Y.M.C.A. – English Lyrics

• By: Village People
• Album: Y.M.C.A.

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the infectious energy of "Y.M.C.A." by the Village People, a global disco sensation that transcends language barriers with its catchy chorus and iconic dance. This song offers a fantastic opportunity to learn simple, upbeat English phrases and common vocabulary related to community, fun, and support. Its simple and repetitive structure makes it easy to follow along, and the widely recognized arm movements for the letters Y-M-C-A provide a unique kinesthetic learning experience that reinforces the lyrics. Beyond its memorable tune, the song's cultural impact and varied interpretations provide a rich context for understanding nuances in English and cultural discussions around inclusivity and meaning in popular music.

[English]

Young man, there's no need to feel down

I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground

I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town

There's no need to be unhappy

Young man, there's a place you can go

I said, young man,

when you're short on your dough

You can stay there

and I'm sure you will find

Many ways to have a good time

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

They have everything for young men to enjoy,

You can hang out with all the boys

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal

You can do whatever you feel

Young man, are you listening to me?

I said, young man, what do you wanna be?

I said, young man, you can make real your dreams

but you got to know this one thing.

No man does it all by himself.

I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,

And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.

I'm sure they can help you today

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

They have everything for young men to enjoy,

You can hang out with all the boys

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal

You can do whatever you feel

Young man, I was once in your shoes.

I said, I was down and out with the blues

I felt no man cared if I were alive

I felt the whole world was so jive

That's when someone came up to me

And said, "Young man, take a walk up the street

It’s a place there called the 'Y.M.C.A.'

They can start you back on your way."

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

They have everything for young men to enjoy,

You can hang out with all the boys

YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

Young man, young man, there's no need to feel down

Young man, young man, get yourself off the ground

YMCA

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

Young man, are you listening to me ?

Young man, young man, what do you wanna be ?

YMCA

You'll find it at the Y.M.C.A.

No man, young man, does it all by himself

Young man, young man, put your pride on the shelf

YMCA

And just go to the Y.M.C.A.

Young man, young man, I was once in your shoes

Young man, young man, I was down with the blues

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - being in an early stage of life, growth, or development
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
down /daʊn/ A1	adjective - feeling sad or depressed
pick /pɪk/ A2	verb - to choose or select someone or something
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A2	noun - the solid surface of the earth
new /njuː/ A1	adjective - recently made, discovered, or experienced
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - an urban area that is smaller than a city
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or area
short /ʃɔːrt/ A2	adjective - of limited duration; not long
dough /doʊ/ B2	noun - (informal) money
fun /fʌn/ A1	noun - enjoyment or amusement adjective - enjoyable
enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/ A2	verb - to take pleasure in something
boys /bɔɪz/ A1	noun - plural of boy; a male child or young man
clean /kliːn/ A1	adjective - free from dirt, marks, or stains verb - to remove dirt, marks, or stains from something
meal /miːl/ A1	noun - an occasion when food is eaten
real /riːəl/ A1	adjective - actually existing or happening; not imagined or pretended
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of one's close associates, or from qualities or possessions that one values highly.
help /help/ A1	verb - to give assistance or support to someone
blues /bluːz/ B2	noun - a feeling of melancholy, sadness, or depression
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once.

Key Grammar Structures

• Young man, there's no need to feel down

  ➔ Existential 'there is/are' + infinitive of emotion

  ➔ Uses the existential "there's" to express that there is no requirement or reason to experience a negative emotion. "To feel down" is an infinitive phrase describing the emotion.

• pick yourself off the ground

  ➔ Imperative verb + reflexive pronoun + prepositional phrase

  ➔ "Pick" is the imperative verb, "yourself" is the reflexive pronoun emphasizing the action directed at the subject, and "off the ground" indicates the direction of movement.

• There's no need to be unhappy

  ➔ Existential 'there is/are' + 'no need' + infinitive

  ➔ Expresses the lack of necessity for a particular state of being. "To be unhappy" is an infinitive phrase that clarifies the unnecessary condition.

• There's a place you can go

  ➔ Relative clause with omitted relative pronoun ('that' or 'which')

  ➔ "You can go" modifies "a place". The full form would be "There's a place that you can go."

• when you're short on your dough

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction ('when') + adjective phrase ('short on')

  ➔ "When" introduces a time clause, and "short on your dough" means having little money. "Dough" is an informal word for money.

• You can do whatever you feel

  ➔ Modal verb ('can') + 'whatever' (relative pronoun) + clause

  ➔ "Whatever you feel" acts as the object of "do". 'Whatever' means anything that.

• you got to know this one thing.

  ➔ Informal contraction 'got to' for 'have got to' (obligation)

  ➔ "Got to" is a less formal way of saying "have got to" or "have to", indicating a necessity or obligation. It's common in spoken English and song lyrics.

• No man does it all by himself.

  ➔ Negative statement with indefinite pronoun ('No man') and adverbial phrase ('by himself')

  ➔ "No man" is used to express that absolutely no one can achieve everything alone. "By himself" emphasizes that the action is done without help.