Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
One of the most famous songs from American boy band the Backstreet Boys, the true meaning of "I want it that way" is debated. However, the lyrics suggest a desire to find the security of mutual love and trust in a loving relationship.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
In “Californication," from their album of the same name, American band the Red Hot Chili Peppers explore a darker, almost dystopian side to the Californian lifestyle.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
In this song, Rihanna captures the tension of a broken relationship. The woman is cheating on her man, though she knows exactly how much it hurts him.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Written and sung by Lynn Ahrens for Schoolhouse Rock, this song teaches about the pilgrims, from their arrival in America up to the Boston Tea Party.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
In the song "Overpass Graffiti," Ed Sheeran sings about how his feelings for his ex-girlfriend will never fade, much like "graffiti on the overpass."
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
The song "If I Were a Boy" from Beyoncé’s album I am… Sacha Fierce highlights misunderstanding and mistrust between the sexes, and strongly questions male behavior. Written after the breakup of a romantic relationship, the singer imagines how things might be different if the gender roles were reversed.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom, USA
"The Joker and the Queen" is from Ed Sheeran's album = (pronounced "equals") and features Taylor Swift. The actors in the music video are in fact the same actors who as children featured in another duet of Sheeran and Swift's, “Everything Has Changed” from 2012.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
"Green is the Colour" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1969 album More. Singer Roger Waters said that the song is about being on the island of Ibiza.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Looking back, even after years have passed, the relationship and the painful loss and the hurt that followed are remembered all too well.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
With Britpop at its peak, bands such as Oasis and Blur vied to have the biggest hits, but it was The Verve who struck a chord with perhaps the most memorable song of the era, “Bitter Sweet Symphony." But even their success was bittersweet, as they were promptly sued by the Rolling Stones, who claimed the band had stolen one of their melodies without permission.
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
"All Too Well: The Short Film" is based on an extended version of the song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and was directed by Swift herself. It follows the relationship of a young couple through its ups and downs.
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
From her latest album 30, the single “Oh My God” reveals Adele’s fragile state as she emerged from her divorce and had to overcome a lot of anxiety in order to start dating and living her life again.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Canada
This smash hit from Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer The Weeknd comes from his album After Hours. The song reached number one in more than thirty countries, and in the United States it was the first song ever to remain in the top ten of the Billboard charts for over a year!
Difficulty: Intermediate
USA
Train is a rock band from San Francisco fronted by singer Pat Monahan. This song is about a man who's embarrassed to tell his friends that his girlfriend broke up with him, and tries to come up with another version of the story...
Difficulty: Intermediate
United Kingdom
The lyrics of David Bowie's song "Changes" are often seen as a manifesto for the many transformations he himself went through as an artist, and frequent reinventions of his musical style throughout the 1970s. In our fast-changing world, they are also a reminder to accept what comes and remain open to the ideas of the next generation.
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