I want you, to want me!

This week the JHS 3rd graders are studying, or have studied, the following grammar.

My father tells me to work hard.

私の父が 私に　一所懸命動力して　と言います。

主語＋動詞　（tell, want, say, askなど）+目的語＋to不定詞

機能てきには人の言葉を伝えることです。「人に～してほしい」と言う

Recently I have been listening to music while I run. Usually I listen to podcasts where people are talking and not to music. I have been listening to a music podcast done by Adam Curry, a former MTV VJ. During one of the podcasts he played a song by the band Cheap Trick called "I want you to want me.". The grammar from this song is the same is the grammar the JHS 3rd graders are studying now. However, it is a little hard to translate the title "I want you to want me" directly into Japanese. The Japanese title is 「甘い罠」 wich would a direct translation back into English would render something like "Sweet Trap".


By the way, my children want me to play with them and not get angry. My wife wants me enjoy my life in Japan. My mother wants me to come home. She is always telling me to find a job in the USA. What do you want me to do? What do people want you to do? What do people tell you to do? What do they ask you to do?

Here is a link to Cheap Trick performing the song at the Budokan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBQ9dm7zaQU

And here is a link to the band KSM performing a cover of the song. The girls in KSM are about 15 years old, by the way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vQ9q3qMLMQ&feature=related


Enjoy!