Ryan Sitzman
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20 English Idioms in Popular Songs with Definitions, Examples and Audio
Idioms are special phrases that express ideas in a creative, often figurative (not literal) way.
Idioms come up all the time, in everyday speech, literature and even in songs! Many English songs are full of interesting idioms that make the lyrics more colorful and meaningful.
These songs also make it easier to remember the idioms because music activates our brains and the lyrics stay in our minds.
In this post, we’ll explore 20 common idioms used in popular songs and uncover their meanings and contextual uses.
Contents
- 1. Go crazy
- 2. Give up
- 3. Out of the blue
- 4. Mixed up
- 5. In your (wildest) dreams
- 6. Poker face
- 7. Make up your mind
- 8. Time after time
- 9. Cruel to be kind
- 10. Take your breath away
- 11. You win some, you lose some
- 12. Opposites attract
- 13. Get down
- 14. Get/pull yourself together
- 15. Hold back
- 16. Dream come true
- 17. Fight fire with fire
- 18. What you see is what you get
- 19. Work it out
- 20. Too little, too late
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
1. Go crazy
To go crazy can mean to go insane (not have control of your mind). It can also mean to lose control of your behavior due to extreme emotions and behave in a wild or reckless manner.
“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince
(Lyrics)
Even though he’s gone, Prince’s music lives on, and so does this really common idiom! In this song, “go crazy” means to be wild or to have a really good time. Another similar phrase is “go nuts” or “get nuts,” which is also used in this song.
2. Give up
“Give up” is a phrasal verb that means to surrender or quit doing something. When you “give up” on a task or goal, it means you no longer believe you can succeed or achieve it, so you decide to stop trying.
“Never Give You Up” by Raphael Saadiq
(Lyrics)
This idiom is a common phrase in a lot of songs. In this particular song, Raphael Saadiq uses it to say he’ll never give up on his relationship. In other words, he’ll never stop trying to make his relationship work.
If you want to hear more songs with this idiom, I recommend “Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. There are also two great songs called “Never Gonna Give You Up”: one by The Black Keys and the other, much more famous one by Rick Astley.
3. Out of the blue
The idiom “out of the blue” means something unexpected or surprising that occurs suddenly and without any warning sign. It refers to an event or situation that happens without being anticipated (expected).
“Someone Like You” by Adele
(Lyrics)
In the song “Someone Like You,” Adele uses the phrase “out of the blue” to describe the unexpected return of a past love. The lyrics convey the suddenness and surprise of encountering this person again after a long period of time.
4. Mixed up
The phrase “mixed up” means to be confused or to have things in a state of disorder or disarray. When someone is “mixed up,” they may feel unsure or puzzled about something, or they may have difficulty understanding or organizing things correctly.
The verb “mix” by itself means to stir or combine things. So you can also think of something that’s “mixed up” as being in a different order or state than normal.
“Mixed Up World” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
(Lyrics)
In this song, Sophie Ellis-Bextor sings about how she’s confused because she’s going through a difficult time. But she also says that if you think life is tough (difficult), you need to remember that you’re also tough (strong).
There are two other really common idioms in this song: She mentions right at the beginning that she’s “messed up,” which is the same as “mixed up.” And—you guessed it—she also mentions that she’s going crazy!
5. In your (wildest) dreams
Dreams are things you see or imagine when you’re sleeping, so they’re not really happening. In the same way, if you say that something will happen “in your dreams,” it means that you don’t think it really will happen, or that you think it’s impossible.
“Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift
(Lyrics)
In this Taylor Swift song, she tells a man to say some things, even if they’re only in his wildest dreams. Here, “wildest” means “craziest” or “most impossible.” In other words, she wants him to say those things, even if he doesn’t think they will ever happen.
There’s also a rock song by Iron Maiden that’s called “Wildest Dreams.”
6. Poker face
Do you ever play poker? If so, you probably know that you’re supposed to maintain a neutral expression on your face, even if you get a perfect hand or some terrible cards.
If you say that someone has a “poker face,” it means it’s difficult to read their emotions through their facial expression. You can also use this expression outside of cards to say that it’s difficult to know what someone is thinking.
