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The Roses of Success
This is from the movie "Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang"

Every bursted bubble has a glory
Each abysmal failure makes a point
Every glowing path that goes astray
Shows you how to find a better way
So every time you stumble, Never grumble
Next time you'll bumble even less
For up from the ashes, up from the ashes, grow the roses of success

Grow the roses
Grow the roses
Grow the roses of success
O yes!
Grow the roses
Those rosy roses
From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success

For every big mistake you make be grateful
(Hear, hear!)
That mistake you'll never make again
(No sir)
Every shiny dream that fades and dies
Generates the steam for two more tries
So there's magic in the wake of a fiasco!
(Correct)
It gives you that chance to second guess
(O yes!)
Then up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success

Grow the roses
Grow the roses
Grow the roses of success
Grow the roses
Those rosy roses
From the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success

Disaster didn't styme Louis Pasteur
(No sir)
Edison took years to see the light
(Right)
Alexander Graham knew failure well. He took a lot of knocks to ring that bell
So when it gets distressing it's a blessing
Onward and upward you must press
Yes! Yes!
Til up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success

Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Grow the roses of success

Grow the ro
Grow the ro
Grow the roses!
Those rosy ro
Those rosy ro
Those rosy roses!
From the ashes of disaster, grow the roses of success

Start the engines
Success
Batten the hatches
Success
Man the shrouds
Lift the anchor
Success!

 

Exercises
By  Isabel Pérez Torres

Exercises: some of the exercises below can be done printed and interactively by clicking on the links.

1. Listen to the first part of the song and fill the blanks with the present simple of the verb in brackets.
Then, click here to do this exercise interactively.

Every bursted bubble__________ (have) a glory
Each abysmal failure __________(make) a point
Every glowing path that ________(go) astray
________(show) you how to find a better way
So every time you _________(stumble), Never grumble
Next time you'll bumble even less
For up from the ashes, up from the ashes, grow the roses of success

2. Look up the following words in the electronic dictionary and translate them.
Then, do this matching exercise click here

WordsTranslation
bursted bubble 
abysmal failure  
glowing path  
better way
up from the ashes  
roses of success 

3. Now, you probably understand the metaphorical meaning of the sentence: "up from the ashes, grow the roses of success".

Explain it in your own words:

 

4. Listen to the second part of the song and match the halves:

For every big mistakenever make again
That mistake you'll for two more tries
Every shiny dreamyou make be grateful
Generates the steamto second guess
So there's magic in the wake of a fiasco!
It gives you that chancethat fades and dies

Now click here to do it interactively.

5. Listen to the first part of the song and fill the blanks with the three names among the following. Then, translate the verse to understand the meaning.

But first click here to do an interactivey quiz

Archimedes, Louis Pasteur, Edwin Aldrin, Jacques Cousteau, Alexander Graham, Edison, Benjamin Franklin , Galileo Galilei

Disaster didn't styme ____________
(No sir)
__________took years to see the light
(Right)
_____________knew failure well. He took a lot of knocks to ring that bell
So when it gets distressing it's a blessing
Onward and upward you must press
Yes! Yes!
Til up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success

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