Music!

One of the ways to get exposure to a foreign language and hear different accents is to listen to music. I think its also a good way to build vocabulary (and if you stick to a certain genre like pop or rock, you will hear a lot of the same words and phrases in multiple contexts). Listening to music where you don't understand all the words is usually also more enjoyable than trying to understand text that has just as many new words. Keeping this in mind, I'm putting up links (from YouTube) to songs by Dido, a pop singer with not a very strong American or British accent, but with very clear enunciation. I'm also including lyrics that you can read while you listen (although it may be an interesting challenge to follow the songs without lyrics too).

Let me know if this is something that you find useful and I would be happy to find more songs and put them up with their lyrics. Sometimes I provide some clarification of words or phrases in brackets (like this) but if there are any questions, please do post them here.

Enjoy.
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Dido- Life for Rent
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x96IK7xHkbs&feature=channel

Lyrics:
I haven't ever really found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologize that once again I'm not in love
But it's not as if I mind that your heart ain't exactly breaking

It's just a thought, only a thought

But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'Cos (because) nothing I have is truly mine

I've always thought
that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone
and live my life more simply
I have no idea what's happened to that dream
That there's really nothing left here to stop me

It's just a thought, only a thought

But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
'Cos (because) nothing I have is truly mine

While my heart is a shield and I won't let it down
While I am so afraid to fail so I won't even try
Well how can I say I'm alive

If my life is for rent...

~~~~
And the next song:
Dido- Thank you
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thqK24LJR3o
Lyrics:
My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all
the morning rain clouds up my window and I can't see at all
And even if I could it'd all be gray, but your picture on my wall
it reminds me that it's not so bad
it's not so bad

I drank too much last night, got bills to pay
my head just feels in pain
I missed the bus and there'll (there will) be hell today
I'm late for work again
and even if I'm there, they'll (they will) all imply that I might not last the
day
and then you call me and it's not so bad
it's not so bad and

I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life

Push the door, I'm home at last and I'm soaking through and
through (completely wet)
then you handed me a towel and all I see is you
and even if my house falls down now, I wouldn't have a clue
because you're near me and

I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life