A Song to Learn Some American English with

So many people on here keep asking me about American slang. Russians seem to be the ones who are the most interested in our slang / "argo". So here is a song that you will learn a lot of the argo / slang that we use here, especially in Facebook posts, to be funny, in comedy skits, etc.

 

Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM

 

Lyrics:

 

I stay out too late
Got nothing in my brain
That's what people say, mmm-mmm
That's what people say, mmm-mmm

 

I go on too many dates [chuckle]
But I can't make them stay
At least that's what people say, mmm-mmm
That's what people say, mmm-mmm

 

But I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music
In my mind
Saying, "It's gonna be alright."

 

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

 

I never miss a beat
I'm lightning on my feet
And that's what they don't see, mmm-mmm
That's what they don't see, mmm-mmm

 

I'm dancing on my own (dancing on my own)
I make the moves up as I go (moves up as I go)
And that's what they don't know, mmm-mmm
That's what they don't know, mmm-mmm

 

But I keep cruising
Can't stop, won't stop grooving
It's like I got this music
In my mind
Saying, "It's gonna be alright."

 

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Hey, hey, hey
Just think while you've been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world,
You could've been getting down to this sick beat.

 

My ex-man brought his new girlfriend
She's like "Oh, my god!" but I'm just gonna shake.
And to the fella over there with the hella good hair
Won't you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake

Yeah ohhh

 

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)
I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break (mmmm)
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake (and fake, and fake, and fake)
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off (you've got to),
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off,
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off

 

Vocab:

 

1. Player or "playa" = a male who is good at manipulating ("playing") others and seducing women. They pretend to care about these women when in reality they don't.

 

2. to play someone = to manipulate or trick someone like a player.

 

3. hater = a person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success.

 

4. to hate = to be annoyed or unhappy about someone else's success, possibly creating drama along the way.

 

5. fella = slang for guy, man, dude

 

6. sick = awesome / cool

 

7. beat = song

 

8. hella = really

 

9. hot = cool / awesome

 

10. to get down to a song = to dance with a lot of energy and feeling to it

 

11. to shake something off = to forget about something or someone