    c. the same texture.

4. You could describe the style of this song as …

    a. a fusion of rock and hip hop.

    b. melodic folk-pop.

    c. brutal punk.

5. The lyrics suggest that the song is about …

    a. travelling by boat.

    b. the hope of a better life in the future.

    c. memories of a past relationship.

6. The video for the song shows …

    a. everything played backwards.

    b. moving water and motionless people.

    c. people jumping into a swimming pool in slow motion.

Discussion

Did you like the song?   Do you think listening to songs is a good way to improve your English?

Answers

Preparation

1. e 2. a 3. f 4. h 5. b 6. d 7. c 8. g

1. Check your vocabulary: gap fill

1. eye, got, tie 2. time, heart 3. gold, Threading, arrow, suburban 4. gold, moment, cold 5. horizons, Naked, Broken, stand, heavens

2. Check your pronunciation: grouping

Same vowel sound:

sky – die

dreams – seems

gold – cold

heart – stars

Different vowel sound:

time – still

gold – down

now – road

then – where

3. Check your understanding: multiple choice

1. c 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. c 6. c