Show 685 Friday 28 March

Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.

Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.

I thought I’d talk about a song by Bad Religion today. Bad Religion is a band from California in the United States. And Wikipedia lists their genres as: punk rock, hardcore punk and melodic hardcore.

They started in 1980 and I first heard about them from a friend when I was at university. He kept telling me about how interesting their lyrics were. And apparently this is true:

They are particularly known for their sophisticated use of style, metaphor, vocabulary, imagery, and vocal harmonies, whether reflective on matters of personal feelings or of personal or social responsibility.

I listened to a few songs and I chose a song called Struck a Nerve to talk about, because I liked it and because I think the lyrics are quite interesting and not too difficult to understand.

The song goes like this:

There's an old man on a city bus holding a candy cane and it isn't even Christmas.
He sees a note in the obituary that his last friend has died.
There's an infant clinging to his overweight mother in the cold as they go to shop for cigarettes.
And she spends her last dollar on a bottle of vodka for tonight.

So it’s a story about the singer seeing all these sad things and how he reacts to them.
I think it’s something that we can all relate to, we see or read about so much sad stuff going on in the world and we’re quite not sure what to do about it and part of us just wants to shut our eyes and hope it will go away. But it will never go away.

I think that’s what it’s about.

And here’s some of that imagery they’re talking about:

Like a barren winter day
Or a patch of unburned green
Like a tragic real dream
I guess it struck a nerve

To strike a nerve is an idiom.

In my dictionary it says:

hit/touch a (raw/sensitive) nerve
To mention a subject that makes sb feel angry, upset, embarrassed, etc.

For example: You touched a raw nerve when you mentioned his first wife.

So, for the guy singing this song, he sees these things and it strikes a nerve, it makes him feel upset and maybe helpless.

And a wave of overwhelming doubt turns me to stone.
So check out the song and read the lyrics and tell me what you think.

STICK NEWS

Kia Ora, in Stick News today, a new English language textbook in Japan is using Superman and Anpanman to teach cultural differences.

Anpanman is a superhero from Japan. Superman is a superhero from America.
The two characters are being used in a new high school English textbook to explain what the authors say are the similarities and differences in Japanese and American cultures.
The textbook says the superheroes have some interesting differences.
"When Superman battles against bad people, he does it by himself. On the other hand, Anpanman has (many) friends who are heroes too. They fight against Baikinman together. We think it is because of the idea of cooperation in Japan, and of individualism in America. "

And that was Stick News for Friday 28th of March.
Kia Ora

THE SNOW REPORT
at Loaf Lounge

So, this is how to get to Loaf Lounge 2.0. Now you can see what the streets look like during the daytime and without snow.
Starting off opposite Takiguchi Sports, turn left and walk down the street away from the station.
When you get to this corner, which is opposite the old Daiei, turn left. And walk straight ahead until you get to a green building.
That’s Loaf Lounge.

friday joke

Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Boo.
Boo, who?
Stop crying and open the door.

conversations with sarah
#418 How’s it going?

Step 1: Repeat Bobby’s lines.
Step 2: Read Bobby’s lines and talk to Sarah.

Bobby How’s it going?

Sarah Mmm alright. I’m a bit sad.

Bobby Why?

Sarah My flatmate moved out today.

Bobby Really? Why?

Sarah Because it’s pretty much the end of the season, so he went back to Tokyo.

Bobby Oh, he was just here for the season?

Sarah Yeah.

Struck A Nerve
by Bad Religion

Watch the video here.
There's an old man on a city bus
Holding a candy cane
And it isn't even Christmas
He sees a note in the obituary that
His last friend has died
There's an infant clinging to
His overweight mother in the cold
As they go to shop for cigarettes
And she spends her last dollar
On a bottle of vodka for tonight

And I guess it struck a nerve
Like I had to squint my eyes
You can never get out of the line of sight
Like a barren winter day
Or a patch of unburned green
Like a tragic real dream
I guess it struck a nerve

Every day I wander in negative disposition
As I'm bombarded by superlatives
Realizing very well that I am not alone
Introverted I look to tomorrow for salvation
But I'm thinking altruistically
And a wave of overwhelming doubt
Turns me to stone

And I guess it struck a nerve
Sent a murmur through my heart
We just haven't got time to crack the maze
Like a magic speeding clock
Or a cancer in our cells
A collision in the dark
I guess it struck a nerve

I try to close my eyes
But I cannot ignore the stimuli
If there's a purpose for us all
It remains a secret to me
Don't ask me to justify my life

Cause I guess it struck a nerve
Like I had to squint my eyes
You can never get out of the line of sight
Like a magic speeding clock
Or a cancer in our cells
A collision in the dark
I guess it struck a nerve

links

today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures

Bad Religion MySpace page
Epitaph Records YouTube channel (Bad Religion's label)

music

show start
artist: BrunoXe
album: aprendiendo desde 2004
track: Mandrake
from: Jerez, Spain
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

the snow report start
artist: Olga Scotland
album: Scotland Yard
track: Absolute
from: Moscow, Russia
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

friday joke start
artist: AdHoc
album: Toutes directions
track: Sumbala
from: Annecy, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

cws start
artist: San Sebastian
track: Happy Sad
artist site

qa start
artist: ioeo
album: Groovetracks
tracks: groovetracks ending
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

qa/sr bgm
artist: Antony Raijekov
album: Jazz U
track: Deep blue 2005
from: Sofia, Bulgaria
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site

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