This is an All Ears English podcast, episode 2133.
That's my jam, how to comment on music in English.
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What's your favorite song?
What do you think about the latest popular songs on the charts?
Today, get new ways to make your opinion known about specific songs or artists in English.
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What's going on, Michelle?
How are you feeling today?
Hey, I'm good.
How are you?
I'm feeling pretty good.
I have a question for you, though.
Yes.
Okay, so do you have a favorite song?
Um...
I feel like I have favorite songs for different areas or different moments in my life.
But if I were to choose one, that's just kind of been one that I always answer.
It's kind of It's not like the greatest song, but there's a song.
Do you remember the song Chariot by Gavin DeGraw?
Probably if I heard it, I would remember it.
I'll send it to you.
It was popular in 2000, summer of 2005 i guess it was, and i remember it was just before college and i remember i worked at a summer camp and i remember just blasting in my in my car and rolling down the windows and it was the summer and it was just like such a great feeling.
So i still love that song.
I also love songs by Mika Pink, Jason Mraz.
Oh, you love Pink.
We know you love Pink.
Yeah, we know I love Pink.
So yeah.
What about you?
Do you have a favorite song?
Well, let's see.
I have always been a lover of Tom Petty.
And it's interesting.
If you're a singer, you really get to be so deep into people's lives like that, right?
Because you have that memory that's so intimate.
And Tom Petty goes back to my high school days too, right?
Like driving for the first time, just feeling so free.
And I love a bunch of his songs.
I really love this song, Learning to Fly by Tom Petty.
And so, yeah, that would be it, Learning to Fly by Tom Petty.
But I also love Whitney Houston.
Oh, she's so good.
She's just so talented.
Oh, well, of course.
Of course.
Yeah, there is a lot of great music out there.
And it's funny, sometimes the somebody's choice for favorite song isn't so much about it being like the best song ever, but maybe it just speaks to them because it's from a certain moment in my life.
Like, what did you say?
What is the best song?
How do we even judge?
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
It's so subjective, our taste in music.
Like, I feel like my Gavin DeGraw song, like, he's not my favorite artist.
I like him just fine.
But for some reason, that song just gives me this feeling of a certain moment in my life, so you'll have to send it to me later, after we yeah, i will.
So today we're going to talk about how to say something is your favorite song, or that you like a song.
Um, why do you think lindsay, music is such a great way to connect with people?
I mean, there's that famous quote, right.
It says that what is it?
Music is something like.
Music is.
Yeah, it's the universal language.
I think it was from longfellow, i'm not exactly sure guys, but we hear it a lot of places.
Sure.
Um, and because we know like it's, it's sound, like we connect regardless of what language we speak, what culture we're from, we can hear the sound.
Right.
And it means something.
Maybe it doesn't mean the same thing to each of us, but we all experience it coming, you know, in that way.
So yeah.
Yeah.
Um yeah, I I When I listen to certain songs.
There are certain parts of songs that touch me very, very deeply.
You know, certain like that.
Actually, yeah.
Have you ever cried to a song?
Oh, yeah, sure.
I think we all have Michelle.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Yes.
So but it's usually a good cry.
But yeah, so universal language.
Guys, this is just a great way to connect with people.
So we are going to talk about songs today.
But first, head over if you haven't already listened to episode 2091.
Go on over to that today after you listen to this episode.
That is Trust Your Brain for Better Language Learning with Steve Kaufman.
Yeah, go check it out, guys.
All right.
So anything else we want to say about important music moments in our lives here, Michelle?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, like I think about important moments in life, like a wedding song or I don't know if that's common.
Yeah, that's interesting.
It is interesting.
Yeah, it's like there's always in a wedding there's a first dance and usually the couple picks a special song to dance to that has some meaning to them, and so we.
That's kind of a special moment that that song stays with you throughout your life.
So let us know, is that a thing that is in your culture at weddings as well?
Yeah, maybe we'll do that for our poll for today.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
Really interesting.
I am curious if that tradition is more American wedding or if that is globally a wedding tradition.
I have a feeling it might not be, but I'm not sure.
I'm not sure.
Yeah, I do wonder about that.
And also...
It's shocking to me sometimes when a song can come back on from my childhood, and how memory works and how you can still remember every single word.
Do you ever have that?
And you're like, how did I remember that?
