American Boy

Whenever I find a catchy song with subtitles on YouTube, I always thinks it a good idea to share with students. This is the case with American Boy, by Estelle. First familiarize yourself with the vocabulary before listening to the video with subtitles. Next, watch the official video without subtitles below it and see how much you were able to understand. In general, this is a good method to improve your listening comprehension; listen while reading text, then listen without text.

get down = festeja

touched down = aterrizado

sold out = agotado

pick it = meterse

peaking = alcanzar su punto máximo

baggy = holgado

underneath = debajo de

subway = metro

hood, short for neighborhood = vecindario

slick = de mucha labia

cool down = calmarse

chick = chica

blinkin’ = parpadear

persona = imagen, personaje

shallow = poco profundo

bloke = tío

bespoke = hecho a medida

broke = sin un duro

rubbish = basura

Estelle’s original version came out in 2008. There are several covers of her songs. New versions are interesting if they can add a new dimension to an old song. Of course that is easier said, or sung, than done. Below, you can listen to Cocoon’s 2011 cover. Further below, you can listen to VersaEmerge’s 2010 cover. What do you think of these cover songs? Do they add a new touch, or not?