Learn English with the Songs: “Dancing in the dark”

Good morning!

It’s Friday and many of you will be going out this weekend to clubs all around the world, or musical bar, or friends’ house party. So what better way to end the work with than with Bruce Springsteen’s hit “Dancing in the Dark”?

Follow the steps to learn the lesson:

1. Read the lyrics
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Sing along!

Lyrics

I get up in the evening
and I ain’t got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain’t nothing but tired
Man I’m just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help

You can’t start a fire
You can’t start a fire without a spark 
This gun’s for hire
even if we’re just dancing in the dark

Message keeps getting clearer
radio’s on and I’m moving ’round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain’t getting nowhere
I’m just living in a dump like this
There’s something happening somewhere
baby I just know that there is

You can’t start a fire
you can’t start a fire without a spark
This gun’s for hire
even if we’re just dancing in the dark

You sit around getting older
there’s a joke here somewhere and it’s on me
I’ll shake this world off my shoulders
come on baby this laugh’s on me

Stay on the streets of this town
and they’ll be carving you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
hey baby I’m just about starving tonight
I’m dying for some action
I’m sick of sitting ’round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
come on now baby gimme just one look

You can’t start a fire sitting ’round crying over a broken heart
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark
You can’t start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun’s for hire
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark
Even if we’re just dancing in the dark
Hey baby

Vocabulary

Spark – a small piece of burning material that comes from a fire or is produced by rubbing or hitting two hard objects together.

For hire – to allow someone to use (something) in exchange for money.

Dump – a messy, dirty, and unpleasant place.

Joke on me – you are the center of the joke without wanting to.

Carve you up – slang for stabbing someone. Stabbing is to wound (someone or something) with a pointed weapon (such as a knife).

Starving – to be very hungry.

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