• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

IELTS with Fiona

IELTS preparation made easier

Members Academy
Log in

  • Home
  • Courses
  • Study Program
  • About me
  • Shop
You are here: Home / IELTS Vocabulary / The best songs to help you learn English

The best songs to help you learn English

By ieltsetc on February 17, 2019 4

Songs with clear, repeated and memorable lyrics can help you ‘automate’ language and use natural pronunciation, so I am a big advocate of using songs to help you learn English.

This is a list of the best songs that I know of – please let me know of any more you would recommend.

You can use a site like AZlyrics.com, for accurate versions of the lyrics, or LyricsTraining.com for games and activities to help you test your listening skills.

Go to my Playlist on YouTube for all of these songs.

Best songs for practising tenses

Present Simple

  • Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles

Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been. Lives in a dream. Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door. Who is it for?

  • The Boy Does Nothing – Alesha Dixon

Does he wash up? No he never washes up! Does he clean up? No he never cleans up!.

Present Continuous

  • Tom’s Diner – Suzanne Vega

I am sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner. I am waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee.

Present Perfect

  • I still haven’t found what I’m looking for – U2

I have climbed the highest mountains. I have run through the fields. Only to be with you. I have run. I have crawled. I have scaled these city walls. Only to be with you.

  • Have you ever seen the rain? Creedence Clearwater Revival

Present Perfect Continuous

  • Happier – Marshmallow

Lately I’ve been thinking I want you to be happier.

  • I’ve been waiting – Foreigner

So long, I’ve been looking too hard, I’ve been waiting too long. I’ve been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life. I’ve been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive.

  • How long has this been going on? – Ace

Past Simple

  • Perfect – Ed Sheeran

Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet. I never knew you were the someone waiting for me. ‘Cause we were just kids when we fell in love

  • A day in the life – The Beatles

I read the news today oh boy. About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad Well I just had to laugh. I saw the photograph.

‘Will’ for promises

  • I will always love you – Whitney Houston

So I’ll go, but I know, I’ll think of you every step of the way.

‘Will’ for predictions

  • Someone like you – Adele

Never mind I’ll find someone like you. Don’t forget me I beg, I’ll remember you said sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead.

Future continuous

  • I’ll be right here waiting for you – Bryan Adams

Wherever you go, whatever you do I will be right here waiting for you. Whatever it takes,  or how my heart breaks, I will be right here waiting for you.

  • Every breath you take – The Police

Every move you make I’ll be watching you.

‘Going to’ for plans and intentions

  • Next year baby – Jamie Cullum

Next year, Things are gonna change. Gonna drink less beer and start all over again. Gonna pull up my socks. Gonna clean my shower. Not gonna live by the clock but get up at a decent hour. Gonna read more books. Gonna keep up with the news. Gonna learn how to cook and spend less money on shoes.

Used to

  • SOS – Abba

Whatever happened to our love? I wish I understood. It used to be so nice. It used to be so good.

  • Someone that I used to know – Gotye

You didn’t have to stoop so low – have your friends collect your records and then change your number. Guess that I don’t need that though. Now you’re just somebody that I used to know.

  • I can’t get used* to losing you – Andy Williams

*The other use of ‘used to’! This one takes +ing and has a different meaning (‘accustomed to’).

Can’t get used to losin’ you
No matter what I try to do

Best songs for practising conditionals

First Conditional

  • The Promise – Tracy Chapman

If you wait for me, then I’ll come for you. If you dream of me, if you miss me once in a while, then I’ll return to you. I’ll return and fill that space in your heart.

Second Conditional

  • Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton

Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven?

  • Wherever You Will Go – The Calling

If I could, then I would. I’ll go wherever you will go.

  • If I were a rich man – from the musical Fiddler On The Roof

If I were a rich man, ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I’d biddy biddy bum, if I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn’t have to work hard, ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich, yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

  • I wish + past simple

I wish I was a little bit taller – Skee Lo

I wish I was a little bit taller. I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good and if I did I would call her.

  • I wish I was James Bond – Scouting for girls
  • I wish I was a punk rocker – Sandi Thom
  • I wish I was – The Avett Brothers

Best songs for practising modals

Should have + 3rd form:  regrets

  • Bruno Mars – When I was your man

I should have bought you flowers and held your hand

  • I will survive – Gloria Gaynor

I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key. If I’d known for just one second you’d back to bother me.

Could have + 3rd form: possibility in the past

  • Something changed – PULP

Oh, I could have stayed at home and gone to bed. I could have gone to see a film instead. You might have changed your mind and seen your friends. Life could have been very different then.

Must have + 3rd form – modals of deduction in the past

  • The day before you came – Abba

I must have left my house at eight because I always do. My train, I’m certain, left the station just when it was due. I must have read the morning papers going into town. And having gotten through the editorials, no doubt I must have frowned. I must have made my desk around a quarter after nine with letters to be read, and heaps of papers waiting to be signed. I must have gone to lunch at half past twelve or so. And still on top of this I’m pretty sure it must have rained the day before you came.

Best songs for reviewing vocabulary

Word formation

  • The logical song – Supertramp

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily, oh joyfully, playfully watching me

Slang

So many to choose from here – Eminem was a big favourite with Rap God (too many explicit lyrics to post here sorry!)

Phrasal verbs and prepositions

  • Our house – Madness

Father wears his Sunday best. Mother’s tired, she needs a rest. The kids are playing up downstairs. Sister’s sighing in her sleep. Brother’s got a date to keep, he can’t hang around.

Pronunciation of ‘th’

  • Thunder – Imagine Dragons

Thunder th-th-thunder (repeat!)

Best songs for reviewing grammar

Comparisons

  • Everything at once – Lenka

As sly as a fox, as strong as an ox. As fast as a hare, as brave as a bear. As free as a bird, as neat as a word. As quiet as a mouse, as big as a house.

Word formation

  • The logical song – Supertramp

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful, a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily, oh joyfully, playfully watching me

‘A little’ (for uncountable nouns)

  • I need a little time – The Beautiful South (I need a little space, I need a little room, I found a little courage)
  • A little loving – Nicole (a little patience and understanding, a little sunshine, a little peace)

Present Participles

  • All of me – John Legend

What would I do without your smart mouth drawing me in, and you kicking me out. Got my head spinning, no kidding.

If you have a song that helped you learn English, please leave me a comment and I’ll add it to the list.

The British Council also have a good list here.

Do you need motivation, high-quality materials, a roadmap, feedback, guidance and an IELTS specialist teacher?

Join the Members Academy today.

Get instant access to all courses, challenges, boot camps, live classes, interactive and engaging classes, 1:1 support, and a friendly tight-knit community of like-minded learners to get you to Band 7+.

IELTS with Fiona Members Academy
Join the Members Academy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Serife says

    February 18, 2019 at 7:45 am

    Lenka- everything at once
    it is good for comparisons(as…as)

    Reply
    • ieltsetc says

      February 18, 2019 at 11:57 am

      Hi Serife! Thank you for posting! I think that could be my number 20 – I’ve just listened to it and it’s SO clear with lots of different examples. Brilliant!

      Reply
  2. Liliana says

    February 18, 2019 at 12:16 pm

    What about the Beatles ? “A day in life “ for the past tenses.

    Reply
    • ieltsetc says

      February 18, 2019 at 12:42 pm

      Oh yes – brilliant idea Liliana – I’ll add that now. It even has Past Perfect in it! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Search

BLOGS

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Contact me
  • Podcast
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • T&Cs

Copyright © 2023 — IELTS with Fiona • Privacy Policy • Disclaimer • All rights reserved; The information on this site is for information purposes only. IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.