ESL Podcast 318 - Writing a Love Song
to keep it down - to be quiet; to not make very much noise
Please keep it down! Melinda is trying to study for tomorrow's exam, but she can't concentrate with so much noise in here.
none of (one's) business - not something that a person needs to know about, because it doesn't relate to him or her; private
How I spend my money is none of your business!
love song - a romantic song; a song written to tell another person that one loves him or her, and hopefully to make that person fall in love with the singer
Greta's high school boyfriend wrote a beautiful love song for her, and she still likes to listen to it sometimes.
to serenade (someone) - to play and/or sing romantic music for someone, often with the man standing outside below a woman's bedroom window
Kelly was very surprised when her boyfriend serenaded her from outside her bedroom window.
lyrics - the words that are sung in a song
I couldn't understand the lyrics of that new song, so I looked for them online.
rough - not finished; incomplete
We still need to add more details, but here is a rough design for the new house.
to rhyme - to sound the same as another word; for the end of two words to have the same pronunciation
"Hat," "mat," "bat," "rat," and "pat" all rhyme with "cat."
sappy - very emotional; too emotional and silly
Clark's love letter was so sappy that it made Lisa laugh when it should have made her fall more in love with him.
melody - tune; the main notes in a song
Greensleeves is one of my favorite melodies, because it is so calming and beautiful.
chorus - the part of a song that is repeated many times
The children don't know the words to most of the verses, but they always sing the chorus.
catchy - memorable; something that is easy to remember; something that is hard to forget
Good advertisements need to have a catchy slogan.
a cappella - sung without instruments; sung only with voices
Do you prefer music where the singers are a cappella, or where they sing with instruments in the background?
to accompany - to play a musical instrument while a person is singing
The opera singer was accompanied by a pianist and a flutist.
recording - an audio copy of something; music or other sound that has been put on a tape, CD, or another format
This music is great! How can I get a copy of the recording?
to take (something or someone) seriously - to be serious about something; to not act as if something is a joke; to not laugh about something
It was hard to take Luke seriously because he was dressed as a clown.
to move (someone) - to make someone feel strong emotions
The play deeply moved the audience and some people were crying by the end.