Hey there! This is TOP episode 264. Learn English with The Killers “Mr Brightside”
Are you tired of lacking confidence when speaking English? Does it block you from achieving your true goals? This podcast is the place for you. This is Teacher Ola Podcast. My name’s Ola Mierniczak and I empower English learners to become confident speakers. The key to fluency is in your pocket. You’ll boost your vocabulary, brush up your grammar and improve your pronunciation. Enjoy your journey to fluency!
Hey there! Thank you so much for coming. Let’s do what I love doing the most and that is learning English, practising English with music.
I’m sure you’ve heard The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” a thousand times—at parties, in bars, maybe even at a wedding or two. Somehow, this song from 2003 never goes away. It’s still on playlists, people are still belting it out at karaoke, and it’s basically an anthem for feeling jealous and heartbroken. But it’s not just the emotion behind the song that makes it so popular—the lyrics are packed with everyday phrases and expressions that can actually help you in real-life English conversations. Let’s break down some of these lines and see how you can use them too!
As always, I picked 10 phrases from the lyrics so let’s take a closer look at them. 10 phrases from “Mr Brightside”.
One. Coming out of my cage
In “Mr. Brightside,” this line suggests that the singer feels like he’s been trapped, and now he’s breaking free, ready to face the world.
“Coming out of my cage” is a metaphor. “Cage” symbolizes a situation where you feel restricted, and “coming out” means escaping or becoming more open.
You can use this phrase when you feel like you’ve been holding back or restricting yourself in some way, but now you’re ready to express yourself or do something new. Listen to this example:
After months of studying, I’m finally coming out of my cage and going out with friends.
Two. I’ve been doing just fine.
Here, he’s trying to reassure himself or someone else that he’s been okay, even though it becomes clear that things aren’t going well.
“I’ve been doing just fine” is a common way to say that you’re managing well or coping, even if things aren’t perfect. It doesn’t have to be ironic! But more often than not – is.
“I’ve been doing” is present perfect continuous, showing that something started in the past and is still happening now. Listen to the whole sentence:
Thanks for asking, I’ve been doing just fine at my new job.
Three. It started out with a kiss.
He’s reflecting on how a simple kiss led to a series of complicated and emotional events.
“Started out with” is a casual way to describe how something began.
How to use it in everyday life? This is a useful phrase when telling a story or describing how something began, often in a surprising or unexpected way. For instance:
Our friendship started out with a random conversation at the bus stop.
Four. How did it end up like this?
The singer is questioning how something simple turned into such a complicated situation.
“End up” is a phrasal verb that refers to how things conclude, often in a way that wasn’t planned. Why is it useful? Well, you can use this phrase when you’re surprised by how something has turned out, especially if it’s unexpected or negative. Like in this sentence:
We were just talking, but somehow it ended up like this—an argument!
Five. And she’s taking a drag
“Taking a drag” is a specific phrase for inhaling smoke from a cigarette.
This phrase is specific to smoking, so you would only use it in that context. “A drag” is a noun that refers to a puff of smoke.
He looked stressed, sitting outside and taking a drag of his cigarette.
Six. And it’s all in my head
He realizes that much of what he’s worried about might only exist in his imagination or thoughts, not in reality. In fact it is sarcasm. On the surface, the phrase sounds like he’s trying to brush off his worries, saying, “It’s nothing, I’m just overthinking.” But the rest of the song makes it clear. She cheated on him and it’s as clear as it can be.
You can use this when you realise you’ve been worrying or overthinking something that isn’t really happening.
I thought everyone was mad at me, but it turns out it was all in my head.
Seven. It’s killing me
It’s painful, it’s stressful. He’s just seen his girlfriend with another man! It’s killing him.
Use “It’s killing me” to express intense frustration or emotional pain. When something is very difficult or very painful. If you have new shoes and they’re too small or the heel is to high, you can say:
These shoes are killing me!
Eight. Turning saints into the sea
This line is more abstract, suggesting a loss of innocence or purity, as feelings of jealousy or anger take over.
“Turning saints into the sea” suggests a transformation from something pure (“saints”) to something overwhelming or destructive (the “sea”).
This is more poetic, so it’s not used in everyday conversation, but the idea of “turning something into something else” can be applied generally.
For example:
He turned his fears into action.
Nine. Choking on your alibis.
The singer feels overwhelmed by someone’s excuses or lies, to the point where it feels like he can’t breathe.
To choke on something means to be unable to breathe because the passage to your lungs is blocked or you cannot get enough air. She has given so many alibis, it’s obvious she’s lying, he feels like he’s choking on those lies. An example sentence:
He was choking on a cherry tomato.
Ten. It’s just the price I pay
I think he started to accept the fact that his emotional pain caused by that girl is the consequence of loving someone. It’s just the price I pay for loving her.
So you can use “The price I pay” to express the consequence or sacrifice someone makes for a certain action or choice.
When talking about dealing with the negative consequences of a decision. Example sentence:
Working late is the price I pay for taking a long lunch break.
Now we should begging your speaking practice but before we do just that, let me recap all 10 phrases we’ve been learning today:
One. Coming out of my cage
Two. I’ve been doing just fine.
Three. It started out with a kiss.
Four. How did it end up like this?
Five. And she’s taking a drag
Six. And it’s all in my head
Seven. It’s killing me
Eight. Turning saints into the sea
Nine. Choking on your alibis.
Ten. It’s just the price I pay
Let’s practise speaking. Listen once again to all the sentences from this episode and repeat them out loud.
These shoes are killing me!
He turned his fears into action.
He was choking on a cherry tomato.
Thanks for asking, I’ve been doing just fine at my new job.
Working late is the price I pay for taking a long lunch break.
Our friendship started out with a random conversation at the bus stop.
After months of studying, I’m finally coming out of my cage and going out with friends.
We were just talking, but somehow it ended up like this—an argument!
He looked stressed, sitting outside and taking a drag of his cigarette.
I thought everyone was mad at me, but it turns out it was all in my head.
Good work! Don’t forget to download your free worksheet that will allow you to actively practise what you’ve learnt today! Go to teacherola.com/264 and grab your copy. If you’ve subscribed to my newsletter check your inbox, also spam because your worksheet must be somewhere.
I love you , I believe in you, I know you can speak English with fluency IF you really want it! Stay fearless, take care and say it out loud! I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and you were listening to Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now.