Songs are a great way to learn English. They’re good listening practice and research shows that singing along is a powerful way to improve your fluency and learn new words. Here’s a beautiful song sung by Doris Day and a lesson on some of the vocabulary first.
There are two videos here so make sure you scroll down for the song.
Click here to see other great songs for learning English.
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah
What are you doing?
I’m warming up for the song.
What song?
Today’s lesson is about a song. Remember?
Oh, that’s been cancelled.
Oh.
You can go home now.
Really?
Yeah, we don’t need you.
Oh.
This week’s lesson comes in the form of a song, and the wonderful Doris Day is the singer. The song is about a journey – a sentimental journey. Sentimental? It means it touches her heart. So it’s a journey she’s taking for emotional rather than practical reasons.
Perhaps there’s a time or place in your life that you feel sentimental about too?
Maybe it’s somewhere you yearn to return to.
Or maybe there’s someone you long to see again.
‘Yearn’ and ‘long’ are both verbs here, and they have very similar meanings.
We use them to talk about things we desire or want very much.
We use ‘yearn’ when it’s somethings that difficult or impossible to do.
And we use ‘long’ when it’s something that won’t happen soon.
You’ll also hear this word in the song. This word doesn’t exist in English.
It’s not a real word. The song writer made it up and I think it’s my favourite word in the song.
So listen to the song and tell me what your favourite words are.
And I have a question too. What sentimental journey would you like to take if you could. Is there a place or a time in your life that you’d like to revisit?
Tell us in the comments.
But I thought the song was cancelled.
No. Doris Day is singing it.
Click here to learn how to use the words travel, trip and journey.
Click here to see more great songs for learning English.
6 thoughts on “Sentimental Journey by Doris Day – Lyrics Explained”
My sentimental journey is going back to my childhood time.
Thank you Vicki for sharing this lovely song, but I would like to ask you. What’ s the meaning of ” spent each dime” and ” wild anticipation”?
Oh great questions. ‘Dime’ is an informal word for a 5 cent coin in the US. When she says she’s in wild anticipation she means that she is very excited about what will happen in the future.
Dime is 10 cent coin.
Indeed it is Gay. 🙂
I love the line “Countin’ every mile of railroad track that takes me back…“
I’ve always loved this song… from the time I was a child of five. I am originally from Gettysburg PA. This past weekend I went to a historic event there, and although I enjoyed it, ever since I returned I’ve been singing aloud “ sentimental journey“, sentimental journey home. I now know every word of the lyrics and think this is one of the most heartfelt songs ever written. Doris Day sings it beautifully and Les Brown’s band plays it perfectly! Have often wondered if it was an emotional journey or physical one. Now I know and it makes me feel incredible longing.
Oh what a lovely comment Susan! Thank you for this.
It indeed is a beautiful and heartfelt song that has touches me too.