Well, it's shocking when you compare it to trying to remember other things like historical dates or even language learning.
This is another episode for another day.
But how can we make language learning touch us as deeply as a song, so that it comes so naturally to us?
The right word at the right time, like what is missing?
Right, and i think that's part of why we like to talk about connection, because we want to use language for a deeper purpose.
Yeah right exactly exactly, yeah.
So all these like old uh boy band songs and uh, spice girls and all these people that i listened to when i was a kid, when i, do you ever have?
When an old song comes on from your childhood, do you ever like, feel like you're a kid again or a teen, or oh, yeah for sure?
For example, my first album, I think, was Janet Jackson.
Oh, this is gonna date me, really date me here.
Janet Jackson, TLC oh, I love TLC.
Yeah, really old stuff, but when it comes on, I know the words, I go right back to, you know, being in fourth grade.
Yeah um, being super young and just like naive and just hearing the music and not necessarily knowing what it meant.
Right.
But yeah.
Yes.
Yeah.
No, but it's true.
And it's the greatest feeling.
I mean, it, it really is.
It's like this.
It just like brings it, like brings a part of you that has probably not been out in so long.
It makes you feel alive, in that sense like yeah, that person is still inside me.
It's the feeling yeah, it's really cool.
It's really cool.
So music definitely does something special, and it does it for each one of us, um all over the world, regardless of culture, language or anything else or politics.
It just, it just does that for us.
Yeah definitely definitely OK Michelle, what else?
Where do we go from here?
OK, so we're going to talk about words that we can use to describe songs.
So this one is why I wanted to do this episode, because recently I've been hearing people say that songs have been.
They'll say oh, it's a bop.
That's so interesting.
I haven't heard that yet.
But is that trending now?
That's interesting.
I don't know, but I've heard it not just once.
Okay, did you hear it from your dad or from like someone else?
No, no, no, not from my dad.
But I guess the person I did hear the first person I'm thinking of is slightly older, but not much older.
I feel like it's a, I don't know.
I just have been hearing it, guys.
Listen out for it.
You'll know what it means.
So I don't really say it, but I hear it.
And I think it sounds so cute because a bop, it's kind of, Makes me think of like a 50s song.
I know.
I know it does, right?
It really does.
Yeah.
So for example, have you heard the new Pink song?
It's a real bop.
Oh, that's interesting.
That's interesting.
Okay.
So now that we know that this might be a language trend, go look for it.
Like Michelle said, guys, go look for it on social media.
See if you hear people saying this.
Check it out.
Definitely.
So the next one is, that's my jam.
This one I've definitely heard.
Yes.
So a jam.
So that's my jam.
So what song will be next?
Oh my gosh, that's my jam.
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
That's my jam.
And so someone might say this when you know someone comes on the radio and you're all excited and you feel like that's your favorite song.
That's what you would say then.
Yes.
Yes.
Good.
Yes.
What's the next one?
Toe Tapper.
Toe Tapper.
This one also is kind of new to me, but it makes sense, right?
It makes sense.
Yes.
Tell us about that.
So what could you say?
Well, I mean, I hear this.
I hear this.
I think bop and toe-tapper are said in a little bit of an ironic way.
Just a, oh, it's a bop.
It's a toe-tapper.
I think it's with a little bit of humor.
Not necessarily.
I don't think I would come to you Lindsay, and say, oh yeah, that pink song.
Yeah, it's such a toe-tapper.
I would be like, oh yeah, what a toe-tapper.
It's with a little bit of personality.
With a little sarcasm?
Is it kind of poking fun at the song?
Is that what you mean?
It could be, but I don't know that it... It could be, but I think it's just playful.
Okay.
Okay, cool.
So for example, did we say the example yet?
Let me just do it one more time.
You should listen to that song.
It's a toe-tapper for sure.
Okay.
Yeah.
And the next one, catchy.
I certainly know this one.
Yes.
Yes.
Catchy.
It means it can be get in your head.
It's easy to remember.
You know, some songs, do you ever hear a song the first time and it's like, okay, the song is fine.
And then you hear it more and more.
And then you're like, this is the best song.
But some songs are catchy right away.
Some songs are catchy right away.
Some, not many, I would say for me.
It's rare to hear a song that I'm really into immediately.
I do have to have that.
