by Beyonce Knowles

an American superstar singer who recorded this song in 2008 for her third album, “I Am… Sasha Fierce.”  She wrote this song with Ryan Tedder and Evan Bogart.

Remember those walls I built
Well, baby they’re tumbling down
And they didn’t even put up a fight
They didn’t even make a sound

I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It’s like I’ve been awakened
Every rule I had you breaking
It’s the risk that I’m taking
I ain’t never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You’re the only one that I want
Think I’m addicted to your light

I swore I’d never fall again
But this don’t even feel like falling
Gravity can’t forget
To pull me back to the ground again

It’s like I’ve been awakened
Every rule I had you breaking
The risk that I’m taking
I’m never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
Halo, halo

Everywhere I’m looking now
I’m surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you’re my saving grace

You’re everything I need and more
It’s written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
I pray it won’t fade away

I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo
I can feel your halo halo halo
I can see your halo halo halo

Vocabulary:

walls – walls around my heart for protection
tumbling – falling
put up a fight – try to fight
let you in –  let you into my heart
had a doubt – believed that you were not the one for me
halo – the light around your head that shows you are a good person
angel – perfect lover
awakened – woken up
risk – danger
ain’t never gonna – am not ever going to
shut you out – not be open to your love
embrace – hug
my saving grace – the person who will save me
pray – hope
fade away – disappear over time
ray – piece of light
my darkest night – worst time of my life
I’m addicted – I must have it
swore – promised myself
fall – fall in love
gravity – the force that pulls me down

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only  

by Amanda Marshall

a Canadian singer-songwriter who wrote this song with Eric Bazilian for her second album, “Tuesday’s Child”, released in 1999.

Somewhere there’s a river, looking for a stream
Somewhere there’s a dreamer, looking for a dream
Somewhere there’s a drifter, trying to find his way
Somewhere someone’s waiting to hear somebody say

I believe in you,  I can’t even count the ways that
I believe in you, and all I want to do is help you to believe in you

Somewhere someone’s reaching, trying to grab that ring
Somewhere there’s a silent voice learning how to sing
Some of us can’t move ahead, we’re paralyzed with fear
And everybody’s listening, cause we all need to hear

I believe in you, and I can’t even count the ways that
I believe in you, and all I want to do is help you to believe in you

I will hold you up, I will help you stand
I will comfort you when you need a friend
I will be the voice that’s calling I …

I believe in you and there are just so many ways that
I believe in you, baby what else can I do but believe in you
I believe in you,  all I want to know is you believe yeah believe in you

Vocabulary:

stream – small moving water that feeds a river
dream – something you want in life
drifter – someone who travels and has no home
way – path through life
ring – prize, windfall, something you want
silent – quiet, not saying anything
ahead – forward, into the future
paralyzed – unable to move
cause – because
yeah – a form of ‘yes’ [something you say when you really believe something]

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only 

by Bon Jovi

an American rock band consisting of Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Hugh McDonald, David Bryan, and Tico Torres.  This song was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Max Martin for their album, “Crush,” released in 2000.

This ain’t a song for the broken hearted
A silent prayer for faith departed
And I ain’t gonna be just a face in the crowd
You’re gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud

It’s my life
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frank, he said “I did it my way“
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life

This is for ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never back down
Tomorrow’s getting harder make no mistake
Luck, it ain’t enough, you gotta make your own breaks

It’s my life
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frank, he said “I did it my way“
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life

Better stand tall when it’s calling you out
Don’t bend, don’t break baby, don’t back down

It’s my life
It’s now or never
‘Cause I ain’t gonna live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frank, he said “I did it my way“
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life
It’s now or never
I ain’t gonna live forever
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frank, he said “I did it my way“
I just want to live while I’m alive
It’s my life

Vocabulary:

ain’t – isn’t
broken hearted – people whose hearts have been broken by a love affair that ended
prayer – a communication with God
faith – belief in someone
departed – gone
gonna – going to
shout – say very loudly
out loud – so other people can hear
want to live – want to have a good life full of experience
Frank – Frank Sinatra, who say sang a song called “I Did It My Way”
I did it my way – I lived my life the way I wanted
ones – people
stood their ground – didn’t let other people tell them what to do
Tommy and Gina – a fictional, working-class couple
back down – refuse to fight
gotta – have got to
make your own breaks – do what’s necessary to be successful
better stand tall – you’d better get ready for action
it’s calling you out – the time comes to do something

Notes:

As Jon Bon Jovi later wrote:
When I was writing “It’s My Life,” I thought I was writing very self-indulgently about my own life and where I was in it.  I didn’t realize that the phrase “It’s My Life” would be taken as being about everyone–by teenagers, by older guys, mechanics, whatever.  “It’s my life, and I’m taking control”.  Everyone kind of feels that way from time to time.

