Marvin Gaye singing "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" Acappella

Expression	Meaning	Example
I must say	I'm obliged to admit	You certainly look tired, I must say.
To find out	To discover, to learn	Don't worry, the police will find out who did it
The grapevine	An informal person-to-person means of circulating information or gossip	The grapevine tells me that you're getting married soon?

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, by Marvin Gaye
(Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong)

Ooh, I bet you're wondering how I knew
About you're plans to make me blue
With some other guy that you knew before.
Between the two of us guys
You know I love you more.
It took me by surprise I must say,
When I found out yesterday.
Don't you know that...

(Chorus:)

I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine.
Oh I heard it through the grapevine,
Oh and I'm just about to lose my mind.
Honey, honey, well.



I know at a man ain't supposed to cry,
But these tears I can't hold inside.
Losin' you would end my life you see,
'Cause you mean that much to me.
You could have told me yourself
That you love someone else.
Instead...

(Chorus)

People say believe half of what you see,
Son, and none of what you hear.
But I can't help bein' confused
If it's true please tell me dear?
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don't you know...

(Chorus)

Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine... Posted by ccosterg

blue: triste
ain't: isn't, am not, are not
instead: à la place

Backstabbers

Expression	Meaning	In French
Out to get	In this context: determined to win over or seduce	Ici: désireux de draguer, de conquérir
To get on the right track	To find the correct road to follow	Trouver la bonne voie
To look shady	To seem dishonest	Avoir l'air louche, véreux

BACK-STABBERS,
by The O'jays

(What they do)
(They smiling in your face)
All the time they wanna take your place
The back-stabbers (back-stabbers)
(They smiling in your face)
All the time they wanna take your place
The back-stabbers (back-stabbers)

All you fellows who have someone
And you really care, yeah, yeah
Then it's all of you fellows
Who better beware, yeah yeah
Somebody's out to get your lady
A few of your buddies they sure look shady
Blades are long, clenched tight in their fist
Aimin' straight at your back
And I don't think they'll miss


(What they do)
(They smiling in your face)
All the time they wanna take your place
The back-stabbers (back-stabbers)
I keep gettin' all these visits
From my friends, yeah, what they doin' to me
They come to my house
Again and again and again and again, yeah
So are they there to see my woman?
I don't even be home but they just keep on comin'
What can I do to get on the right track
I wish they'd take some of these knives off my back

(What they do)
(They smiling in your face)
All the time they wanna take your place
The back-stabbers
(back-stabbers)
Low down, dirty

(What they do)
(They smiling in your face)
Smiling faces
Smiling faces, sometimes, tell lies (back-stabbers)
(They smiling in your face)
I don't need low down, dirty bastards (back-stabbers)

Video posted by Discodandan

to back-stab: planter un couteau dans le dos
fellow: gars, type
to beware: prendre garde
buddy: copain
razor blade: lame de rasoir
fist-fight: combat à coups de poing, rixe
aim of the game: but du jeu
to lie through the teeth: mentir comme un arracheur de dents

for once

Learn some expressions with Stevie Wonder singing "For Once in my Life"

Expression	Meaning	Example
For once	this time, even if at no other time	For once, stop talking and start working!
Used to	used for saying what was true or what happened regularly in the past	I used to smoke, but I quit last year.
As long as	provided that, inasmuch as, in the degree that	You can walk there, as long as you arrive on time.
To make it	to succeed	If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE,
by Stevie Wonder

For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
Somehow I know I'll be strong

For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Ooooh someone warm like you
Would make my dream come true

For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore

For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
As long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me

Written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records

for once: pour une fois
used to do: faisait
as long as: pourvu que
sorrow: chagrin, tristesse profonde
to make it: réussir, y arriver

Smokey Robinson singing "Cruisin'"

Imperative => giving an order (donner un ordre)

• (2nd person singular/plural)
  Come here!
  Sit down!

• (1st person plural)
  Let's go!
  Let's sit down!

• (3rd person singular/plural)
  Let him/her/them go!
  Let him/her/them sit down!

Voici, en gras, les impératifs de la chanson, "Cruisin'".


"CRUISIN'"
Written, produced, and recorded by Smokey Robinson

Baby, let's cruise away from here
Don't be confused, the way is clear
And if you want it you got it forever
This is not a one-night stand, babe, yeah
So let the music take your mind, oooh...
Just release and you will find

You're gonna fly away, glad you're going my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
The music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Babe, tonight belongs to us
Everything's right, do what you must
And inch by inch we get closer and closer
To every little part of each other
Ooh, babe, yes
Let the music take your mind, babe
Just release and you will find

You're gonna fly away, glad you're going my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
The music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together

(Cruise with me, babe) x 2

Cruuuuuuuuuise
Oh, oh, babe, yeah
Oooooh, babe
Oooooh, ooooooh
Aaaah, Babe
It's so good to cruise with you, babe
It's so good to cruise with you
Owww, yeah
You need me, babe
Aaaaah, babe let's cruise
Let's flow, let's glide
Ooooh let's open up, and go inside
And if you want it you got it forever
I can just stay there inside you
And love you, babe, oh
Let the music take your mind
Just release and you will find

You're gonna fly, yeah, glad you're going my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
The music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it when we're cruisin' together
Oh, babe
We're gonna fly away
Ohhh, yeah
Glad you're going my way
I love it when we're cruisin' together
The music is played for love, cruisin' is made for love
I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it
__________

