Juliet

Aims: Vocabulary, reading comprehension, reading in context

Time: 50-65 mins

Materials: audio player, photocopies of the text of the song

Introduction: Juliet is a popular song both in the USA and Korea at the time of this writing (Nov 2003), and is shown frequently on Korean MTV. The song is also catchy and tends to be amusing for younger students. The text is simple in terms of vocabulary and grammar, but uses several idiomatic phrases that will require the student to read in context.

The song provides two cultural anecdotes. First, an American “boy band” performed the song. A parallel musical industry exists here in Korea, and the industry markets to middle-school and high-school girls. Second, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is arguably one of the most important cultural anecdotes in the history of English civilization, and so the song provides a gateway for introducing Romeo and Juliet.

The students will be given photocopies of the Text of the Song. Play the song once. Using the Text of the Song with Notes, go through the text, encouraging students to read in context to determine the meaning of idiomatic phrases. Follow this with the Discussion Questions.

Text of the Song

Juliet (LMNT)

Hey Juliet

Hey I’ve been watching you

Every little thing you do

Every time I see you pass in my homeroom class

Makes my heart beat fast

I’ve tried to page you twice

But I’ve seen you roll your eyes

Wish I could make you real

But your lips are sealed

That ain’t no big deal

‘Cause I know you really want me

I hear your friends talk about me

So why you trying to do without me?

When you want me?

Hey Juliet

(CHORUS)

I think you’re fine

You really blow my mind

Maybe some day, you and me can run away

I just want you to know

I wanna be your Romeo

Hey Juliet

Girl you got me on my knees

Begging please, baby please

Got my best DJ on the radio waves sayin’

What you doin? What you doin?

Too far to turn around

So I wanna stand my ground

Give me just a little bit of hope

A smile or a glance, give me one more chance

(CHORUS)

Text of the Song with Notes

Hey Juliet

Hey I’ve been watching you

Every little thing you do

Every time I see you pass in my homeroom class

Makes my heart beat fast

· Ask the students, “What does this mean?”

I’ve tried to page you twice

· (to page: some explanation of pagers might be necessary here)

But I’ve seen you roll your eyes

· Ask the students, “What does this mean?”

Wish I could make you real

But your lips are sealed

· (“your lips are sealed” = “you won’t talk to me”) Demonstrate to the students: sealing an envelope, sealing a bag, etc.

That ain’t no big deal

· (ain’t = are not/is not. This is bad English.)

· (to be a big deal = to be important, to be significant)

‘Cause I know you really want me

· (‘cause = because, bad English.) Point out to students the relation between “cause”, causation, “to be caused”, and the abbreviation into the vernacular “’cause”. Point out to students that it is often written “cuz” and is pronounced this way in America.

· (to want somebody = to want somebody to be your boyfriend or girlfriend)

· Have the students recite the vernacular: “Cuz I know ya really wan me”

I hear your friends talk about me

So why you trying to do without me?

· (to do without somebody --> this phrase may require explanation)

When you want me?

Hey Juliet

(CHORUS)

I think you’re fine

· (if you think somebody is “fine,” you think they are attractive)

You really blow my mind

· (you blow my mind = you make me crazy, with connotations of “I can’t believe it”)

Maybe some day, you and me can run away

· (to run away à here, he is suggesting they go somewhere private, probably to kiss her)

I just want you to know

I wanna be your Romeo

· (wanna = want to, bad English)

· Have the students recite the vernacular: “Cuz I wanna be yer Romeo.”

Hey Juliet

Girl you got me on my knees

Begging please, baby please

Got my best DJ on the radio waves sayin’

What you doin’? What you doin’?

· A hip-hop influence here: if you understand these two lines, then ask the students, “What does this mean? What is the song saying?”

· Ask the students: “What are radio waves?”

· Have the students recite the vernacular: “What you doin’?”

Too far to turn around

So I wanna stand my ground

· To stand one’s ground: this would probably be best demonstrated physically with a student, eg, have a student push you and stand your ground

Give me just a little bit of hope

A smile or a glance, give me one more chance

(CHORUS)

Discussion Questions

What does it mean, “I wanna be your Romeo”? Who are Romeo and Juliet? Probably the most important writer in the history of English civilization is Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous stories in English, and almost every English speaker reads it in school. It is the story of a boy and a girl who love each other, but who cannot be together, because their families are at war. When you call somebody “a Romeo” or “a Juliet,” you mean that they love somebody, but can’t be with him or her.
What is the story of this song? What story does the song tell? Given “give me one more chance,” it seems that the boy did something wrong, the girl broke up with him, now she won’t talk to him, but he wants her back.
The group singing the song is a “boy band” called LMNT. What’s a boy band? Are there boy bands in Korea? Do you like boy bands (and if so, why)?