Vocab Jam: Learn 11 New Words with Aretha Franklin + George Michael 🎧🎵

Give me four short minutes, and you’ll be on your way to learning 11 new words in English! (And you’ll be grooving and singing along, too!) Learning English through songs is one of the best things you can do to grow your vocabulary and immerse yourself in the culture of the English-speaking world. Today, we’re going to look at the song “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” by Aretha Franklin and George Michael. You’ll learn vocabulary words like falter, crippled, and warrior. You’ll learn a handful of idioms, too! …Get out your dancing shoes and your English journal because it’s time to get started!

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Today’s Vocab Jam: “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”

So, what is a vocab jam, anyhow? Well, in slang, a jam is a song that you really, really love. So here in our online English classroom, a vocab jam is a song that you really, really love that is also jam-packed—no pun intended! 😁—with beautiful, brilliant, glorious advanced English vocabulary!

JAM-PACKED

Listen to the song and read along with the lyrics. I’ve chosen 11 advanced English vocabulary words to focus on. If any of them are new to you, click on the boxes beneath the lyrics to get visuals with definitions.

Like a warrior that fights and wins the battle,
I know the taste of victory.
Though I went through some nights consumed by the shadows,
I was crippled emotionally.

Somehow I made it through the heartache, yes, I did.
Oh, I escaped. (aha ha)
I found my way out of the darkness.
I kept my faith (I know you did), kept my faith.

When the river was deep, I didn’t falter.
When the mountain was high, I still believed.
When the valley was low, it didn’t stop me, no no.
I knew you were waiting, I knew you were waiting for me.
Uh huh.

With an endless desire, I kept on searching,
Sure in time our eyes would meet.
And like a bridge that’s on fire, the hurt is over.
One touch, and you set me free.

No, I don’t regret a single moment, no, I don’t.
(I know you don’t) Looking back,
When I think of all those disappointments,
I just laugh (I know you do), I just laugh.

When the river was deep, I didn’t falter.
When the mountain was high, I still believed.
When the valley was low, it didn’t stop me, oh.
I knew you were waiting, hey, I knew you were waiting for me.

So we were drawn together through destiny, ooh boy, ooh!
I know this love we share was meant to be, oh.
(Knew you were waiting) Ooh, yeah.
(Knew you were waiting) I knew you were waiting.
(Knew you were waiting for me.)

I didn’t falter, no.
(I still believed) When the valley was low.
(It didn’t stop me) Nothing can stop me, no.
(Knew you were waiting) No, I—
(Knew you were waiting for me)
(I didn’t falter) When the mountain was high,
(I still believed) Oh, when the valley was low,
(It didn’t stop me) No, it didn’t stop me, no,
(Knew you were waiting) Stop me.
(Knew you were waiting for me.)
(I didn’t falter) Oh, oh yeah.
(I still believed) Oh, I still believed.
(It didn’t stop me) Do you know it couldn’t stop me now? No—
(Knew you were waiting)
Someday (someway), someplace (somehow)
For me.
(I didn’t falter) When the valley was low,
(I still believed) I still believe. (I believed, I believed)
(It didn’t stop me) Yeah, it couldn’t stop me.