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only  

by Natasha Bedingfield

a British singer and songwriter.  This song comes from her second album of the same title, published in 2008.  She wrote the song with American songwriters Danielle Brisebois and John Shanks.

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a love and I know that it’s all mine, oh, oh oh oh
Do what you want but you’re never gonna break me
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me, oh, oh oh oh

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a love and I know that it’s all mine, oh, oh oh oh
Wish that you could but you ain’t gonna own me
Do anything you want, you can’t slow me down, oh no

Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine
I got a love and I know that it’s all mine, oh, oh oh oh
Do what you want but you’re never gonna break me
Sticks and stones are never gonna shake me, oh, oh oh oh

Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place

There’s a place that I go that nobody knows
Where the rivers flow and I call it home
And there’s no more lies, in the darkness there’s light
And nobody cries, there’s only butterflies

Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place

Take me away, a secret place
A sweet escape, take me away
Take me away to better days
Take me away, a hiding place

The sun is on my side and takes me for a ride
I smile up to the sky, I know I’ll be alright
The sun is on my side and takes me for a ride
I smile up to the sky, I know I’ll be alright

Vocabulary:

pocket – a bag or pouch sewn into your clothes where you carry small things
pocketful – a full pocket, a lot
gonna – going to
ain’t – are not
escape – a place that’s away from your usual life
lies – words that are not the truth
butterflies – beautiful insects, beauty in general
on my side – helping me, supporting me
alright – okay

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only  

by Sarah McLachlan

a Canadian superstar singer-songwriter who recorded this song for the 2006 movie, “Charlotte’s Web.”  It was written by Glen Ballard and David A. Stewart from the band “Eurythmics.”

It’s not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

The sky knows when it’s time to snow
Don’t need to teach a seed to grow
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you every day
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own

Isn’t it remarkable?
Like every time a raindrop falls
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Birds in winter have their fling
They always make it home by spring
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

When you wake up everyday
Please don’t throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
‘Cause we’re all a part of the ordinary miracle

Ordinary miracle
Do you want to see a miracle?

It seems so exceptional
That things just work out after all
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Sun comes up and shines so bright
And disappears again at night
It’s just another ordinary miracle today

It’s just another ordinary miracle today

Vocabulary:

ordinary:  usual, not special
miracle:  something that is caused by God
gift:  something given to you
wrapped:  with beautiful paper around it
some of your own: something you can give
remarkable:  very special
fling: a time when they can be free
’cause:  because
exceptional:  very unusual
work out:  are good in the end
after all:  after all that has happened
disappears:  goes away

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only 

by Danny Gokey

an American country music singer who became known on the 8th season of American Idol.  The song is from his 2010 debut album, “My Best Days.”

Blowing out the candles on another birthday cake
Old enough to look back and laugh at my mistakes
Young enough to look at the future and like what I see

My best days are ahead of me

Life hasn’t always been a party, but mostly it’s been good
There’s only one or two things that I’d change if I could
I don’t get lost in the past or get stuck in some sad memory, yeah

My best days are ahead of me

Age ain’t nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder what does it really mean
But hey, I’m still putting it together
I keep getting better
If I keep getting better, I can be whatever I want to be

My best days are ahead of me

Age ain’t nothing but a number
Sometimes I have to wonder what does it really mean
Hey, I’m still putting it together
I keep getting better
If I keep getting better, I can be whatever I want to be

My best days are ahead of me

I got sunsets to witness, dreams to dance with
Beaches to walk on, and lovers to kiss
There’s a whole lot of world out there that I can’t wait to see

My best days are ahead of me

My best days are ahead of me

Vocabulary:

look back – look into my past
party –  a lot of fun
get lost in – think too much about
stuck – not able to come out
memory – something I remember
ahead of me – in my future
ain’t nothing – isn’t anything
wonder – think about
putting it together – trying to find the meaning
whatever – anything
witness – see

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only   

By Natasha Bedingfield

a  British singer-songwriter.  This song is from her 2004 debut album of the same name.  It was written by Danielle Brisebois with a little help from Natasha and Wayne Rodriguez.

I am unwritten
Can’t read my mind
I’m undefined
I’m just beginning
The pen’s in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you cannot find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah

Oh, oh
I break tradition
Sometimes my tries
Are outside the lines
We’ve been conditioned
To not make mistakes
But I can’t live that way, oh

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you cannot find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you cannot find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Vocabulary:

undefined – there’s no definition for me
staring – looking at continuously
blank – nothing written on it
illuminate – shine bright light so you can see
reaching for – trying hard to get
release – let go
inhibitions – the voice inside that tells you what you should do
let it in – experience it fully
drench – make very wet
the rest – everything else
tradition – things that everybody has always done
my tries – things that I try to do
outside the lines – not a good job
conditioned – trained

© 2015 Ambien Malecot for vocabulary lesson only