Exploring Mr.

Brightside by The Killers

Warm-up
1. Listen to a short instrumental version of the song (with no lyrics). What do you think the song is about based on its
music and title?

Listening
2. Listen once to the song to get to a general idea of it. Have you got a different impression from the one you got
when listening to the instrumental version?

3. Listen to the first verse and pre-chorus and complete with the words you hear (they’re all present participle
forms).
________ out of my cage and I been ________ just fine
Gotta, gotta be down because I want it all
It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?
It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss
Now I'm ________ asleep and she's ________ a cab
While he's ________ a smoke and she's takin' a drag
Now they're ________ to bed and my stomach is sick
And it's all in my head
But she's ________ his chest now
He takes off her dress now
Let me go
And I just can't look, it's ________ me
And ________ control

4. Complete the chorus with the words in the box.

alibis – destiny – eager – jealousy – lullabies

________, turnin' saints into the sea

Swimmin' through sick ________
Chokin' on your ________
But it's just the price I pay
________ is callin' me
Open up my ________ eyes
'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside

Vocabulary
5. What’s the meaning of the following phrases from the song?
call a cab have a smoke take a drag alibi eager lullaby

Analysis & discussion

6. Discuss the questions below.
1 What are the main themes of the song?
2 What do you think the narrator is feeling in the song?
3 Have you ever felt like the narrator? Explain.
4 Do you think the song has a hopeful or pessimistic message? Why?