Song Activity: "Hands Clean"©Katrin Meier

Alanis Morisette: "Hands Clean"

from the album under rug swept

1)Listen to the song and fill in the gaps with one word.

A

/ If it weren't for ______maturity none of this would have happened.
If you weren't so wise beyond your years I would've been able to control ______.
If it weren't for my attention you wouldn't have been successful and
If it weren't for me you would ______have amounted to very much
B / Ooh this could be messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
C / We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honoured your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
D / You're essentially an employee and I ______you having to depend on me
You're a kind of protégé and one day you'll say you learned all you know ______me
I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I ______I like it.
B /

B (chorus)

C / We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honoured your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
E / What part of our history's reinvented ______under rugswept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious?
F /

Just make sure you don't tell on me especially to ______of your family

We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world cuz you're such a pretty ______when you're
done upproperly
I might want to ______you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body
B /

B (chorus)

2)The words below are underlined in the lyrics. Identify their word class.

Underlined word(s) /

Type of word

maturity / ______
beyond / ______
have amounted / ______
messy / ______
mind / ______
overlook / ______
supposed / ______
except / ______
have honored / ______
request / ______
essentially / ______
depend / ______
kind / ______
guardian / ______
reinvented / ______
rug / ______
swept / ______
selective / ______
tends / ______
obvious / ______
posse / ______
done up / ______
properly / ______
firm / ______

3)By inserting a letter, match a word with its suitable translation.

Underlined word(s) /

Translation

...... / maturity / A / (Menschen-) Schar
...... / beyond / B / abhängen von
...... / have amounted / C / angeblich
...... / messy / D / auf etw. herauslaufen
...... / mind / E / ausser
...... / overlook / F / Bitte
...... / supposed / G / eine Art von
...... / except / H / etw. haben gegen
...... / have honored / I / gekehrt (von kehren, wischen)
...... / request / J / im wesentlichen
...... / essentially / K / neu erfunden
...... / depend on / L / offensichtlich
...... / kind of / M / Reife
...... / guardian / N / respektieren
...... / reinvented / O / richtig, passend
...... / rug / P / straff
...... / swept /

Q

/ tendieren, dazu neigen
...... / selective / R / Teppich

Q

/ tends / S / über ... hinaus
...... / obvious / T / über etw. hinwegschauen
...... / posse / U / unsauber, schmutzig
...... / done up / V / Vormund
...... / properly / W / wählerisch, auswählend
...... / firm / X / zurecht gemacht

4)In groups, translate the stanza given to you by your teacher.

  • Elect a group speaker.
  • Write your translation in big and readable letters on the provided transparency.
  • Present your translation to the class.

5)Interpretation of the song's lyrics

  • In your group, discuss the following questions in English.
  • Make notes (= write keywords only) for the class discussion.

a) / This song summarises a love story between a man and a woman.
  • Characterise these two protagonists. Who are they? What do they do professionally? How old are they? etc.

b) / In your own words, retell the love story described in the song.
  • What is the story about?

c) /
  • Explain the title of the song – "Hands clean".
  • Think of other possible song titles.

SOLUTIONS

A

/ If it weren't for yourmaturity none of this would have happened.
If you weren't so wise beyond your years I would've been able to control myself.
If it weren't for my attention you wouldn't have been successful and
If it weren't for me you would neverhave amounted to very much
B / Ooh this could be messy
But you don't seem to mind
Ooh don't go telling everybody
And overlook this supposed crime
C / We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honoured your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
D / You're essentially an employee and I like you having to depend on me
You're a kind of protégé and one day you'll say you learned all you know from me
I know you depend on me like a young thing would to a guardian
I know you sexualize me like a young thing would and I think I like it.
B /

B (chorus)

C / We'll fast forward to a few years later
And no one knows except the both of us
And I have honoured your request for silence
And you've washed your hands clean of this
E / What part of our history's reinventedand under rugswept?
What part of your memory is selective and tends to forget?
What with this distance it seems so obvious?
F /

Just make sure you don't tell on me especially to members of your family

We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world cuz you're such a pretty thing when you're
done upproperly
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body
B /

B (chorus)

4)In groups, translate the stanza given to you by your teacher.

  • Elect a group speaker.
  • Write your translation in big and readable letters on the provided transparency.
  • Present your translation to the class.

5)Interpretation of the song's lyrics

  • In your group, discuss the following questions in English.
  • Make notes (= write keywords only) for the class discussion.

a) / This song summarises a love story between a man and a woman.
  • Characterise these two protagonists. Who are they? What do they do professionally? How old are they? etc.

b) / In your own words, retell the love story described in the song.
  • What is the story about?

c) /
  • Explain the title of the song – "Hands clean".
  • Think of other possible song titles.