SONG ACTIVITY – 7 YEARS

by Lukas Graham

Name: Group: Date: / /

1. Look at the ages on the chart. Think about what your life was like in the past and what it
will be like in the future. Using some of the words in the box and any other words you know,
talk with your partner about your notes.

adventure – books – career – dreams – drinking – family – friends – goals – job – limits – learn
love – memories – party – plans – retirement – school – sports – toys – traveling

7 YEARS OLD 11 YEARS OLD 20 YEARS OLD 30 YEARS OLD 60 YEARS OLD

2. Lukas Forchhammer, vocalist of the Danish band Lukas Graham, wrote the song 7 Years in
2015. He was born in 1988. By making some calculations, write the year that corresponds
to each age in the timeline.

Lukas Forchhammer’s timeline

3. Listen to the song. Match each line from the song to the corresponding age.

7 years old 11 years old 20 years old 30 years old 60 years old

a. [ ] my daddy told me “go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely”

b. [ ] my story got told
c. [ ] my mother told me “go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely”
d. [ ] I hope my children come and visit, once or twice a month
e. [ ] we've traveled around the world
f. [ ] drinking burning liquor
g. [ ] will I think the world is cold or will I have a lot of children who can warm me?
h. [ ] I started writing songs, I started writing stories
 SONG ACTIVITY – 7 YEARS
by Lukas Graham

4. Listen to the song again. Check ( ) the correct answers.

a. Which family members does the singer mention in the song?

[ ] His mom and dad.
[ ] His mom, dad and grandpa.
[ ] His mom, dad, wife and children.

b. Which family member dreamed of writing songs, as the singer does?

[ ] His mom. [ ] His dad. [ ] His brother.

c. Which line from the song shows the singer’s self-confidence?

[ ] “’Cause only those who I really love will ever know me”
[ ] “I only see my goals, I don’t believe in failure”
[ ] “I’m still learning about life”

d. Who is the singer talking about in the lines “Most of my boys are with me” and “My brother,
I’m still sorry”?
[ ] His Brothers.
[ ] His children.
[ ] His friends.

5. Read additional information about the song. What do you think it is it about?

• Lukas described "7 Years" as a song about his life so far and what he hopes to achieve in
the future. He said that the reason the lyrics go as far as the age of 60 is because his
father died at 61 and he needed to "pass it to believe it." He continued: "It's a song about
growing older. I'm also coming to a realisation that being a father is the most important
thing. My biggest dream is not to be some negative old dude, but to have my kids' friends
say, 'You're going to visit your dad? Say hi! He's awesome.' I had a perfect father.".
• Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten critic Anders Houmøller Thomsen compared the song
to The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four": "The ballad '7 Years' sounds like a current answer
to The Beatles' 'When I'm Sixty-Four'".
From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Years_(Lukas_Graham_song) Access: 5 June 2017.

6. Discuss these questions with your classmates.

a. What do you think of the pieces of advice given by the singer’s mom and dad? Have you ever
been given similar advice from your parents?
b. The singer’s childhood was poor and difficult. In your opinion, how was he able to overcome
these points and become a successful artist?
c. Consider the singer’s fears and expectations for the time he’s 60 years old. Do you have similar
feelings? Why (not)?
 SONG ACTIVITY – 7 YEARS
by Lukas Graham

TEACHER’S NOTES

Target audience (age): Ensino Médio.

Aims: Explore the comprehension of the lyrics; discuss advice given by parents; discuss how teenagers can
overcome poverty and difficulties in life to become successful adults; discuss fears and expectations for
old age.
Duration: 50 min.
Organization: individual/groupwork
Material: worksheet
Preparation: Make copies of the worksheet (1 per student). Check the websites with the song
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jErJimwom94) and the lyrics
(http://play.google.com/music/preview/Txcwe35z26nnyqfzsiqsahqwawi).

Background information
In several interviews, 29-year-old Lukas Forchhammer, the lead vocalist of Lukas Graham and songwriter
of 7 Years, has admitted the song has several autobiographical elements (Sources:
http://www.huffpostbrasil.com/entry/if-you-dont-know-lukas-graham-yet-you-should_us_ 56feea7de
4b0a06d5805c960; http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/ebc04a06-88f2-49ba-8aed-2e46e51a4cbd).

Procedure:
Pre-listening (Activity 1)
• Warm up students by discussing some milestones they reached when they were children. Ask
questions such as How old were you when you first went to school? How old were you when you
learned how to read? Who was your best friend in elementary school? Are you still friends?
• Hand out the worksheets.
• In Activity 1, have students work individually to fill the chart. When they are finished, invite some
students to share their answers with the whole class. Answer(s): personal answers.
Note: The song addresses sensitive issues. It is important to respect students who are not willing
to discuss them or share experiences with their classmates.
• In Activity 2, students should realize the songwriter is a young adult, both remembering past
moments and wondering what his future will be like, so that they can understand the lyrics. Check
their answers. Answer(s): 7 – 1995; 11 – 1999; 20 – 2008; 30 – 2018; 60 – 2048.
Listening (Activities 3 and 4)
• Go through the items in Activity 3 with the whole class, clarifying vocabulary, if necessary. Then,
play the song and have students match the ages to the lines of the song. Check answers.
Answer(s): a. 11; b. 20; c. 7; d. 60; e. 30; f. 11; g. 60; h. 11-20.
• Before playing the song again in Activity 4, allow students some time to go through the items
individually. Encourage them to predict some of the answers before listening. Then, play the song.
• Let students compare their answers with a partner. Check answers with the whole class.
Answer(s): a. His mom, dad, wife and children; b. His dad; c. “I only see my goals, I don’t believe
in failure”; d. His friends.
After listening (Activities 5 and 6)
• In Activity 5, students can read additional information about the song. Answer(s): It's a song
about growing older.
• For Activity 6, divide students into small groups. Read the questions with the whole class,
clarifying vocabulary, if necessary. While they discuss their ideas, play the song in the background.
• When they are finished, encourage students to share their ideas with the whole class. Answer(s):
personal answers.
Wrap up activity
• Students sing along with the song.
Extension
• Students do some research on the meaning of The Beatles’ song “When I'm Sixty-Four”
(mentioned in Activity 5) and compare it to “7 years”’.