“Poker Face” by Lady Gaga
(Lyrics)
In the song “Poker Face,” Lady Gaga says a man can’t read her poker face, so she may be difficult for him to understand. She’s likely referring to that mysterious nature that tends to attract people.
7. Make up your mind
The phrase “make up your mind” means to make a decision or choose between different options. You can also change the word “your” for other possessive adjectives like “my,” “her,” “his,” etc.
Xavier can’t make up his mind whether he wants chocolate or strawberry ice cream.
“When Your Mind’s Made Up” by Glen Hansard
(Lyrics)
In this song, Glen Hansard sings “When your mind’s made up, there’s no point trying to change it.” This means that the person has already made a decision, and they probably won’t change their mind or opinion.
8. Time after time
If you say something happens time after time, you mean that it happens a lot or repeatedly. You can also say that it happens “time and again” or simply “again and again.”
“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
(Lyrics)
In this song, Cyndi Lauper uses the phrase to tell someone that she’ll be there for them “time after time.” No matter how many times they “fall” or need help, she’ll be there to help and support them. At the very beginning of the music video, you’ll also hear idiom #7 in the line “I’ve made up my mind.”
9. Cruel to be kind
Believe it or not, the phrase “cruel to be kind” actually was first used in William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet,” when Hamlet says “I must be cruel, only to be kind.”
We still say a pretty close version of the phrase, “You have to be cruel to be kind,” and the meaning is the same. You say this when you need to do or say something that’s cruel (mean) or which may hurt someone, but you’re actually doing it to help them. This is also sometimes called “tough love.”
“Cruel To Be Kind” by Nick Lowe
(Lyrics)
In this song, Nick Lowe sings about how a woman treats him badly, but she explains that she’s being cruel to be kind. She even says that “cruel to be kind means that I love you.”
10. Take your breath away
The idiom “take your breath away” means to be amazed or overwhelmed by something’s beauty, surprise or astonishment. It describes a feeling of being so captivated or impressed that it momentarily leaves you breathless.
“Take My Breath Away” by Berlin
(Lyrics)
In this song, the singer says “You turn to me and say / Take my breath away.'” It seems the lover is asking her to give him an experience that is so incredible that he loses his breath (figuratively, as no one wants to be unable to breathe!).
The lyrics are a bit confusing even for native speakers, so don’t worry if it’s hard for you to follow along.
11. You win some, you lose some
This is a phrase that you might say to someone who has just gone through a difficult experience. If you say “you win some, you lose some,” it’s a way to encourage someone and point out that you won’t always be successful, so you should move forward after you fail. Another similar idiom is “You can’t win them all.”
“Win Some, Lose Some” by Robbie Williams
(Lyrics)
In this song, Robbie talks about a relationship that ended. He says “You win some, you lose some” and is probably hoping that the next time, he wins!
12. Opposites attract
People use this idiom to explain when two people who seem to be very different are still friends or together in a relationship.
“Opposites Attract” by Paula Abdul
(Lyrics)
The song and the 1990s video are a bit cheesy, but they do have a lot of examples of how two people (or I guess one person and a cat, if you watch the music video) can be extremely different but still be in love with each other.
13. Get down
Depending on the context, the phrasal verb “get down” can have several different meanings. But as a slang term, it means to dance or to just enjoy yourself at a party. So if you hear someone say “let’s get down,” it’s like saying “let’s party!”
“Get Down On It” by Kool and the Gang
(Lyrics)
In this classic song, Kool and the Gang are pushing the listener to get out on the dance floor and start dancing. It has a very similar message to the song “Get Down Tonight” by K.C. and the Sunshine Band.
14. Get/pull yourself together
The idiom “pull yourself together” means to regain control of your emotions or composure when you’re feeling upset, confused or overwhelmed. It can be used when someone is making poor life decisions or having a hard time getting over something.
It should be noted that the feeling conveyed by this phrase depends on the context; it can be encouraging between close friends or family members, but it can also be insulting and cause the person to feel embarrassed or ashamed.
