Seconds - U2 lyrics

Seconds: reading, literacy and text-based activities for KS3 (11-13yo)

1. https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wvq85uY5jE Seconds

2. Can you explain the meaning of these words? hostility obliteration Armageddon traumatised vengeance retaliation determination evacuation annihilation catastrophe holocaust nuclear

3. Lyrics for ‘Seconds’ by Paul Hewson It takes a second to say goodbye, Say goodbye. It takes a second to say goodbye, Say goodbye, say bye bye Where are you going to now?   This is the rise and fall . . . Lightning flashes across the sky, From east to west you do or die. Like a thief in the night, You see the world by candlelight.   This is the rise and fall . . . In an apartment on Times Square, You can assemble them anywhere. Held to ransom, hell to pay, A revolution every day. USSR, GDR, London, New York, Peking. It's the puppets, It's the puppets who pull the strings.   Say goodbye, say goodbye. It takes a second to say goodbye, Push the button and pull the plug, say goodbye.   This is the rise and fall . . . They're doing the atomic bomb, Do they know where the dance comes from? Yes they're doing the atomic bomb, They want you to sing along. Say goodbye, say goodbye.

4. Write the line from the song that matches the image in each picture. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Write the line from the song that matches the image in each picture. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Quote Seconds : techniques and interpretation 1. Lightning flashes across the sky, From east to west you do or die. Like a thief in the night, You see the world by candlelight. Technique : metaphor What could be flashing across the sky like lightning ? Does it sound dangerous in any way? 2. Lightning flashes across the sky, From east to west you do or die. Like a thief in the night, You see the world by candlelight. Technique : simile Why might it be acting like a thief , and what might it be stealing ? 3. This is the rise and fall Technique : metaphor What could be rising and what could be falling ? Does it sound a good thing or a bad thing? 4. Yes they're doing the atomic bomb, They want you to sing along. Say goodbye, say goodbye. Technique : repetition Why would the people have to ‘say goodbye’? Does the end of the song sound hopeful or sad?

7. Here are some ideas to think about to help you come up with ideas. THE PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS ARE NOT PROPERLY IN CONTROL BEING ABLE TO STRIKE FIRST IS SO IMPORTANT THERE IS A SECRETIVE THREAT THAT MIGHT STRIKE AT ANY TIME IF THE BOMB IS DROPPED, IT WOULD BE FAREWELL TO EVERYONE ALL CIVILISATIONS EVENTUALLY END THOSE WHO FIRE THE MISSILES DON’T MAKE THE DECISIONS WHEN TO FIRE THEM THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AGGRESSIVE ALSO WANT YOU TO BE AGRESSIVE EVENTUALLY THERE IS ALWAYS ANOTHER WAR TARGETS FOR NUCLEAR BOMB STRIKES A NUCLEAR WAR CAN SPREAD VERY QUICKLY THERE IS AN URGENCY TO DO SOMETHING, BECAUSE THERE IS AN IMMEDIATE DANGER A NUCLEAR WAR WOULD BE THE END OF EVERYTHING SOMETHING IS TAKEN AWAY THAT YOU CAN NEVER GET BACK THE MAIN RISK OF A WAR WAS BETWEEN AMERICA AND RUSSIA

8. Disappointment Betrayal Anger Exhaustion Which word best describes the feeling at the end of the song? Hopelessness Fear Sadness Loneliness Explain the reason for your answer.

9. ‘Lightning flashes across the sky’ is a metaphor, because : a. t he word ‘lightning’ is an adjective b . i t is saying that the missiles are lightning c . i t repeats the same sounds in all of the words. 2 . The imagery in ‘Lightning flashes across the sky’ emphasises: a. that war is like bad weather b. that the missiles fly very quickly c . that the missiles are deadly, just like lightning 3 . The quote ‘ From east to west you do or die ’ uses alliteration to emphasise: a. t hat in a nuclear war you have to act quickly b. that if you are attacked, there is only one choice about what you can do c . that the outcome is likely to be deadly anyway 4 . The simile ‘ Like a thief in the night ’ compares the missiles to thieves, because : a. t hieves are bad and war is bad b . t he writer wants to make the dangers seem more real c . t hieves steal your belongings, but the missiles take everything away, including your life 5 . The writer lists the cities and countries: ‘USSR, GDR, London, New York, Peking’ to: a. e mphasise that a nuclear war would affect the whole world b. list some of the main target sites for nuclear attacks c. s how that countries on both sides would get hit Seconds - QUIZ

10. 6. T he metaphor: ‘It’s the puppets who pull the strings’ emphasises that: a. i t is difficult to work out who is in control b . a lot of people are being controlled and don’t know it c . t he war is just like a game, and isn’t as serious as it seems 7 . The metaphor: ‘ This is the rise and fall ’ suggests that: a. c onstantly switching between war and peace is something that humans are always doing b. h umans have come so far with technology, that sooner or later something will go wrong c . life is full of ups and downs 8. ‘They’re doing the atomic bomb,/ They want you to sing along’ suggests that: a. t he people involved in the war are a bit mad, and they want us to join in their madness too b. n o one really cares about the bombs or the war c. The politician think that the missiles are a good thing, and that we should agree with them 9 . The repetition of: ‘ Say goodbye, say goodbye ’ at the end adds emphasis to the message that: a. i t is time to end the song b. i t is easier just to forget about problems like nuclear war c. a nuclear war could be the end of everything 10. The imagery in the poem helps to communicate an anti-war message by: a. m aking the message more engaging than just a slogan b. c reating vivid pictures in the mind of the audience c. distracting the audience from the truth about the war Seconds - QUIZ