Learning English by Listening

Hi Teshka, probably you mention a poem that I post in the poetry forum, it´s because I like to write poetry in spanish, and now I´m trying to translate to english to share my thinkings with our friends, hope is the one you mention, is called "good bye to a friend" I post it because I lost a friend some years ago and tried to express what I felt when he left this world, but as I read a Frankie Jasmine´s poem about a friend she lost, (you can read her poems about Baris Akarsu in the same forum), I wanted to share with her my emotions.
But as this thread is about music, I think it would be not useful here, but hope you can check it, to tell us if it´s what you talked about.

Nevertheless, if some of you, dear friends, post songs to practice, we can continue this good idea started by Dragonfly, and hope Dragonfly, can come back to help us. Please keep in touch and thanks.

Mexico62: I want to transcribe the Mr. & Mrs. song because that's "unfinished business"! Give me a day or two. Sorry . . . I can see I'm too slow for the likes of you!!! You are a go-getter!! Hey! Things are slow in Kentucky . . . I thought of things as going slow or being taken slowly in Mexico too--is that not true? Or, if it is true, how do you fit in, being such an eager person? By the way, I like your eagerness.

Originally Posted by Frankie Jasmine

Mexico62: I want to transcribe the Mr. & Mrs. song because that's "unfinished business"! Give me a day or two. Sorry . . . I can see I'm too slow for the likes of you!!! You are a go-getter!! Hey! Things are slow in Kentucky . . . I thought of things as going slow or being taken slowly in Mexico too--is that not true? Or, if it is true, how do you fit in, being such an eager person? By the way, I like your eagerness.

Hi F. J., of course we have that part pending, but don´t worry, take your time, maybe I seem to be in a hurry, because I like a lot to enjoy this place and learn at the same time, but you are right, we must do so many things and the time is not always in our side (as Rolling stones said), so is better to do one thing at a time but with the heart in it, and I promise you I´ll try to slow down a little, Gracias de nuevo. (thanks again).

P. S., And you are right in most parts in México things are going so slowly, but I try to be patient, as you are (patient) with me.

A new song to transcribe for English learners! I chose pretty Norah Jones again. This Studio Q version is as good and clear as the recorded version, plus it shows her actually singing. That leaves some option for lip-reading! For now I am going to assign this song level: MEDIUM.
Have Fun!!!


"LITTLE BROKEN HEARTS"

[oVE6jF8Ut1E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=oVE6jF8Ut1E[/video]

Hi F. J., thank you for this awesome song, I´m falling in love with the voice of Norah Jones, I will start to write my version of the song, but I will give time, hope some friends want to participate and make their try, if not I will post my transcription, bye for now, gracias amiga.

De nada. I just love Miss Norah. Post whenever you wish! Anyone else wanting to transcribe can just listen to the video, not reading your transcription. (That's what I did on another thread for Moon; Mixalopoulos had transcribed the song, but I didn't read his version until I had already transcribed my own. BTW, it had some southern lingo and accent, and Mixalopoulos did a fantastic job in hearing what the guy was saying--I was impressed!)

I was going to do one video at a time, but that may be too slow and uninteresting. So . . . Tonight I add the beautiful, unusual voice of EMMY ROSSUM singing "The Great Divide." This song is rated "Easy" for now, because there is repetition within the song and quite a bit of instrumentals:

[Please excuse any ads]


[miBvlfArLpo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miBvlfArLpo&feature=player_detailpage[/video]

Hi F. J., you are so right, I´m going to work with the song you posted of Norah Jones "Little Broken Hearts", and as soon as I can I will post my (misheard) version of the song. Thank you for your time and dedication.

veryclever1980 posted this song. It is so beautiful, that I could not resist putting it on this thread. Believe me, I very much like male singers too--but usually in languages other than English!


TORI AMOS (American - classically trained mezzo-soprano/songwriter) - "WINTER"

Rating: HARD!

Pro:
*Tori Amos's diction (pronunciation) is excellent.
*Lots of close-up shots, so help with lip-reading!

Con:
*There are a lot of verses in this song!


