Singing with Meaning: What the Song Is About
Primary 1 · Creative Arts
Singing with Meaning: What the Song Is About
Lesson 2 of 8
10 min
Let's begin
Mugisha is singing with everybody else. One word in the song is new to him.
He mumbles it and sings on. The song still sounds right, so he forgets about it.
Today you will learn what to do with a word you do not know.
A song is short. Every word in it is doing a job.
Sometimes the one word you skipped is the word carrying the message.
So stop at that word. Do not sing past it.
Tool 1. Look at the rest of the line. The words around it give you a clue.
Tool 2. Look at what people are doing when they sing it. Are they eating? Clapping? Working?
Tool 3. Ask somebody older. Your mama, your grandmother, your big sister. Ask today, not next week.
Worked example. A song says: at Umuganura we eat the new food together.
You do not know the word Umuganura.
Step 1 Look at the rest of the line. It is about eating new food together.
Step 2 Look at what people do. They share food from one big pot.
Step 3 Ask your grandmother. She says it is the harvest day.
Now the message opens up: this song says that we thank the land for our food.
A song can sound perfect and still mean nothing to you.
If you cannot say what one word means, you have not finished with the song.
Tip
Stop at the word. Ask someone
Line, then people, then a person who knows.
One new word a day is plenty. You will soon know them all.
Do each one, then tap Show answer to check.
You hear a word you have never heard. What is the first thing you do?
Answer: stop at it. Then look at the rest of the line for a clue.
Mutesi does not know the word in her song. Who can she ask at home?
Answer: her mama, her papa, her grandmother or an older brother or sister.
A song says: we bring gifts at the ceremony. You do not know the word ceremony. People are singing and eating together. What is a ceremony?
Answer: a day when people come together for something big.
Why is one unknown word a problem?
Answer: that one word can be the word carrying the message.
Find one word from any song today and ask somebody older what it means.
Answer: say the word back to yourself twice, then use it in a sentence of your own.
What you learned today
Quick check
If the song sounds right, you know every word.
