Adjective songs! Three songs for Elementary - Pre-Intermediate students

Music & Lyrics: George R. Newall

Sung by: Blossom Dearie

Animation: Phil Kimmelman and Associates

Got home from camping last spring.
Saw people, places and things.
We barely had arrived,
Friends asked us to describe
The people, places and every last thing.
So we unpacked our adjectives.

I unpacked "frustrating" first.
Reached in and found the word "worst".
Then I picked "soggy" and
Next I picked "foggy" and
Then I was ready to tell them my tale.
'Cause I'd unpacked my adjectives.

Adjectives are words you use to really describe things,
Handy words to carry around.
Days are sunny or they're rainy
Boys are dumb or else they're brainy
Adjectives can show you which way.

Adjectives are often used to help us compare things,
To say how thin, how fat, how short, how tall.
Girls who are tall can get taller,
Boys who are small can get smaller,
Till one is the tallest
And the other's the smallest of all.

We hiked along without care.
Then we ran into a bear.
He was a hairy bear,
He was a scary bear,
We beat a hasty retreat from his lair.
And described him with adjectives.

>> (Whoah! Boy, that was one big, ugly bear!)

(You can even make adjectives out of the other parts of speech, like
verbs or nouns. All you have to do is tack on an ending, like "ic"
or "ish" or "ary". For example, this boy can grow up to be a huge
man, but still have a boyish face. "Boy" is a noun, but the ending
"ish" makes it an adjective. "Boyish": that describes the huge
man's face. Get it?)

Next time you go on a trip,
Remember this little tip:
The minute you get back,
They'll ask you this and that,
You can describe people, places and things...
Simply unpack your adjectives.
You can do it with adjectives.
Tell them 'bout it with adjectives.
You can shout it with adjectives.

Music Video for the song "Paint the Way" by Doctor Noize.

Lyrics:

INTRO

I love Spring!
It's so bright and lively!
The only seasons I love as much are Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Life is so wonderful being an adjective.
Look at those nouns having a picnic.
Let's describe them.

Verse 1

Tina's kind
Reggie's sweet
Cake's delish!
Skunks are ODIFEROUS!

Nancy's DIVINE
Nelson's NEAT
Trees are TALL
I am SMALL
But VOCIFEROUS!

If her dress is quite UGLY, but you know she tries
Use the art of the adjective to get you by
Say: "Your dress is so... INTERESTING."

Woman
Thanks!

Adjective
She replies
-- You're so WISE!

Woman
What a guy!

Chorus 1

The adjective will fill my palette plenty
Which one? What kind? How much? DESCRIBE how many!
The words you think
The thoughts you say
Should never let your day go gray
The world of words will help you paint the way

Verse 2

But it isn't just nouns
There are pronouns I've found
Who need adjectives
They take the place of a noun
And then they come around
Where the magic lives

Like that flower!
It's gorgeous.

Your Grandma!
She's wise.

Hey Skunk!
You are putrid
And make stinky skies!

Yes Pronouns live like Nouns
But... in disguise!
So let's MODIFY and DESCRIBE!

Chorus 2

The adjective will fill my palette plenty
Which one? What kind? How much? DESCRIBE how many!
The words you think
The thoughts you say
Should never let your day go gray
The world of words will help you paint the way

Bridge (Chorus with fa la la's & speaking)

Adjectives can be demonstrative - that car, those diamonds
They can be possessive - my sandwich, her smile
They can be comparative - yellower than a lemon, even taller than a baby
Or superlative - the yellowest lemon, the tallest non-baby

You can use all of those to describe things.
A BLUE sky, the BLUER sky, the BLUEST sky, THAT sky, MY sky!
Oh, my my!

Verse 3

Now the articles
Or baby adjectives
They are my little ones

Articles
Dada!
Mama!

Adjective
They're so CUTE.
They are A, THE and AN
Aren't they cute? They say --

Articles
-- WAAA!

Adjectives
Well, they're... sometimes... fun

Article
(Throws up)
BLAAH!

Adjective
That is GROSS.
They're AN itch
Or THE sky
Or A blackberry pie
Or THE Craziest, Singingest, WORDIEST guy!
Yes, an adjective raises your thoughts oh so high!
So let's play in a HIGHER key, fly and DESCRIBE

Chorus 3

The adjective will fill my palette plenty
Which one? What kind? How much? DESCRIBE how many!
The words you think
The thoughts you say
Should never let your day go gray
The world of words will help you paint the way
Ah, GET OUT YOUR BRUSHES, PEOPLE!
Without me, love, your world is...

DULL and GRAY.

What a lovely song!