Get more words!

TEACHER’S CORNER

Source: SpeakUp

Language Level: Basic

Standard: American accent

This month we continue our analysis of one of the most confusing words in the English language: get. There’s no way to get around (or avoid) it: this word has dozen of meanings. English students may feel that they are getting nowhere, that they are making no progress. Hopefully, they’ll get over it – that is, recover from the trauma.

LIKE A ROLLING STONE

Let’s try a different angle and look at how “get” is used in pop songs. Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones famously complained: “I can’t get no satisfaction.” Here the meaning is simply “obtain.” That double negative isn’t correct (it should be “I can’t get any satisfaction”), but the Stones get away with it because it sounds right. The Stones were also to have a hit with the song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Here again the meaning of “get” is to obtain.

WITH THE BEATLES

In the 1960s the Rolling Stones, who were from London, were the rivals of the Beatles, who were from Liverpool. Ringo Starr was perhaps the least talented member of the group, so it was no surprise to hear him sing “I get by with a little help from my friends.” This means he manages to survive because his friends help him. This was a hit, as was another Beatles song, Get Back, in which two characters, Jojo and Sweet Loretta Martin, are told: “Get Back to where you once belonged.” Here get back means to “go back” or “return”.

AND MARVIN…

We may get into hot water (that means trouble) with our next song, but you don’t get ahead (that is succeed) without taking risks. Right? So, when Marvin Gaye sang, “Let’s get it on” he was suggesting his girlfriend join him in bed. Yet if you get into bed with someone, it isn’t always for sex. Figuratively, we may say that rock stars “get into bed with” the establishment when they accept enormous amounts of money for their music. They sang their protest songs, but then joined the “enemy.” We can see clearly now: we’ve got their number, i.e. we know what they’re really like.


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