Thursday, March 25, 2010

EASTER HOLIDAYS: A SONG

EASTER HOLIDAYS: A SONG
EAGLE-EYE CHERRY: SAVE TONIGHT
A song from 1997:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxTnqJGS8Os

lyrics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnEdUVBjZfo

A BIT ABOUT EAGLE-EYE CHERRY:
Poised at the brink of innumerable seemingly incompatible contradictions, musician and songwriter Eagle-Eye Cherry not only reconciles them all -– he harnesses the friction and fashions from it a powerful, personal sound that is both accessible and provocative. For instance, Cherry calls Sweden home, although he was born to an iconic American father and has spent a great deal of time in the US.
His music is contemplative and intimate, yet has resonated widely and achieved international popular success, most notably via the propulsively seductive single "Save Tonight" and a string of subsequent hit singles in Europe, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil. His newest music seeks to fuse his homespun, handmade roots with a widescreen sense of scope. "I'd hesitate to say there's been a master plan," he reflects on his career and recordings. "But, at the same time, you can definitely trace a journey through my music."
Eagle-Eye's wide-ranging sensibilities and ability to incorporate seemingly contrasting impulses can be at least partially credited to his upbringing and heritage. He is the son of musician Don Cherry, who is often quickly defined as a jazz artist but whose art is in fact much more expansive, incorporating an array of international concepts into a complex tapestry that is only just now beginning to be fully appreciated. "He will probably be the most fascinating person I will have met in my life," Eagle-Eye reflects, still in awe. "Don Cherry wasn't only my father: he was also a great friend who had an amazing perspective on life, very much about living in the now. He will always be a major inspiration in all that I do."
Cherry was christened Eagle-Eye because the first time he looked at his father, he did so with only one eye open. As children, Eagle-Eye and his older sister Neneh spent months on the road with their father, the trumpeter Don Cherry. At the age of 12, Cherry was sent to school in New York, where he stayed on to work as an actor, and a drummer in various bands. In 1988, he was credited as "teenager" in the film Arthur 2: On the Rocks. In 1993 he starred on the short lived NBC action/adventure television show South Beach.
His father died in 1995, and in 1996 he returned to Sweden to begin writing and making his debut
album, Desireless, which became a commercial success throughout the world during 1998 and 1999. Desireless went platinum in the United States, selling a total of four million copies worldwide.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

SESSION 21: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 21: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION
2.1 DO YOU KNOW ENOUGH OF NELSON MANDELA?
  • BEFORE HE WAS IN PRISON
  • WHY WAS HE PUT IN PRISON?
  • WHILE HE WAS IN PRISON
  • AFTER HE LEFT PRISON
  • WHILE HE WAS PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA

These links may help you:

http://www.anc.org.za/people/mandela.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

The film INVICTUS is a biographical drama film based on Nelson Mandela´s life during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. If you have not seen the film read about it in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus_(film)

The film is titled after a poem mentioned several times in the film also titled invictus. It is a short poem by the English poet William Ernest Henley, written in 1875. It originally bore no title. The familiar title INVICTUS (Latin for UNCONQUERED) was added by Arthur Quiller-Couch, when he included the poem in The Oxford Book Of English Verse (1900).

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced or cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, you need to learn new vocabulary and expressions that you will have to use for the discussion.

SECOND, you have to prepare the topic by looking up information in the internet, books and encyclopaedias.

This way you will feel much more confident and at the same time you will have much more to talk about.

FINAL TASK

Here is one final task that you may do in order to cover the four skills you should focus on when learning a language: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition on one of these two topics and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 21:

  • Nelson Mandela´s life symbolises 'invictus', therefore he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize. Express your opinion.
  • Film Review: Invictus

Friday, March 19, 2010

SESSION 21: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH

SESSION 21: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 24TH MARCH
SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF FREEDOM FOR NELSON MANDELA

Text taken and adapted from:
http://www.onestopenglish.com/

and you have the text together with some exercises and the key for you to work on.

Hope you enjoy it!