It's almost like a brainwashing thing, where you have to hear it multiple times and now like oh, I like this now.
But it's the proximity effect.
I mean, we start to like people that we see more often, right?
That is a psychological principle.
So I suppose the same thing would be true about music.
If we hear that beat, that jam more often, we start to like it.
Yeah, yeah, that's true.
That's true.
So do we have time to teach some short phrases?
Or should we go right into the roleplay?
Let's do like, let's do two real quick.
Real quick.
All right.
Yeah.
Okay, so we'll do okay, we'll do the first and the last.
Okay, so number one is easy.
My favorite song is That's easy, right?
Yeah.
So guys, so be ready with an answer to that because you will get that sometimes.
Conversations with friends, right?
So my favorite song is... Michelle, can you give us another favorite?
Something you haven't mentioned yet?
Okay.
My favorite song is... Oh, man.
In My Life by The Beatles.
Oh, nice.
Going classic.
I like it.
Yeah.
For me, let's go classic.
I...
My favorite song is Korean Clearwater Revival.
Who'll Stop the Rain.
Who'll Stop the Rain.
Love that song.
Oh, that's a good one.
Yeah.
And then another thing you can say about a turn about a turn about a song is the melody is contagious.
So you can say it's funny.
We think about contagious being, about bad being sick, but oh, maybe we'll do a whole episode on this word.
That would be good.
Yeah.
This is a very common word to describe a lot of different things, but one is like oh the melody, it's contagious.
I can pick up on it quickly.
It gets in my head.
So that's another thing you can say.
And by the way, what does the word melody mean?
Ah, the tune.
Excuse me.
Bless you.
Yeah.
Thank you.
So the tune, right?
And that's the tune throughout the whole song?
Yes.
Okay.
You're our music person here on the show.
So I never really knew exactly what that word meant.
I mean, it's not necessarily through the whole song.
It might be the melody of the chorus.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Got it.
Got it.
So the melody is contagious.
Yeah Michelle, I think we should definitely do another episode on this idea of something being contagious.
That's not Definitely.
Yeah.
Cause it's used, it's used for a lot of different things.
So I will find that one.
So guys hit, hit follow.
If you haven't already, uh on this podcast wherever you're listening, because that episode will be coming out.
It's going to be a good one.
Exactly.
There's gonna be some great episodes in 2024 guys.
So hit follow role play time, Michelle.
Let's do it.
All right.
So here we are friends at a party.
Here we go.
Here we go.
This party is great.
I love the music the DJ is playing.
Yeah, the last one was a real bop.
Oh, totally.
Oh, amazing.
This one's my jam.
Oh, such a catchy tune.
I love the beat.
Me too.
What a toe-tapper.
Yes.
Nice, nice.
So here we open it up and I said, yeah, the last one was a real bop.
Now I'm commenting on the DJ, the song the DJ just played.
Yes.
Right?
Yes, exactly.
And then a new song comes on and I say, oh, amazing.
This one's my jam.
So I could have said, that's my jam too, or this one's my jam, whatever.
I imagine you like standing up and starting to dance or something.
Right?
Yeah.
Yep.
And then I said, Ooh, such a catchy tune.
I love the beat.
And then I said, what a toe tapper.
So you can see how it's kind of playful here.
Yeah.
What a toe tapper.
Good.
Yeah.
Any takeaways for our listeners?
I mean, this is again, the universal language.
Right?
Yes.
This is a real way to bond with someone.
I mean, there's just so much that goes along with music.
You can share your favorite song.
You can talk about why something is your favorite song.
It can bring you to talking about concerts you've been to your childhood.
It's just endless, really, really, it's endless.
And songs can touch us so deeply.
So I think people just love talking about music.
Yeah, and it can be a nice way to create atmosphere for people.
For example, if you're dating a native speaker and you find out on date one that they love credence, clearwater or the beatles, and then on date four, maybe you have them over to your house for dinner and maybe you have some of that music playing right to romance someone and nice little touches.
That means that you are listening, you understood and that you value music too, right?
Definitely.
Love that.
All right.
Love it.
This has been a lot of fun, Lindsay.
Good to learn a little bit about your favorite music and all that stuff.
So guys, thank you so much for listening and go listen to your favorite song right now.
All right.
Take care, Michelle.
Talk soon.
Bye.
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