Shadowing Practice: Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah (Lyrics) - Learn English Speaking with Video
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28 sentences
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1
Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York City?
2
I'm a thousand miles away,
3
but girl tonight you look so pretty Yes you do Times Square can't shine as bright as you I swear it's true
4
Hey there Delilah, don't you worry about the distance I'm right there, if you get lonely Give this song another listen,
5
close your eyes Listen to my voice,
6
it's my disguise I'm by your side Oh,
7
it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh,
8
it's what you do to me Oh,
9
it's what you do to me What you do to me Hey there,
10
Delilah I know times are getting hard But just believe me, girl Someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar We'll have it good
11
We'll have the life we knew we would My word is good Hey there Delilah,
12
I've got so much left to say
13
If every simple song I wrote to you would take your breath away I'd write it all
14
Even more in love with me, you'd fall We'd have it all Oh,
15
it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh,
16
it's what you do to me.
17
Oh, it's what you do to me?
18
A thousand miles seems pretty far, but they've got planes and trains and cars.
19
I'd walk to you if I had no other way.
20
Our friends would all make fun of us, and we'll just laugh along because we know that none of them have felt this way.
21
Delilah, I can't promise you that by the time we get through the world we'll never ever be the same
22
And you're to blame Hey there Delilah,
23
you be good and don't you miss me Two more years
24
and you'll be done with school And I'll be making history like I do You'll know it's all because of you
25
We can do whatever we want to Hey there,
26
Delilah, here's to you This one's for you Oh,
27
it's what you do to me Oh, it's what you do to me Oh,
28
it's what you do to me What you do to me, what you do to me
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B1 speaking lesson is built on the video “Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah”. This video has 28 sentences and 365 words to shadow. The speech runs for 3:14. The speaker talks at a steady 113 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 92% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| guitar noun | /ɡɪˈtɑɹ/ | A stringed musical instrument, of European origin, usually with a fretted fingerboard and six strings, played with the fingers or a plectrum (guitar pick). |
| breathe verb | /bɹiːð/ | To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases. |
| lonely adjective | /ˈloʊnli/ | Unhappy due to feeling isolated from contact with other people. |
| shine verb | /ʃaɪn/ | To emit or reflect light so as to glow. |
| disguise verb | /dɪsˈɡaɪz/ | To change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity. |
| laugh verb | /læf/ | To show mirth, satisfaction, or derision, by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face, particularly of the mouth, causing a lighting up of the face and… |
| blame verb | /bleɪm/ | To assert or consider that someone is the cause of something negative; to place blame; to attribute responsibility (for something negative or for doing… |
| bright adjective | /ˈbɹaɪ̯t/ | Emitting much light; visually dazzling; luminous, lucent, radiant. |
| swear verb | /ˈswɛɚ/ | To take an oath, to promise intensely, solemnly, and/or with legally binding effect. |
| miles noun | /maɪlz/ | A great distance in space or time. |
| train noun | /ˈtɹeɪn/ | The elongated back portion of a dress or skirt (or an ornamental piece of material added to similar effect), which drags along the ground. |
| none | /noʊn/ | Not any of a given number or group. |
| distance noun | /ˈdɪst(ə)n(t)s/ | An amount of space between points (often geographical points), usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. |
| worry verb | /ˈwʌ.ɹi/ | To be troubled; to give way to mental anxiety or doubt. |
| plane noun | /pleɪn/ | An airplane; an aeroplane. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 22 contractions and reduced forms, such as we'll, I'm, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like guitar, breathe, lonely.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.