SESSION 21: A SONG

SESSION 21: A SONG
U2: WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

With or Without You is widely considered one of U2's most overtly emotional songs and probably their biggest hit. The group U2 (= You too) was one of the first groups to banner the label "Christian Band". Many of their songs have a deep Christian message or at least use Christian images, like this song here, one of the best songs ever.

Great live version of With or Without You:

Lyrics:

MEANING OF THE SONG:
Bono (the lead singer), and everyone in the band, are profoundly Christians (Catholics), and this song, like many others by them, certainly has some Christian imagery referring to Jesus. Bono himself said (or so they say) that this song is a mix of erotic and agape love, that is, human love and divine love. In that case, SHE refers to his lover, and YOU refers to God / Jesus.
She betrayed him and now he can’t take her back, but he can’t live without her either. He compares himself to the suffering Christ, suffering for a love that is not corresponded. And he also expresses his disappointment about a God that "gives himself away" to everybody except himself, who needs Him so much at this moment (he feels so alone, so abandoned, so desperate).Here's a direct quote from the book written by Steve Stockman (an Irish author and DJ):"Even with or without you is not a plain-sailing love song. There are moments when it appears that it is focusing on the old cliché "Women, you can't live with them, and you can't live without them".
But the lyrics twist and turn and deal with a whole lot more than a relationship between men and women. Weaving two or three themes into one song is another trait of U2's song writing.
Niall Stokes, in his song-by-song account of the bands entire back catalogue, is accurate when he sees erotic love and agape love mixing around here, also another great U2 theme of surrendering the ego in the lyrics 'give yourself away' (Luke 9:24). Of course, a person does give himself away in love and marriage, but this kind of surrender could be spiritual or even in opening up to hundreds of thousands of fans every night."Anyway, whether it’s love for Jesus or for his wife or for his recently deceased mother, one thing is sure: this is one of the best love songs ever written.

WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS IN THE SONG:

THE STONE SET IN YOUR EYES:
The stone that is placed in your eyes may refer to the coldness of her look. If the eyes are the windows of the soul, as people say, when you look in her eyes you don’t see a loving heart, you see a cold stone. That means she stopped loving him.

THORN:
A harsh prickly plant. THE THORN TWIST IN YOUR SIDE: A metaphor of something that is damaging her. She did something wrong and now that is destroying her. "Your side" is the part of your trunk which is usually covered by your arms.

I’LL WAIT FOR YOU:
You don’t love me, you betrayed me (probably you had an affair with another guy), but I can’t live without you, so I’ll wait, and when you change and love me again, I’ll take you back.

SLEIGHT OF HAND: A trick or set of tricks performed by a juggler or magician so quickly and deftly that the manner of execution cannot be observed.

FATE:
Destiny, written future.TWIST OF FATE: A sudden and unexpected change in life.

A BED OF NAILS: A metaphor of how much he suffers waiting for her. A bed of nails is the one used by fakirs (A Hindu ascetic or religious mendicant, especially one who performs feats of magic or endurance).

I WAIT WITHOUT YOU: I’m alone, waiting for you to come back to me.

SHORE: Coast, the part where the sea meets land.THROUGH THE STORM WE REACH THE SHORE: We are passing through great troubles, but salvation may lie ahead. If we solve this situation we may find peace again.

YOU GIVE YOURSELF AWAY: This may mean "you give yourself as a present, for free" (you are generous and give everything to others), or it may mean "you betray yourself", you lie about it but something in your eyes, or in your acts, reveals the truth.

BRUISED: If your body is bruised you have been beaten and you have painful red or blue marks showing the blows.

SHE GOT ME: She’s got me.

NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE: When there is nothing left, you used or consumed everything and there is nothing more, everything was finished. So in this sentence he says that he lost everything, he has nothing, so he has nothing left to lose.
COMMENTS TAKEN FROM: MULTIMEDIA ENGLISH CLASSROOM

Friday, March 12, 2010

SESSION 20: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 20: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION
2.1. GOOD NAMES: What are good names for these people?
  • a world leader
  • a boxer
  • a dentist
  • a clown
  • a writer
  • an English teacher
  • a sports star
  • a singer

2.2 NAMES DISCUSSION: Here are some questions you can try asking yourself before you come to our discussion on Wednesday:
a) What did you think when you read the headline?
b) What springs to mind when you hear the word ‘name’?
c) What do you think of your name?
d) If you changed your name, what would you change it to?
e) Do you know anyone with a strange name?
f) What names do you really dislike (and why)?
g) What do you think of the names on the list in the article?
h) Why do you think parents give children these bizarre names?
i) What problems do you think people have in life with a bizarre name?
j) Why did your parents choose the name they gave you?

k) What would you name your son or daughter?
l) What do you think of double-barreled names?
m) Would you name your child after your favourite movie / sports / pop star?
n) Do you fit the personality associated with your name?
o) What’s the coolest name in the world?
p) Which countries have the best sounding names?
q) What’s unusual about the married couple at the end of the article?

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:


THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:


FIRST
, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.
SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.


FINAL TASK:


HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.


Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 20, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.

  • 'You don´t like or dislike the name, you like or dislike the person behind the name.' Express your opinion.

SESSION 20: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

SESSION 20: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

1.1 TRUE/FALSE:
a.F / b.T / c.F / d.T / e.F / f.T / g.T / h.T

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH:
1.e / 2.h / 3.a / 4.i / 5.d / 6.b / 7.c / 8.f / 9.j / 10.g

1.3 PHRASE MATCH:
1.g / 2.c / 3.f / 4.a / 5.j / 6.d / 7.i / 8.e / 9.h /10.b

1.4 GAP FILL:
RELEASED - HAVE - FROM - MARRIED - REASON - NAMED - TIME - THOUGH

CALL - CAREFULLY - COMMON - MUST - INTRODUCE - SMILES - FOUND - LAWYER

SESSION 20: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

SESSION 20: EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

NOTE: IN ORDER TO WORK WITH THE TEXT, UNDERSTAND AND PREPARE IT BETTER I RECOMMEND THESE EXERCISES.

THERE WILL BE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISES:

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT: THESE ARE EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE READING COMPREHENSION, WORKING WITH VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS.
2. EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: EXERCISES FOCUSING ON THE PREPARATION FOR THE DISCUSSION.

1. EXERCISES WORKING WITH THE TEXT

1.1 TRUE/FALSE: Look at the article and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or False (F):

a. People in Britain have the strangest names in the world.
b. People were either born with strange names or married into them.
c. One woman in a report was named Barbed Wire.
d. The report says parents need to think more carefully about names.
e. The article says parents who wake up early choose better names.
f. Lots of people name their children after movie stars and singers.
g. The report suggested teachers have to try not to smile at some names.
h. The banker Rob Mee and the lawyer Sue Mee are married.

1.2 SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1. released .......... a. strange
2. unfortunate ...... b. warning
3. bizarre ............ c. well-liked
4. realized ........... d. consequences
5. implications ...... e. made public
6. wake-up call ..... f. fantastic
7. popular ........... g. peculiar
8. tremendous ...... h. unlucky
9. hold back ......... i. understood
10. curious ........... j. contain

1.3 PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one option is possible):

1. the strange names ............... a. implications
2. the names have been with ..... b. couple names
3. one reason for .................... c. people from birth
4. realise the ........................ d. call for today’s parents
5. Parents really do need .......... e. embarrassment
6. a wake-up ......................... f. why people have these names
7. name babies ...................... g. some people have
8. tremendous ....................... h. their smiles
9. hold back .......................... i. after pop stars
10. the best married- ............... j. to think carefully

1.4 GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text:

REASON - FROM - THOUGH - MARRIED - RELEASED - TIME - HAVE - NAMED

A website in Britain has just ____________ a study into the strange names some people ____________. TheBabyWebsite.com created a list called ‘The Most Unfortunate Names in Britain’. Some of the names have been with people ____________ birth; others got the names after they ____________. The bizarre, unlucky names include Barb Dwyer, Hazel Nutt, Jo King, Justin Case, Barry Cade and Mary Christmas. A spokesperson for the website gave one ____________ for why people have these names, saying: “When the parents of some of those people ____________ their children, many probably didn't even realise the implications at the ____________.” He added: "Parents really do need to think carefully ____________ when choosing names for their children.”