Exercises

• http://esl.about.com/library/beginner/bl_bgimperative.htm
• http://esl.lbcc.edu/eesllessons/commands/imperativematch1.htm
• http://www.better-english.com/grammar/imperative1.htm (post intermediate level)
• http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/386.html

to cruise: to drive or be driven slowly, usually without a purpose
a one-night stand: a situation in which you have sex with sb once, then discontinue the relationship
glad: a synonym of "happy"
to belong to: to be owned by, to be the possession of
inch by inch: very slowly
to flow: to move in a continuous and smooth way (like water)
to glide: to move in a smooth, uninterrupted way (like a skier on snow)

my bad

(gen.) if you say 'my bad', you admit your mistake, that you're responsible for the error (mea culpa).

Example: "Hey, you spilled your soda on my book!" / "Oops! My bad."

Dictionary: my bad
Bonus link: my bad vs. I'm sorry

Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-bad.html">my bad</a>

-----------
my bad, english idioms, english expressions, esl

fast asleep

(gen.) sleeping soundly (sleeping like a baby).

Example: "Thabiso is already at work? Half an hour ago his wife said he was still fast asleep!"
In the news: Fast Asleep in Philosophical Tranquility and Fast Asleep to Wide Awake: Hibernating Bears
Dictionary: fast asleep
Bonus link: fast asleep (etymology)


Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2011/09/fast-asleep.html">fast asleep</a>

-----------
fast asleep, english idioms, english expressions, esl

go down the tubes

(mostly gen.) if something has gone down the tubes, it has been ruined or destroyed.

Example: "The factory went down the tubes, when it became harder to get raw materials."

In the news: Chrysler's going down the tubes, too
Dictionary: go down the tubes
Bonus link: go down the tunes (origin of the expression)

Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2009/03/go-down-tubes.html">down the tubes</a>

-----------
down the tubes, english idioms, english expressions, esl

tie up loose ends

(gen.) fix all the minor problems related to a bigger issue.

Example: "We've done almost all the hard work. We just need to tie up any loose ends now."
In the news: Tying up some loose ends  and Town Council ties up loose ends
Bonus link: loose ends
Dictionary: loose ends

----------
tie up loose ends, english idioms, english expressions

in the bag

(gen.) if sth is in the bag, then it has been secured.

Example: "I think this contract's already in the bag -- I know one of their chief negotiators."
In the news: More cancer research funding is in the bag and Victory is in the bag for Giants
Dictionary: in the bag
Bonus link: in the bag


Link to this post:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-bag.html">in the bag</a>

-----------
in the bag, english idioms, english expressions, esl

all ears

(gen.) if you're all ears, you are ready and willing to hear what sb has to say.

Example: "Mr Schmidt here says he's got a proposal for us. Ok, Mr Schmidt, we're all ears."
In the news: Commisioner says he's all ears and Sun Valley was all ears for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Dictionary: be all ears
Cartoon: toonpool.com and 4.bp.blogspot.com

Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2009/03/all-ears.html">all ears</a>

-----------
all ears, english idioms, english expressions

call it a day

(gen.) stop doing something for a while, usually until the next day.

Example: "Goddam! I'm tired, and it's getting late. C'mon, let's call it a day, man."
In the news: financialexpress.com
Dictionary: call it a day
Bonus link: call it a day

Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2009/02/call-it-day.html">call it a day</a>

-----------
call it a day, english idioms, english expressions

Word of the Day

Word of the Day

rappel
Definition:	Lower oneself with a rope coiled around the body from a mountainside.
Synonyms:	abseil, rope down

Word of the Day
provided by TheFreeDictionary

in hot water

(gen.) in trouble because of something you've done.

Example: "If you don't come to the year-end party, you'll really get into hot water with your boss."
In the news: andalusiastarnews.com and examiner.com
Dictionary: in hot water



Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2009/05/in-hot-water.html">in hot water</a>

-----------
in hot water, english idioms, english expressions, esl, idioms

rip-off

(gen., n.) an unfair price, rule, etc. /something priced too high

Example: "The price of bread is a rip-off these days. A simple baguette costs a whopping €1.10!"
In the news: pittsburghlive.com and terminalu.com
Dictionary: rip off
Bonus link: en.wikipedia.org

Link to this post:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2008/10/rip-off.html">rip-off</a>

-----------
rip off, english idioms, english expressions, esl, idioms

traffic jam

(gen.) traffic that isn't moving, because of many cars on the road, or because of a traffic accident

Example: "I told her I was late for our appointment because of a traffic jam. And she didn't believe me."
In the news: 27east.com and metro.us
Dictionary: traffic jam

Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2009/06/traffic-jam.html">traffic jam</a>

-----------
traffic jam, english idioms, english expressions, esl, idioms

icing on the cake

(gen.) when you already have all you need, and you get something else in addition.

Example: "I've just been promoted to head of Sales! And they've just raised me, too. Pure icing on the cake!"
In the news: wexfordpeople.ie/news
Dictionary: icing on the cake
Bonus link: en.wiktionary.org




Link to this idiom:

<a href="http://wordsbiz.blogspot.com/2008/10/icing-on-cake.html">icing on the cake</a>

-----------
Technorati Tags: icing on the cake, english expressions, english idioms, esl