Exploring English Through Music

Let’s play the selected songs and follow along the lyrics. After that we will analyse the lyrics for deeper understanding and discuss the song’s theme and message to facilitate language engagement.

Vance Joy – Riptide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWq1hK6XtjU

Lyrics

I was scared of dentists and the dark
I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations
Oh, all my friends are turning green
You’re the magician’s assistant in their dream

Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ahh-ah-ah
And they come unstuck

Lady, running down to the riptide
Taken away to the dark side
I wanna be your left-hand man
I love you when you’re singing that song
And I got a lump in my throat
‘Cause you’re gonna sing the words wrong

There’s this movie that I think you’ll like
This guy decides to quit his job and heads to New York City
This cowboy’s running from himself
And she’s been living on the highest shelf

Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ahh-oh
And they come unstuck

I just wanna, I just wanna know
If you’re gonna, if you’re gonna stay
I just gotta, I just gotta know
I can’t have it, I can’t have it any other way

I swear she’s destined for the screen
Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you’ve ever seen, oh

Oh lady, running down to the riptide
Taken away to the dark side
I wanna be your left-hand man
I love you when you’re singing that song
And I got a lump in my throat
‘Cause you’re gonna sing the words wrong

Yeah, I got a lump in my throat
‘Cause you’re gonna sing the words wrong

2. Men At Work – Down Under: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMSUvArIq8s

Lyrics

Traveling in a fried-out Kombi
On a hippie trail, head full of zombie
I met a strange lady, she made me nervous
She took me in and gave me breakfast
And she said

“Do you come from a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover”

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six-foot-four and full of muscle
I said, “Do you speak-a my language?”
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich
And he said

“I come from a land down under
Where beer does flow and men chunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover, yeah”

Lying in a den in Bombay
With a slack jaw and not much to say
I said to the man, “Are you trying to tempt me?
Because I come from the land of plenty”
And he said

Oh, “Do you come from a land down under? (Oh, yeah-yeah)
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover”, ’cause we are

Living in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder (yeah)
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? (Thunder)
You better-better run, you better take cover

Living in a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? Ooh, yeah
You better run, you better take cover

Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you, can’t you hear the thunder? (Can’t you, can’t you hear the thunder?)
You better run, you better take cover

Living in a land down under (living in a land down under)
Where women glow and men plunder
Can’t you, can’t you hear the thunder?

3. Justin Bieber – Love Yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY00uFz5bTA

Lyrics

For all the times that you rained on my parade
And all the clubs you get in using my name
You think you broke my heart, oh, girl, for goodness’ sake
You think I’m crying on my own, well, I ain’t

And I didn’t wanna write a song
‘Cause I didn’t want anyone thinkin’ I still care, I don’t, but
You still hit my phone up
And baby, I’ll be movin’ on
And I think you should be somethin’ I don’t wanna hold back
Maybe you should know that

My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone
And I never like to admit that I was wrong
And I’ve been so caught up in my job
Didn’t see what’s going on, but now I know
I’m better sleeping on my own

‘Cause if you like the way you look that much
Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself
And if you think that I’m still holdin’ on to somethin’
You should go and love yourself

But when you told me that you hated my friends
The only problem was with you and not them
And every time you told me my opinion was wrong
And tried to make me forget where I came from

‘Cause if you like the way you look that much
Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself
And if you think that I’m still holdin’ on to somethin’
You should go and love yourself

For all the times that you made me feel small
I fell in love, now I feel nothin’ at all
I never felt so low and I was vulnerable
Was I a fool to let you break down my walls?

‘Cause if you like the way you look that much
Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself
And if you think that I’m still holdin’ on to somethin’
You should go and love yourself

‘Cause if you like the way you look that much
Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself (yeah)
And if you think (you think) that I’m (that I’m)
Still holdin’ on to somethin’ (holdin’ on, no)
You should go and love yourself

4. Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exPFJVbIz0c&list=PL8D4Iby0Bmm8wob_KNgW8crCdQ5pxA2Pv

Lyrics

Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride (Kio, Kio) ’til I can’t no more

I got the horses in the back
Horse tack is attached
Hat is matte black
Got the boots that’s black to match
Riding on a horse, ha
You can whip your Porsche
I been in the valley
You ain’t been up off the porch, now

Can’t nobody tell me nothing
You can’t tell me nothing
Can’t nobody tell me nothing
You can’t tell me nothing

Riding on a tractor
Lean all in my bladder
Cheated on my baby
You can go and ask her
My life is a movie
Bull riding and boobies
Cowboy hat from Gucci
Wrangler on my booty

Can’t nobody tell me nothing
You can’t tell me nothing
Can’t nobody tell me nothing

You can’t tell me nothing

Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more

Hat down, cross-town, livin’ like a rockstar
Spent a lot of money on my brand-new guitar
Baby’s got a habit: diamond rings and Fendi sports bras
Ridin’ down Rodeo in my Maserati sports car
Got no stress, I’ve been through all that
I’m like a Marlboro Man so I kick on back
Wish I could roll on back to that old town road
I wanna ride ’til I can’t no more

Yeah, I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more
I’m gonna take my horse to the old town road
I’m gonna ride ’til I can’t no more