INTRODUCE - COMMON - LAWYER - CALL - SMILES - CAREFULLY - FOUND - MUST

The list is a wake-up ____________ for today’s parents to think more ____________ about the names they give to their children. It is very ____________ to name babies after pop stars and actors. Popular names for children today include Miley, Britney and Brad. TheBabyWebsite explained how difficult life ____________ be with a strange name: “There must be tremendous embarrassment every time they have to ____________ themselves to anyone, especially to a crowd. Even their teachers must have had to hold back their ____________ sometimes.” Americans also have some curious names, such as Carrie Oakey and Bill Board. We ____________ the best married-couple names on the BBC’s website; Mr and Mrs Mee – Rob’s a banker and Sue’s a ____________.

SESSION 20: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH

SESSION 20: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 17TH MARCH
THE MOST UNFORTUNATE NAMES IN BRITAIN

Text taken and adapted from:

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/

The text:

A website in Britain has just released a study into the strange names some people have. TheBabyWebsite.com created a list called ‘The Most Unfortunate Names in Britain’. Some of the names have been with people from birth; others got the names after they married. The bizarre, unlucky names include Barb Dwyer, Hazel Nutt, Jo King, Justin Case, Barry Cade and Mary Christmas. A spokesperson for the website gave one reason for why people have these names, saying: “When the parents of some of those people named their children, many probably didn't even realise the implications at the time.” He added: "Parents really do need to think carefully though when choosing names for their children.”

The list is a wake-up call for today’s parents to think more carefully about the names they give to their children. It is very common to name babies after pop stars and actors. Popular names for children today include Miley, Britney and Brad. TheBabyWebsite explained how difficult life must be with a strange name: “There must be tremendous embarrassment every time they have to introduce themselves to anyone, especially to a crowd. Even their teachers must have had to hold back their smiles sometimes.” Americans also have some curious names, such as Carrie Oakey and Bill Board. We found the best married-couple names on the BBC’s website; Mr and Mrs Mee – Rob’s a banker and Sue’s a lawyer.

'The most unfortunate names in Britain' 28th February, 2010
www.BreakingNewsEnglish.com

Thursday, March 11, 2010

SESSION 20: A SONG

SESSION 20: A SONG
RADIOHEAD: CREEP

Lyrics:
The story behind the song:
"Creep" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, written by vocalist Thom Yorke. Radiohead released "Creep" as their debut single in 1992, and it later appeared on their first album, Pablo Honey (1993). During its initial release, "Creep" was not a chart success. However, upon re-release in 1993, it became a worldwide hit. The band began to dislike the song, as fans attended their early gigs primarily for the performance of "Creep".
According to Yorke, "Creep" tells the tale of a man who tries to get the attention of a woman to whom he is attracted by following her around. In the end, he lacks the self-confidence to face her and feels he subconsciously is her. When asked about "Creep" in 1993, Yorke said, "I have a real problem being a man in the '90s... Any man with any sensitivity or conscience toward the opposite sex would have a problem. To actually assert yourself in a masculine way without looking like you're in a hard-rock band is a very difficult thing to do... It comes back to the music we write, which is not effeminate, but it's not brutal in its arrogance. It is one of the things I'm always trying: To assert a sexual persona and on the other hand trying desperately to negate it." Jonny Greenwood said the song was in fact a happy song about "recognizing what you are".
The version issued for US radio play replaced the line "So fucking special" with "So very special". The group was worried that issuing a censored version would be a "bit of a sellout" according to Jonny Greenwood, but they decided it was acceptable since their idols Sonic Youth had done the same thing. Nonetheless, Greenwood noted the British press "weren't impressed" by the action. During the recording session for the censored lyrics, Kolderie convinced Yorke to rewrite the first verse, telling him he thought the singer could do better.

Friday, March 5, 2010

SESSION 19: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

SESSION 19: EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION AND FINAL TASK

EXERCISES FOR DISCUSSION: for further investigation you can have a look at the following pages and blogs:

After reading these articles, think about how ageing population affects Spain considering the economical crisis we are in, and how this problem is going to influence on our younger generations.

PREPARING A DISCUSSION IS FUNDAMENTAL:

THIS MUST BE DONE IN TWO DIRECTIONS:

FIRST, YOU NEED TO LEARN NEW VOCABULARY AND EXPRESSIONS THAT YOU WILL HAVE TO USE FOR THE DISCUSSION.

SECONDLY, YOU HAVE TO PREPARE THE TOPIC BY LOOKING UP INFORMATION IN THE INTERNET, BOOKS, ENCYCLOPAEDIAS.
THIS WAY YOU WILL FEEL MUCH MORE CONFIDENT AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL HAVE MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT.

FINAL TASK:

HERE IS ONE FINAL TASK THAT YOU MAY DO IN ORDER TO COVER THE FOUR SKILLS YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON WHEN LEARNING A LANGUAGE: LISTENING, READING, SPEAKING AND WRITING.

Write a composition and leave it in the blog as a comment to Session 19, I will edit it in the blog so that everybody can learn from other people´s opinions.
  • 'Working beyond the retirement age is the best solution to the problem of the ageing population.' Express your opinion.

SESSION 19: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 10TH MARCH

SESSION 19: TEXT FOR WEDNESDAY 10TH MARCH
POPULATION OF OLDER PEOPLE TO SURPASS NUMBER OF CHILDREN
Text taken and adapted from:
Just click on:
and you have the text together with some exercises and the key for you to work on.
Hope you enjoy it!

SESSION 19: A SONG

SESSION 19: A SONG
DANIEL POWTER: BAD DAY

The most successful singer in 2005 in the US. A great video. A very sad song full of hope:

Lyrics:

SONG MEANING:
This video is so good that it’s difficult to think of the meaning of this song without considering the story on the video. A boy and a girl. The boy likes her but she’s so negative about life that she can’t see anything good in it. She can’t even notice the boy because that would be something positive. But he insists on showing her that life is good.
They express their opposing points of view through the underground poster drawings they make; he is always trying to change her negative views and offering protection from the rain and the taxi splash. Finally he draws a question mark (will you let me be the one to protect you?) and she accepts by transforming it into a heart. So at the end of the video we have the boy sheltering her from the rain, and the story has a happy ending: she finally found out that life can bring you that magical moment that can light everything up and your bad days are over.

Like on the video, she can’t see anything positive in life, and he is trying to make her understand that life is beautiful, life is not the problem, she just had a bad day, but things can go better if she tries. It is not life, but her attitude to life what makes it all look so negative.
They’re not into a relationship, because he mostly knows about her true dark feelings through other people (“they tell me your blue skies fade to gray...”), but they know each other, because he is suffering her silly behaviour (“And I don’t need no carrying on”).
So, like in the video, he’s probably trying to help her because he loves her and wants to be with her.
She doesn’t express her true feelings to anyone, she pretends everything’s fine (“You’re faking a smile”), but it shows (“The camera don’t lie”) and everybody notices because it’s so obvious (“The point is they laugh at what you say”). But she’s not making an effort to get out of this, quite on the contrary, she’s dragging herself down into a deeper depression (“You sing a sad song just to turn it around”, “You’re coming back down and you really don’t mind”). But now the situation is serious, if she goes on like that, she can really break down irreversibly (“Sometimes the system goes on the brink and the whole thing turns out wrong. You might not make it back.”). She really needs to change her point of view (“You need a blue sky holiday”). And he’s there for her, he believes in her and tries to convince her that all that is nothing but just “a bad day”, something temporary she can move out of. But she needs to be strong and stand up again (“you know that you could be well all that strong and I'm not wrong”). What she needs is to bring passion back into her life (“Where is the passion when you need it the most?”), and he is ready to bring that passion for her (“Oh, you and I”).

