Cabaret – English Lyrics

• By: Liza Minnelli
• Album: Cabaret (Original Soundtrack)

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a captivating journey, and Liza Minnelli's 'Cabaret' offers a spectacular starting point. The song's theatricality and clear, emotive delivery make the lyrics accessible, while its story provides a window into a pivotal moment in history. Exploring 'Cabaret' is not just about learning words; it's about understanding the power of music to convey complex emotions and historical context, from joyous defiance to haunting denial.

[English]

What good is sitting

Alone in your room?

Come hear the music play

Life is a cabaret, old chum

Come to the cabaret

Put down the knitting

The book and the broom

It's time for a holiday

Life is a cabaret, old chum

Come to the cabaret

Come taste the wine

Come hear the band

Come blow your horn

Start celebrating

Right this way your table's waiting

What goods permitting

Some prophet of doom?

To wipe every smile away

Life is a cabaret, old chum

So come to the cabaret

I used to have this girlfriend known as Elsie

With whom I shared for sordid rooms in Chelsea

She wasn't what you'd call a blushing flower

As a matter of fact she rented by the hour

The day she died the neighbors came to snick her

Well, that is what comes from too much pills and liquor

But when I saw her laid out like a queen

She was the happiest corpse I'd ever seen

I think of Elsie to this very day

I remember how she'd turned to me and say

"What good is sitting"

"All alone in your room?"

"Come hear the music play"

"Life is a cabaret, old chum"

"Come to the cabaret"

And as for me, huh

And as for me

I made my mind up back in Chelsea

When I go... I'm going like Elsie

Start by admitting

From cradle to tomb

It isn't that long a stay

Life is a cabaret, old chum

It's only a cabaret, old chum

And I love a cabaret...

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cabaret /ˈkæbəreɪ/ B2	noun - a restaurant or nightclub where entertainment is provided
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - the art of arranging sounds in time
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
table /ˈteɪbl/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs
wine /waɪn/ A2	noun - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes
celebrate /ˈsɛlɪˌbreɪt/ B1	verb - to acknowledge a significant or happy day or event with a social gathering or enjoyable activity
happy /ˈhæpi/ A2	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a part of a building enclosed by walls, floor, and ceiling
smile /smaɪl/ A2	noun - a facial expression characterized by an upward curving of the corners of the mouth
queen /kwiːn/ A2	noun - the female ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by birth
chum /tʃʌm/ B2	noun - a close friend
knitting /ˈnɪtɪŋ/ B1	noun - the craft of making garments by interlocking loops of yarn
prophet /ˈprɒfɪt/ B2	noun - a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God
hour /ˈaʊər/ A2	noun - a period of time equal to 60 minutes

Key Grammar Structures

• Life is a cabaret, old chum

  ➔ Simple Present tense

  ➔ Used to state a general fact or truth that is always valid.

• Come taste the wine

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ Gives a direct command or invitation to take action.

• What good is sitting alone in your room?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence with 'what good is' + noun

  ➔ Asks about the value or benefit of an action.

• Start celebrating

  ➔ Imperative phrase

  ➔ Expresses a command or suggestion to begin celebrating.

• From cradle to tomb

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating a period of time

  ➔ Describes the entire duration of life, from beginning to end.

• It's only a cabaret, old chum

  ➔ It is + adjective + noun phrase

  ➔ Uses a simple predicate to emphasize the insignificance or simplicity of something.

• I made my mind up back in Chelsea

  ➔ Past tense with 'made' + possessive pronoun + noun phrase

  ➔ Expresses a decision or firm choice made in the past.