本书以教育部《课程要求》的基本理念为指导，秉承思想性、科学性、时代性、系统性和发展性等原则，并充分考虑提高学生的跨文化交际和自主学习能力，保证学生在这门选修课上获得相对充实的语言文化输入和有效的语言训练及能力培养。

本书的两大特色：一是以学生为中心的交际型教学模式；二是激发学生兴趣，引导学生进行自主学习。本书内容以听、说为主，设置各种不同的口语任务，从个人发言到小组讨论，从讲述故事到角色扮演，引导学生围绕英语歌曲学习展开一系列师生间的和学生之间的交际会话，从而达到帮助学生克服外语学习焦虑，提高学生的跨文化交际能力的目的。其次，本书在歌曲选择上既顾及底蕴深厚的经典老歌，又不忘加入符合学生口味、时代感较强的新歌，以进一步激发学生的学习兴趣，从而有意识地完成自主学习。此外，本书既注重语言文化的输入，更强调在音乐中激发学生对英语的学习兴趣和主动输出语言的欲望，让学生通过灵活多变、丰富多彩的练习和口语设计，更好地感知、学习和应用语言，进一步提高听、说、读、写、译多方面的语言能力。

本书分12个单元，共收录英文歌曲60首。每个单元一个主题，按照歌曲的思想性、文化的多元性，语言的丰富性和音乐风格的多样性要求，选择5首具有积极的历史意义、文化内涵和社会影响的英文歌曲作为学习内容。

本书适合作为各高等院校大学英语选修课教材亦可供英语歌曲爱好者学习参考。

Unit One Nostalgia 1

Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information

Part 2 Warm-up 1

Part 3 In-class Listening 2

    Song A Yesterday--the Beatles 2

    Song B Seasons in the Sun--the Westlife 4

Part 4 After-class Listening 9

    Song A Puff--Peter, Paul & Mary 9

    Song B Yesterday Once More--the Carpenters 11

    Song C Yesterday--Leone Lewis 12

Part 5 Achievement Test 16

Unit Two Country Life 19

Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 19

Part 2 Warm-up 20

Part 3 In-class Listening 20

    Song A Take Me Home, Country Roads--John Denver  20

    Song B Jambalaya--Hank Williams  24

Part 4 After-class Listening 28

    Song A Hotel California--Eagles  28

    Song B Changing Partners--Patti Page  30

    Song C Teardrops on My Guitar--Taylor Swift 31

Part 5 Achievement Test 34

Unit Three Sports 38

Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 38

Part 2 Warm-up 39

Part 3 In-class Listening 39

    Song A I Believe I Can Fly--R. Kelly 39

    Song B Better Man--Rohhie Williams 43

Part 4 After-class Listening 47

    Song A Waving Flag--K'naan 47

    Song B Hand in Hand-- Koreana 50

    Song C We Are the Champions--Queen 51

Part 5 Achievement Test 54

Unit Four Festival 58

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 58

 Part 2 Warm-up 59

 Part 3 In-class Listening 59

    Song A Silent Night, Holy Night--Mahalia Jackson 59

    Song B My Valentine--Martina McBride 63

 Part 4 After-class Listening 66

    Song A When Christmas Comes to Town-- Matthew Hall & Meagan Moore 66

    Song B The Magic of the Night--Enya 68

    Song C You Raise Me Up-Westlife 69

 Part 5 Achievement Test 72

Unit Five Race 76

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 76

 Part 2 Warm-up 77

 Part 3 In-class Listening 77

    Song A Ebony and Ivory--Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder 77

    Song B Love Is Color Blind--Sarah Connor 80

 Part 4 After-class Listening 87

    Song A Where Is the Love-the Black Eyed Peas 87

    Song B Black or White--Michael Jackson 90

    Song C Lonely--Nana Kwame Abrokwa 92

 Part 5 Achievement Test 97

Unit Six Love 100

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 100

 Part 2 Warm-up 101

 Part 3 In-class Listening 101

    Song A Save the Last Dance for Me-Michael Buble 101

    Song B Sealed with A Kiss--Bobby Vinton 105

 Part 4 After-class Listening 108

    Song A The Rose-Westlife 108

    Song B When You're Gone-Avril Lavigne 110

    Song C I Want It That Way--Backstreet Boys 111

 Part 5 Achievement Test 115

Unit Seven Children' s Song 119

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 119

 Part 2 Warm-up 119

Part 3 In-class Listening 120

    Song A Brahms' Lullaby--Jewel Kilcher 120

    Song B Do Re Mi --Julie Andrews 125

Part 4 After-class Listening 130

    Song A Under the Sea--Samuel E. Wright 130

    Song B Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star-Jewel Kilcher 133

    Song C Hush, Little Baby--Anonymous 134

Part 5 Achievement Test 138

Unit Eight Movie 142

Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 142

Part 2 Warm-up 143

Part 3 In-class Listening 143

    Song A Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Madonna 143

    Song B Casablanca--Bertie Higgins 147

Part 4 After-class Listening 151

    Song A Colors of the Wind-Vanessa William 151

    Song B There You'll Be-Faith Hill 154

    Song C When You Believe-Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston 155

Part 5 Achievement Test 158

Unit Nine War & Peace 162

Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 162

Part 2 Warm-up 162

Part 3 In-class Listening 163

    Song A Blowing in the Wind--Bob Dylan 163

    Song B Heal the World-Michael Jackson 166

Part 4 After-class Listening 171

    Song A Earth Song--Michael Jackson 171

    Song B Tell Me Why-Declan Galbraith 175

    Song C If Everyone Cared--Nickelback 177

 Part 5 Achievement Test 180

Unit Ten Friendship 184

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 184

 Part 2 Warm-up 185

 Part 3 In-class Listening 185

    Song A Auld Lang Syne-Mairi Campbell 185

    Song B That's What Friends are For--Dionne Warwick & Friends 190

 Part 4 After-class Listening 193

    Song A Your Friend-Declan Galbraith 193

    Song B I Will Be Your Friend-- Amy Grant 196

    Song C I Will Be Your Friend--Michael W. Smith 197

 Part 5 Achievement Test 201

UnitEleven Charity & Help 204

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 204

 Part 2 Warm-up 204

 Part 3 In-class Listening 205

    Song A Another Day in Paradise -- Phil Collins 205

    Song B We Are the World--Michael Jackson 209

 Part 4 After-class Listening 213

    Song A Do They Know It's Christmas--All Stars 213

    Song B Everybody Hurts--All Stars 215

    Song C The Saints Are Coming--U2 & Green Day 216

 Part 5 Achievement Test 220

Unit Twelve Dreams & Ideas 223

 Part 1 Cultural Background and Related Information 223

 Part 2 Warm-up 224

 Part 3 In-class Listening 224

    Song A It's My Life-- Ben Jovi 224

    Song B Vincent (Starry Starry Night)--Don Mclean 228

 Part 4 After-class Listening 233

    Song A Ordinary Miracle--Sarah McLachlan 233

    Song B Here I am--Bryan Adams 235

    Song C The Power of Dream--Celine Dion 236

 Part 5 Achievement Test 240

Appendix Ⅰ More Songs 243

Appendix Ⅱ Keys/Answers 285

References 301