EXPLANATION OF THE LYRICS:

YOU KICK UP THE LEAVES AND THE MAGIC IS LOST: Children and happy people in general like kicking up the leaves off the ground (when there are lots of them together, in autumn). For some reason that gesture makes us feel happy, like there’s something magical about it.

YOUR BLUE SKIES FADE TO GREY: When something fades, it slowly disappears or deteriorates. If a colour fades to black or to grey, it loses intensity until the tone disappears. A blue sky is a symbol of happiness and a grey sky is covered with clouds, a symbol of sadness.

CARRY ON: This phrasal verb may mean “to continue”, but it also means “to behave in an excited, improper, or silly manner”, which is the meaning here.I DON’T NEED NO CARRYIN’ ON: I don’t want to suffer your stupid behaviour. She’s depressed but doing nothing to stop it, she’s just making things worse, doing depressing things to get worse (a very typical behaviour in depressed people). But with this expression he doesn’t really mean “I’m sick and tired of your silly behaviour”, what he means is “Please, stop being silly and react! Do something”.

TO HIT A NEW LOW: If you hit a new low you’re situation gets even worse, even when it seemed impossible to get worse. YOU STAND IN THE LINE JUST TO HIT A NEW LOW: To stand in the line is to queue waiting to get something, so if you stand in the line to hit a new low, you have given up, you think life is terrible and it will get worse for sure, you’re just waiting for it to get worse.

FAKE: If something is a fake, it is false. If you fake something, you try to make people believe that it’s true, but it’s not. So to fake a smile is to try to smile, but everybody can see that it’s not a real smile, you’re just pretending.

OFF LINE: Disconnected. We can use WAY to emphasize (like “really”), so WAY OFF LINE is very much disconnected.

FALL TO PIECES: When you fall to pieces you feel desperate and broken, you collapse emotionally, you break down.

YOU’RE TAKING ONE DOWN: To take one down usually means to drink an alcoholic drink. So her bad day is like a drink, she takes it and drinks it just as if it was a natural thing to do.

YOU SING A SAD SONG JUST TO TURN IT AROUND: She insists on having a pessimistic view on life, so one of the things she does is signing sad songs, because that helps you feel sad. So when life is nice, she knows how to “turn it around”, how to transform it into the opposite.

YOU TELL ME DON’T LIE: You tell me: “Don’t lie”. He is trying to convince her that life is beautiful, but she doesn’t believe him.

YOU WORK ON A SMILE: She tries to smile, though it is difficult.

YOU GO FOR A RIDE: It’s like going for a walk, but in a car (a ride is a car trip). But you can also use this expression meaning just “to go for a walk”

THE CAMERA DON’T LIE: everybody can see that. Just in the same way as a camera takes a picture of reality just as it is, with no changes. It should be DOESN’T, because it’s 3rd person singular, but in colloquial English (esp. AmE) you often forget about that –S.

YOU’RE COMING BACK DOWN: To come down is to get depressed, so this sentence means “you’re getting depressed again”. The verb particle BACK often means that the action is repeated or reverts to its original state (you were down and now you’re coming down again).

THE POINT IS... What happens is that...

THE SYSTEM GOES ON THE BRINK: If a machine is on the brink it is reaching the limit and it’s probably going to explode or break down dramatically.

THE WHOLE THING: All the thing, the complete thing.

TURNS OUT: If something turns out in a particular way, it has that result.

YOU MIGHT NOT MAKE IT BACK: Maybe you won’t recover.

YOU’VE SEEN WHAT YOU LIKE: This sentence may have two meanings, both are possible so you choose one:
1- Your perception is not real, you only see what you want to see. You see things through a dark filter and everything looks terrible (as opposed to the camera, that doesn’t lie).
2- Finally you have seen something that you really like, what you were looking for, so how about trying that again? (“how does it feel for one more time?”), that would be the beginning of the end to her depression, and we hope that the thing she likes is his love for her.Personally, I go for option 2. Not because it's the most probable (both are), but because it's the most beautiful, and it fits 100% with the video.

Explanations taken from MULTIMEDIA ENGLISH CLASSROOM