Shame – English Lyrics

• By: Robbie Williams, Gary Barlow
• Album: Swings Both Ways

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt narrative of "Shame," a unique duet by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow, that beautifully captures their journey of reconciliation. This song offers an authentic and emotional glimpse into spoken and unspoken feelings, making it an excellent piece to understand conversational English and the nuances of expressing regret and forgiveness. Its personal storytelling and relatable themes make it a compelling way to explore English in a deeply human context.

[English]

Well there's three versions of this story mine, yours and then the truth

And we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood, then our youth

Out of some sentimental gain

I wanted you to feel my pain, but it came back return to sender

I read your mind and tried to call, my tears could fill the Albert Hall, is this the sound of sweet surrender?

What a shame we never listened

I told you through the television

And all that went away was the price we paid

People spend a lifetime this way

Oh what a shame.

So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus

Oh, and with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us

I wrote a letter in my mind, but the words were so unkind, about a man I can't remember

I don't recall the reasons why, I must have meant them at the time, is this the sound of sweet surrender?

What a shame we never listened

I told you through the television

And all that went away was the price we paid

People spend a lifetime this way

And that's how they stay

Oh what a shame.

Words come easy, when they're true

Words come easy, when they're true

So I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus

And with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toys-R-Us

Now we can put it down to circumstance, our childhood then our youth.

What a shame we never listened

I told you through the television

And all that went away was the price we paid

People spend a lifetime this way

And that's how they stay

Oh what a shame.

People spend a lifetime this way

Oh what a shame

Such a shame, what a shame

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shame /ʃeɪm/ B1	noun - a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. noun - a regrettable or unfortunate situation or action.
truth /truːθ/ A2	noun - the quality or state of being true.
circumstance /ˈsɜːkəmstæns/ B2	noun - a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.
childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ A2	noun - the period of a person's life in which they are a child.
youth /juːθ/ A2	noun - the period between childhood and adult age.
sentimental /ˌsentɪˈmentl/ B2	adjective - of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury. noun - mental suffering or distress.
return /rɪˈtɜːn/ A2	verb - go or come back to a place or person. noun - an act of coming or going back to a place or person.
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
sweet /swiːt/ A1	adjective - having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not sour, bitter, or salty. adjective - pleasing and delightful.
surrender /səˈrendər/ B2	verb - cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority. noun - the action of surrendering.
listen /ˈlɪsn/ A1	verb - give attention to sound.
television /ˈtelɪvɪʒn/ A1	noun - a system for transmitting visual images and sound that are reproduced on screens.
price /praɪs/ A2	noun - the amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something. noun - what must be done, given, or undergone to obtain something.
lifetime /ˈlaɪftaɪm/ B1	noun - the duration of a person's life.
busy /ˈbɪzi/ A1	adjective - engaged in activity.
bus /bʌs/ A1	noun - a large motor vehicle carrying passengers by road, typically one travelling a regular route.
unkind /ʌnˈkaɪnd/ B1	adjective - not kind; unpleasant or unfriendly.
easy /ˈiːzi/ A1	adjective - achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties.
true /truː/ A1	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality.