Hey there! This is TOP episode 285. Learn English With Lola Young “Messy”.
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, and welcome back! Today, we’re diving into the song ‘Messy’ by Lola Young, breaking down real, natural English straight from the lyrics. You’ll learn useful vocabulary, everyday phrases, pronunciation tips and little grammar revision. And of course, I’ll help you practice speaking with repeat-after-me exercises!
Before we start, exciting news! SIOL (Say It Out Loud) is open for new members! If you want to improve your English with structured materials, live speaking practice, and loads of bonuses, head to siol.pl to learn more. You can even test SIOL risk-free for two weeks!
Ok! Time to learn some English with Lola Young and her song ‘Messy’. I picked 8 lines from the song. Let’s start!
One. “You know I’m impatient.”
Impatient. Someone who finds it hard to wait or wants things to happen quickly. For example:
I get impatient when the internet is slow.
She’s so impatient—she can’t stand waiting in line!
That prefxis “im-” often means “not” or “the opposite of.” Here are some other adjectives with “im-“:
impossible (not possible) → It’s impossible to finish this in five minutes!
imperfect (not perfect) → Nobody is perfect; we’re all imperfect.
immature (not mature) → He acts so immature for his age.
Two. “Okay, so yeah, I smoke like a chimney.”
A chimney constantly releases smoke, so if someone “smokes like a chimney,” it means they smoke a lot. For example:
My uncle smokes like a chimney—he always has a cigarette in his hand!
Three. “But cut me some slack, who do you want me to be?”
“Cut me some slack”. It means “give me a break” or “don’t be too strict with me.” Listen to these examples:
I was late because of traffic! Cut me some slack!
I made a mistake, but can you cut me some slack?
Another thing in this phrase is the question: Who do you want me to be? It’s present simple question. Remember the structure:
Who do you want me to be?
Who do you want to invite?
What do you want me to do?
Four. “‘Cause I’m too messy.”
Let’s take a look at some meanings of the word “messy”
The first one is: untidy, not clean, like in this sentence:
My room is so messy—I need to clean it!
The second one: complicated, disorganized. Example:
Their breakup was really messy.
The third one: difficult, full of emotions (like personal life or relationships). For instance:
My life is a bit messy right now.
Five. “You told me, ‘Get a job’, then you ask where the hell I’ve been.”
“Get a job” – it means “find work” or “start working.” Listen to these sentences:
My parents keep telling me to get a job.
He finally got a job at a café last week!
Six. “And I’m too perfect ’til I open my big mouth.”
“Big mouth” – is someone who talks too much, says things they shouldn’t, or can’t keep secrets. Examples:
Don’t tell Jake your secrets—he has a big mouth!
Oops, I told her about the surprise party. I have such a big mouth.
Seven. “I want to be me, is that not allowed?”
Here we have another present simple question, but this time it’s with the verb “to be”.
Is that not allowed?
Is she happy?
Am I late?
Let’s also stop for a moment at the word “allowed”. If something is allowed, it means you have permission to do it. Here, there’s a lack of permission.
Phones are not allowed in class.
Are we allowed to leave early?
I want to be me, is that not allowed? The question sounds frustrated—like the person is saying, “Why do I need permission to be myself?”
Eight. “And I’m too clever and then I’m too fucking dumb.”
“Dumb” means not smart. Listen:
That was a dumb mistake—I should have checked the answer!
Pay attention to the pronunciation of this word ‘dumb’. The “b” is silent!
Here are some other words with a silent “b”:
Lamb (baby sheep) → I saw a little lamb on the farm.
Thumb (finger) → I hurt my thumb!
Let’s practice a little! Listen to some of the sentences again, but this time I want you to say them out loud after me. Listen and repeat, let’s go!
I get impatient when the internet is slow.
My uncle smokes like a chimney.
I made a mistake, but can you cut me some slack?
What do you want me to do?
Their breakup was really messy.
My life is a bit messy right now.
He finally got a job at a café last week!
I have such a big mouth.
Is that not allowed?
That was a dumb mistake.
Well done! Listen, I’ve created a free worksheet with one exercise to help you remember and use these phrases naturally. You can download it now—just go to your inbox! If you don’t receive my emails, head to teacherola.com/285 and sign up there!
Before we wrap up, don’t forget— SIOL is open for new members! Do you want to learn more about this curse? About this programme? It includes online materials: grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation PLUS Speaking Club PLUS oh soooo many bonuses! Go to siol.pl and read more about it, read the reviews and if you feel it’s for you: join us there. siol.pl. Remember that you can test SIOL for 2 weeks. If you decide it’s not right for you, you can return it and receive your money back! There is absolutely no risk!! Aha, the course is B1/B2 level of English. It’s not for beginners but rather for people who need to organise, refresh their knowledge and start SPEAKING English! siol.pl In this edition of the course we’ll be meeting on Thursdays at 7:30 pm. I’m talking about SC. It’s a very important part of the course. These are live meetings with me and other SIOLers, 12h of English conversations in pairs. I hope to see and hear YOU there!
That’s it for today. Thank you so much for listening! I’ll see you in the next episode. I believe in you—you can speak English with fluency if you truly want it! Stay fearless, take care, and say it out loud! I’m your teacher, Teacher Ola, and you’ve been listening to the Teacher Ola Podcast. Bye for now!