My favorite holiday is May 1, and that is for one reason, and one reason only: “The Lusty Month of May”. 🌼 To me, this tongue-in-cheek song from the movie Camelot embodies the playful, whimsical aspect of human nature, and everything that is delightful about springtime. The song gives us the feeling that spring is a time when we come alive and give in to the passionate, life-loving parts of our natures. It’s a time for us to run, and dance, and love, and not have a care in the world. It’s a time to exist in the moment, and revel in the earth as it blooms around us. But “The Lusty Month of May” is not only a great song. If you’re learning English, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to grow your vocabulary!

In this vocabulary post, you will learn 33 new English words through the lyrics to “The Lusty Month of May”. I hope you enjoy today’s vocab jam, Stepper! (And if you do like it, please share it! 🥰)

TONGUE-IN-CHEEK

WHIMSICAL

GIVE IN (TO SOMETHING)

NOT HAVE A CARE IN THE WORLD

LIVE IN THE MOMENT

REVEL IN

BLOOM

Related: Hungry for another vocab jam? Boost your vocabulary with Aretha Franklin and George Michael

Level Up Your Vocabulary with “The Lusty Month of May”

In English, we say that April showers bring May flowers. But, if this song is anything to go by, a lot more than flowers arrive in May! 😉💖

(By the way… Isn’t Vanessa Redgrave incredible?! I love her!)

Related: Grow your vocabulary with my ESL words of the day!

It’s May! It’s May! The lusty month of May!
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray!
It’s here! It’s here! That shocking time of year
When tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear!

It’s May! It’s May! That gorgeous holiday
When every maiden itches for fun, wholesome or un-.
It’s mad! Oh, it’s gay! Depraved in every way!
Those dreary vows that everyone takes, everyone breaks…
Everyone makes divine mistakes!
The lusty month of May!

It’s May! It’s May! The lusty month of May!
That darling month when everyone throws self-control away!
It’s time to do a wretched thing or two,
And try to make each precious day one you’ll always rue!

Related: Pincy Cat helps your grow your vocabulary in this post full of summer words

It’s May! It’s May! The month of “yes you may!”
The time for every frivolous whim, proper or im-.
It’s wild! It’s wild, it’s gay!
A libelous display!
The birds and bees with all of their vast amorous past
Gaze at the human race aghast!
The lusty month of May!

[Repeat song with everyone singing]

Related: Why you should be learning English with music

LUSTY

 

This song is very playful with language. So, she’s using the word ‘lusty’, but we’re also meant to think of the word ‘lust’, which refers to sexual desire.

GO ASTRAY

BLISSFULLY

SHOCKING

TONS

WICKED

MERRILY

GORGEOUS

Related: Learn these adjectives for offering memorable romantic compliments

MAIDEN

ITCH FOR

Related: Phrasal verbs with ‘jump’ + practice quiz

WHOLESOME / UNWHOLESOME

 

The song is being playful when it says “wholesome or un-“, but in conversation, we don’t do this. We would use the whole words, “wholesome or unwholesome”.

MAD

GAY

DEPRAVED

Related: 18 evil synonyms inspired by Game of Thrones villains

DREARY

VOW

The song here is talking about wedding vows.

DIVINE

DARLING

THROW AWAY

Related: Learn more about phrasal verbs with English teacher Adam Broughton’s master class

SELF-CONTROL

WRETCHED

PRECIOUS

RUE

Related: Level up your vocabulary with the song “Ol’ Man River”

FRIVOLOUS

WHIM

LIBELOUS

The song is being playful with words, so it’s not talking literally about libel. What it means is “such naughty behavior that it will sound like libel when people talk about it”.

DISPLAY

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

This is another example of the song being playful. This is a way for it to reference sex without actually saying “sex”. If you like this idiom, you may also enjoy the old hit song, “The Birds and the Bees”.

Related: Grow your vocabulary with these idioms about apples

VAST

AMOROUS

GAZE

AGHAST