“Get Myself Together” by Robyn
(Lyrics)
A lot of the lyrics to this Robyn song are about her being confused and broken into different pieces:
“When nothing else fits, pick up the pieces and move on…”
“I’ve got to get my head back on…”
“There’s no denying the mess that I got us in…”
“Just can’t make sense of it all, it’s like my mind is gone…”
So yes, she does sound like she’s mixed up!
15. Hold back
The phrase “hold back” means to restrain or stop yourself from doing something. For example, if you have strong emotions or an urge to say something but choose not to express them, you’re holding back. It can also refer to holding back information or keeping something secret.
The idiom suggests a sense of self-control or moderation. When you hold back, you’re consciously holding yourself in restraint or not letting yourself fully engage or express something.
“I Can’t Hold Back” by Survivor
(Lyrics)
This is a love song about how a guy can’t stop himself from expressing his love and passion. He says “I can’t hold back / I won’t back down / Girl, it’s too late / To turn back now.”
16. Dream come true
Like with the phrase “in your dreams,” if you’re talking about dreams, you’re normally talking about fantasies or imaginary things. So if something is a “dream come true,” it means that it’s something that may have seemed impossible, but it somehow became real, to your delight or excitement.
“You Make My Dreams” by Hall and Oates
(Lyrics)
This song by Hall and Oates is about a guy who has found the girl of his dreams. In the lyrics, he even says that his dreams have scattered (gotten mixed up), but that this girl helps pull them all together. See, I told you these were common idioms!
17. Fight fire with fire
If you say “fight fire with fire,” it means that if someone is attacking you, you need to use the same tactics (strategies or ways) to fight back. If you don’t, you’ll probably be defeated (lose). There’s also a similar saying: “Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.”
“Fight Fire With Fire” by Metallica
(Lyrics)
In this dark Metallica song, the lyrics talk about nuclear war, and how fighting nuclear warfare with nuclear warfare will end up killing everyone. To hear other songs with this idiom, check out “Fight Fire With Fire” by Kansas and “Fightin’ Fire With Fire” by Kenny Rogers.
18. What you see is what you get
Use this phrase when you want to say that you aren’t hiding anything or keeping anything secret. Basically, everything is visible (can be seen). This idiom is so common that it’s even used in computer programming, often shortened to “WYSIWYG.”
“What You Get Is What You See” by Tina Turner
(Lyrics)
In this song, the idiom is actually backward (maybe to make it rhyme better), but it means the same thing. The late legend Tina Turner sings about how some guys try to pretend to be something they’re not, but she’s very open: With her, there’s nothing hidden, and she wants a guy who will accept that.
19. Work it out
The phrase “work it out” means to find the solution to a problem, resolve an unwanted situation or figure something out.
“Work It Out” by Jurassic 5 featuring Dave Matthews Band
(Lyrics)
This song uses this idiom a lot, with lines like these:
“If you ain’t happy with yourself you need to work it out…”
“I work it out when the situation seems unworkable…”
Some other great songs that use this idiom are “It’ll All Work Out” by Tom Petty, “We Can Work It Out” by The Beatles and “Brothers Gonna Work It Out” by Public Enemy.
20. Too little, too late
The idiom “too little, too late” is what you can say when someone tries to fix a problem or make amends, but the effort is too small and comes too late to make a significant impact. It’s often used to express a sense of disappointment or frustration when something is offered or attempted, but it’s no longer helpful or effective.
“Little Too Late” by Pat Benatar
(Lyrics)
In this song, Pat Benatar sings about how she broke up with her boyfriend, but now he’s coming back to her and asking to get back together. But she says it’s “a little too little, it’s a little too late.” In other words, if he really wanted to get back together, he should have tried harder and earlier.
As you listen to music in the future, see if you can spot any of these idioms in use. And sing along to secure them in your memory!
You can find more songs with idioms and other common phrases on a language learning program like FluentU.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
There are also plenty of English song lists out there, just waiting for you to find your next favorite song.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials, as you can see here:
If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.
The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.
FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.
For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.
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Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
