Learn English with Songs: “Ironic”

Hi everyone!

Today we thought we’d listen to an old classic. A song everyone loves and knows, so get ready to sing along!

1. Read the lyrics
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Sing along with the video

Lyrics

An old man turned ninety-eight
He won the lottery and died the next day
It’s a black fly in your Chardonnay
It’s a death row pardon two minutes too late
Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think

It’s like rain on your wedding day
It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid
It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take
Who would’ve thought, it figures

Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids good-bye
He waited his whole damn life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
“Well, isn’t this nice.”
And isn’t it ironic, don’t you think

Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
When you think everything’s okay and everything’s going right
And life has a funny way of helping you out when
You think everything’s gone wrong and everything blows up
In your face

A traffic jam when you’re already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It’s like 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife
It’s meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn’t it ironic, don’t you think
A little too ironic, and yeah I really do think

Well, life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
And life has a funny way of helping you out
Helping you out.

Vocabulary

Turned – to turn a certain age means having your birthday, for example: “I turn 28 on May 31st”

Chardonnay – a type of dry white wine.

Death row pardon – to officially say that someone who is guilty of a crime will be allowed to go free and will not be punished. In this case the person is also on death row.

Advice – an opinion or suggestion about what someone should do.

It figures – another way of saying “it makes sense”.

Damn – an impolite word. Used to show that you are angry, annoyed, surprised, etc.

Sneaking up – behaving in a secret and dishonest manner.

Traffic jam – a situation in which a long line of vehicles on a road have stopped moving or are moving very slowly.

Video