[KWmETxWM0h0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWmETxWM0h0&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Oh my goodness, I'm terribly sorry about my disappearance! Who still needs lyrics? Because I'd totally forgotten about this thread (I don't get notifications... o___O) and I'd be glad to help, but I don't know where you're at right now... When I first opened this thread, it wasn't popular at all, so I never checked (it's been over two years now).

And the Mr. & Ms. song... (next time I'll pick something in clearer English lol)

Love Is Not A Reason To Cry


Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry

The first time I saw you
You were looking at me
My heart began to beat so fast
And your eyes—they told me
You are my destiny
And I should forget all the past

The first time I saw you
You were sad and alone
Somebody just broke your heart
And I told you, my girl
It’s ok, don’t you cry
Finish line could be a new start

Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry

You showed me how to fly
With your love and your smile
You just gave me reason to live
Day by day night by night
I will be by your side
Wanna* be the air that you breathe

Love is not a reason to cry
Love is not a reason to cry ...


*note: "want to" is often contracted to "wanna"... it's not proper English, and as such shouldn't be spelt like this, but it's become increasingly common (also the contraction "gonna", i.e., "going to")




Ok, for a song in clearer English: Gavin Mikhail (he's American... he has very clear English. He does covers of other people's songs as well as composing his own, most often accompanied by piano.)

Here is a song by Linkin Park that is covered by Gavin...

New Divide

[GR3y_fGiGE4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR3y_fGiGE4[/video]

Dearest dragonfly,

Didn't want to "steal" your thread!! Sorry! It was so good and you were gone for so long. Please just consider me a substitute. I will follow through on "Litttle Broken Hearts," "Great Divide," and "Winter," since I posted them. If anyone non-English chooses to transcribe them, I will do my own very closely listened to transcription to follow-up. (The lyrics on most lyrics sites and even on pamphlets with the CD are often not matched to the actual song/video).

I hope if you read back through--there are only two pages between your start of the thread and where I "Substituted"--you will easily see what we've done. It was requested that there be a rating system for each song. Please take a look at the list of ratings (according to difficulty to transcribe); also on each song I rated the song and told why I gave that rating. After following-through on the three songs left un-transcribed which I posted, I will politely bow out . . . so you can get on with your thread!! It truly was a good idea. I'd love to promote it on the other language threads somehow!!

Thank you Frankie Jasmine and Dragonfly93, you are doing a good effort to help us to learn and improve our english, continue this great work. Soon you will see my versions of those beautiful songs.

@Frankie: No, I really appreciate it! And if I disappear for a few days at a time, then by all means you can step in! I shall appoint you my vice-moderator
And I read through all the posts already, and you guys are all doing a good job! Glad to see this thread's being put to such good use

@mexico62: Sorry I don't know your name! We would love to see your versions I'm glad this is helping you.

Wow! "vice Moderator!" And there was no job description with the title . . . I might just get carried away with the meaning of "vice"!!!

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On the serious side, my dragonfly93, dear, thank you for being so generous and sweet about the whole thing!!

Hi,

to the native "British English" speakers:

What does Neil Tennant is actually supposed to say in that strophe I enclosed in bold writing?

"Each morning after Sunblest
Feel the benefit, mental arithmetic
I waited by the staffroom
In time for benediction
Living a law just short of delusion
When we fall in love there's confusion
This must be the place I waited years to leave

To our voices nobody's listening
We shiver in the rain by the touchline
Then a coach ride to the station
"My lord, the carriage awaiteth!"
Living a law just short of delusion
When we fall in love there's confusion
This must be the place I waited years to leave
This must be the place I waited years to leave
And how
How long?

I'm listening to the words I thought I'd never hear again
A litany of saints and other ordinary men
Kneeling on the parquet
Whatever has gone wrong?
The fear and feeling hopelessness
I don't want to belong

I dreamt I was back in uniform
And a candidate for examination
History, someone had blundered
And a voice rapped "knuckle under!"
Living a law just short of delusion
When we fall in love there's confusion
This must be the place I waited years to leave
This must be the place I waited years to leave
And how
And how
How long?"

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Is he saying "to leave" or "to live" ?????

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The song is this one:



Thank you in advance for your help

Hi there

He is definitely saying ' to leave'

Hope that helps you