A blast from the past: Something or someone that returns after a period of absence. It is normally applied to things that were thought of fondly previously and are making a welcome return - particularly pop songs.
This song is definitely a blast from the past. It was originally written and sung by Joni Mitchell in 1970. It was then covered in 2002 by The Counting Crows, and this is the version you are going to listen to.
I like this song because it tells a story. Read through the lyrics first, then listen and see if you can put the vocabulary in the correct gaps.
Lesson by Caroline Devane
Boutique
Parking
Bees
Dollar
Night
Apples
Hotel
Taxi
Museum
They paved paradise and put up a _1_ lot
With a pink _2_, a _3_, and a swingin' hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parkin' lot
They took all the trees, and put em in a tree _4_
And they charged the people a _5_ and a half to see them
No, no, no, don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise, and put up a parkin' lot
Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT
I don't care about spots on my _6_
Leave me the birds and the _7_- please
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey now, they've paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not?
Listen, late last _8_, I heard the screen door swing,
And a big yellow _9_ took my girl away
Now don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Hey now now, don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got till it's gone
They paved paradise to put up a parking lot
Why not, they paved paradise
They put up a parking lot
Hey hey hey, paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Now decide which missing words are needed:
