"Hazy Shade of Winter" - Version by The Bangles (1987)
(Original song written by Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel, 1968)
Time, time, time
See what's become of me...
Time, time, time
See what's become of me
While I looked around for my possibilities
I was so hard to please
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Hear the Salvation Army band
Down by the riverside
There's bound to be a better ride
Than what you've got planned
Carry a cup in your hand
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Hang on to your hopes, my friend
That's an easy thing to say
But if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again
Look around
The grass is high
The fields are ripe
It's the springtime of my life
Seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me?
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
Look around
Leaves are brown
There's a patch of snow on the ground
Look around
Leaves are brown
There's a patch of snow on the ground
Look around
Leaves are brown
There's a patch of snow on the ground
Vocabulary:
1. possibility (noun):
qualities of a promising nature; potential.
We bought this old house because it has many possibilities.
2. hazy (adjective):
foggy or misty
Example: Yesterday was sunny but today it is hazy. I can't see more than 3 meters in front of me!
3. shade (noun):
to how light or dark a color is
Example: She wore a light shade of pink to the party.
4. Salvation Army (proper noun):
a well-known Christian charity in the U.S.A and the U.K. that provides food, clothing and shelter to poor people. The Salvation Army band is a brass band of Salvation Army members that plays gospel music in public places during holidays like Christmas.
Example: My grandma was a volunteer in the Salvation Army. She helped many poor people by giving them food and clothing.
5. "Down By the Riverside" (proper noun):
the name of a well-known Christian gospel song. [Click here to listen to this song.]
Example: In music class we sang "Down By the Riverside".
6. ripe (adjective):
(of fruit or grain) ready to be harvested and eaten.
Example: The apples on the tree are ripe and ready to be picked!
7. weaving (verb - "to weave"):
connecting a number of different elements to make something new. It can be tangible like a fabric or a pattern, or abstract like a story.
8. tapestry (noun):
a woven fabric with pictures or designs in it
Example: Their living room had a beautiful tapestry on the wall.
9. patch (noun):
a part or area different from the area around it.
Example: I see a patch of flowers in the middle of the field.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What season is this song about?
2. What part of life do you this this season symbolizes?
a. Childhood
b. Adolescence
c. Parenthood
d. Old age
3. What do you think the beginning of the song means?
Time, time, time / see what's become of me
a. It's late in the day b. The narrator doesn't know what she is going to be
c. The narrator is looking back at her life and thinking about how she has changed from when she was younger.
4. What does this stanza from the beginning of the song mean?
Time, time, time
See what's become of me
While I looked around for my possibilities
I was so hard to please
a. The narrator never has enough time to get things done.
b. The narrator, who is not young anymore, is looking back on her life. She realizes that she didn't appreciate her life when she was young because she was always looking for something better.
c. The narrator had difficulty saying "please" when she needed to be on time.
5. The song's refrain is this:
Look around
Leaves are brown
And the sky is a hazy shade of winter
What do you think it means?
a. You should look around more and notice the change of seasons.
b. It is an ugly day.
c. Be aware of the passage of time because we will not live forever.
6. What do you think is the meaning of this stanza?
Hang on to your hopes, my friend
That's an easy thing to say
But if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend
That you can build them again
a. Don't stop wishing for what you want, even if you know that the chance to have it has passed and will never come again.
b. Pretending is a good way to build things.
c. It's easy to walk about hopes and wishes.
7. What do you think is the meaning of this stanza?
Seasons change with the scenery
Weaving time in a tapestry
Won't you stop and remember me?
a. The year has 4 seasons.
b. You should remember to weave a tapestry when the seasons change.
c. The passage of time is like the change of seasons, and the narrator hopes the person she is talking to won't be too busy to remember her.
8. What do you think is the meaning of the "patch of snow" in the last stanza of the song?
a. It's getting cold outside.
b. Time has passed and the narrator is now old.
c. Spring is coming soon.
BONUS:
Listen to the original version of "Hazy Shade of Winter" by Simon and Garfunkel. Which version do you prefer, their version or The Bangles' version? Why?
Header photo by Jeffrey Czum