16 present perfect songs

Posted on December 27, 2010 Written by Luiz Otávio 72 Comments

Nearly two years after I first put together these 16 video clips, this remains the most popular post on my blog, with thousands of views every month.

Some of the song extracts are fairly recent, such as Michael Bublé’s “Haven’t met you yet”, but others will be less familiar to younger visitors and are pretty cringe-inducing if MOR music is not your thing. Anyway, the cheesiest songs are accompanied by three warning letters: GPA (Guilty Pleasure Alert).

But I digress. This video is simply meant to remind you of / introduce you to songs containing the present perfect and, once you’ve picked the ones you like / your students might like (or have fun trashing), you can google up the lyrics and look up the video clip on Youtube, Dailymotion or Metacafé.

Have fun. By the way, the video might take about 10 seconds to load. Be patient.

1. Michael Bublé: Haven’t met you yet

And I know someday that it’ll all turn out

You’ll make me work

So we can work to work it out

And I promise you kid that I’ll give

So much more than I get

I just haven’t met you yet

2. Bryan Adams: Have you ever really loved a woman?

When you love a woman

then tell her that she’s really wanted

When you love a woman then tell her that she’s the one

’cause she needs somebody to tell her that it’s gonna last forever

So tell me have you ever really –

really really ever loved a woman?

3. Rod Stewart: Have you ever seen the rain?

I wanna know

Have you ever seen the rain?

Coming down on a sunny day

4. Charlene: I’ve never been to me. (GPA! GPA!)

I can see so much of me

Still living in your eyes

Won’t you share a part of a weary heart

That has lived a million lives

I’ve been to Nice and the isle of Greece

When I sipped champagne on a yatch

I moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed them what I’ve got

I’ve been undressed by kings

and I’ve seen some things that a woman ain’t supposed to see

I’ve been to paradise but I’ve never been to me

5. Madonna: Take a bow

I’ve always been in love with you

I guess you’ve always known it’s true

You took my love for granted why

The show is over say good bye

6. Barry Manilow: I write the songs (GPA!)

I’ve been alive forever

And I wrote the very first song

I put the words and the melodies together

I am music and I write the songs

7. U2: Still haven’t found what I’m looking for

I have climbed the highest mountains

I have run through the fields

Only to be with you

I have run

I have crawled

I have scaled these city walls

Only to be with you

But I sill haven’t found what I’m looking for

8. Carpenters: A song for you (GPA!)

I’ve been so many places in my life and time

I’ve sung a lot of songs

I’ve made some bad rhyme

I’ve acted out my love in stages

With ten thousand people watching

But we’re alone now and I’m singing this song for you

9. James Taylor: Fire and rain

I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain

I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end

I’ve seen lonely times when I thought I could not find a friend

But I always thought I’d see you again

10. Paula Cole: Where have all the cowboys gone?

I will do the laundry

If you pay all the bills

Where is my John Wayne

Where is my prairie son

Where is my happy ending?

Where have all the cowboys gone?

11. Barbra Streisand: The way we were (GPA!!!)

Can it be that it was all so simple then?

Or has time rewritten every line?

If we had the chance to do it all again

Tell me would we

Could we

12. Elton John: Your song

So excuse me forgetting

But these things I do

You see I’ve forgotten if they’re green or they’re blue

Anyway the thing is what I really mean

Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen

And you can tell everybody this is your song

13. SOS Band: The finest

My friends say I’m lucky

To have someone as good as you

My love’s understanding

Understanding how to hold on to you

After all that we’ve been through

Time won’t change the way I feel about you

Out of all the loves before

You’re the finest I’ve ever known

14. ABBA: The winner takes it all (GPA!)

I don’t wanna talk

About things we’ve gone through

Though it’s hurting me

Now it’s history

I’ve played all my cards

And that’s what you’ve done too

Nothing more to say

No more ace to play

15. Rod Stewart: Have I told you lately that I love you?

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Have I told you there’s no one else above you?

You feel my heart with gladness

Take away all my sadness

Ease my troubles that’s what you do

16. Eva Cassidy: You’ve changed

You’ve changed

That sparkle in your eyes is gone

Your smile is just a careless yawn

It’s all over know

You’ve changed

Thank you

http://www.luizotaviobarros.com/2010/12/present-perfect-songs.html