{"id":179767,"date":"2024-01-23T01:00:16","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T06:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/easy-english-songs\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T22:49:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T03:49:28","slug":"easy-english-songs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/easy-english-songs\/","title":{"rendered":"43 Easy Songs to Learn English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Music is a truly universal language. We can all connect with songs no matter which languages we speak.\u00a0So, why is it sometimes so hard to understand the English you hear in songs? English songs<\/a> on the radio can sound like total nonsense and be very hard to follow, but that’s where pop (popular) music<\/a> comes in!<\/p>\n

In this post, you’ll learn about 43 easy songs<\/strong> to learn English with that you can definitely sing along to. At the end, I’ll also provide six exercises you can use to learn English with songs.<\/p>\n

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1.\u00a0“ABC”\u00a0by\u00a0Jackson 5<\/h2>\n

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This English song features\u00a0one of the most influential pop musicians of all time (the King of Pop: Michael Jackson), and it’s a great song all on its own.<\/p>\n

The song focuses on vocabulary related to school and love,<\/strong> and its simple lyrics make it really easy to follow. Some school vocabulary<\/a>, in particular, includes words like “arithmetic” (a type of mathematics) and the musical phrase “do re mi” (a common way for singers to sing scales in musical instruction).<\/p>\n

It’s simple, catchy chorus<\/strong> makes it great for getting English lyrics stuck in your head, helping you learn all of those useful English words.<\/p>\n

This is one of the many songs featuring Michael Jackson that are helpful for beginners. You can check out our YouTube channel<\/a> for more suggestions:<\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0“Always on My Mind”\u00a0by Elvis Presley<\/h2>\n

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Speaking of kings, Elvis Presley is known throughout the English-speaking world as the King of Rock n’ Roll.<\/p>\n

This English song of his focuses on the topic of love. Elvis sings about how he’s always thinking of the woman he loves even though she feels he doesn’t pay attention to her.<\/p>\n

The title is an English idiom<\/a>\u00a0that means “I am always thinking about you.” With lyrics like “Maybe I didn’t treat you quite as good as I should have | You were always on my mind,”<\/i>\u00a0this song is a great way to learn idioms<\/strong> and love expressions in English<\/a>, hear negative sentences<\/strong> and observe past tense verbs<\/strong> in use.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0“And I Love Her”\u00a0by The Beatles<\/h2>\n

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“And I Love Her” is a classic love song by The Beatles. The topic of love<\/strong><\/a> is universal (understood by everyone, regardless of culture) and easy for listeners to relate to.<\/p>\n

Even though lyrics like\u00a0“Bright are the stars that shine |\u00a0Dark is the sky |\u00a0I know this love of mine will never die”\u00a0<\/em>are kind of poetic, the words are simple enough for learners<\/strong> of English to understand.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0“Beautiful Day”\u00a0by U2<\/h2>\n

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This song is a little more challenging than the previous ones. With lyrics like\u00a0“The heart is a bloom |\u00a0Shoots up through the stony ground,”<\/em>\u00a0this song is a great way to learn about figurative and poetic language.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The song is about being positive and happy<\/strong> and about appreciating your life. Even if you don’t understand all the lyrics at first, it’s quite catchy.<\/p>\n

When it gives you an earworm and you can’t stop singing the easier lyrics of this English song, you can think about what the song means. (This is exactly why it’s so easy and fun to learn English with songs!)<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0“Every Breath You Take”\u00a0by\u00a0The Police<\/h2>\n

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Unlike the previous song, this song is easy for English learners because it’s very simple and straightforward\u2014perfect for learning!<\/p>\n

The song is about an overly possessive lover who loves someone else so much that they want to always be by their side. The rhyming lyrics<\/strong> allow for phonetic practice,<\/strong> too.<\/p>\n

There are also a few idioms<\/strong> to take note of in this English song. When the singer says his\u00a0heart aches,<\/em> it means that he’s so upset by the fact that he isn’t with his lover, it’s as if it actually hurts his heart.<\/p>\n

Further, to be lost without a trace<\/em> means that someone or something has disappeared without any clues as to where they could have gone.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0“Manic Mondays”\u00a0by The Bangles<\/h2>\n

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This song is a little complex, and the vocabulary can be a bit advanced for beginning English learners<\/a>, but the content is right where it needs to be to benefit English learners just starting out.<\/p>\n

The song outlines typical daily routines,<\/strong> and has helpful day-to-day routine vocabulary<\/a>.<\/strong> Besides, who doesn’t wish it was Sunday? It really is the fun day.<\/p>\n

This song is also good for seeing the past tense and the past progressive<\/a> in action. The past progressive is formed with the past tense of the verb\u00a0to be<\/em> plus the present participle\u00a0(a verb ending in\u00a0-ing).<\/em> An example of this is in the first verse: “I was kissing Valentino by a crystal blue Italian stream.”<\/em><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0“Our House”\u00a0by\u00a0Madness<\/h2>\n

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This song is good for learning idioms<\/a><\/strong> and other English expressions<\/strong>\u00a0such as a date to keep\u00a0<\/em>(to make an appointment or meeting on time) and\u00a0Sunday best<\/em> (someone’s fanciest, nicest clothes).<\/p>\n

It’s also good for building vocabulary that a learner would use to describe the activities at a house.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The chorus is iconic, and it’s probably one of the shortest and catchiest in English music history.<\/p>\n

8. “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas and the Papas<\/h2>\n

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Who doesn’t dream of sunny California on a cold winter’s day?<\/p>\n

With lyrics like\u00a0“All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray,”<\/em>\u00a0this short English song is great for learning vocabulary about the weather<\/a> and seasons.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s also an iconic example of a\u00a0conditional expression<\/a>.<\/strong> Check it out:<\/p>\n

“All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray.<\/em>
\nI’ve been for a walk on a winter’s day.<\/em>
\nI’d be safe and warm if I was in L.A.;<\/em>
\nCalifornia dreamin’ on such a winter’s day.”<\/em><\/p>\n

9. “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye<\/h2>\n

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This catchy tune not only uses the past English tense in its various forms<\/strong>, but it also has quite a few examples of idioms<\/strong> and figurative expressions<\/strong> in English, making it a totally fun option to learn English with songs.<\/p>\n

The title of the song is an idiom (I heard it through the grapevine)<\/em>\u00a0which means that someone learned a piece of information in an informal way, like through rumors or gossip.<\/p>\n

Other idiom examples in this song include the following:<\/p>\n