Superstition – English Lyrics

• By: Stevie Wonder
• Album: Talking Book

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" is an excellent starting point for English learners. The song's clear and repetitive chorus, "When you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer. Superstition ain't the way," makes it easy to grasp a profound message. Its energetic and universally loved funk groove makes the learning process enjoyable and memorable. This classic tune offers a special opportunity to explore vocabulary related to beliefs and common superstitions in a fun, musical context.

[English]

Very superstitious

Writing's on the wall

Very superstitious

Ladder's 'bout to fall

13-month-old baby

Broke the looking glass

Seven years of bad luck

The good things in your past

When you believe in things

That you don't understand

Then you suffer

Superstition ain't the way, yeah

Ooh, very superstitious

Wash your face and hands

Rid me of the problem

Do all that you can

Keep me in a daydream

Keep me going strong

You don't want to save me

Sad is my song

When you believe in things

You don't understand

Then you suffer

Superstition ain't the way, yeah

Very superstitious

Nothing more to say

Very superstitious

The devil's on his way

13-month-old baby

Broke the looking glass

Seven years of bad luck

Good things in your past

When you believe in things

That you don't understand

Then you suffer

Superstition ain't the way

No, no, no

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
superstitious /ˌsuːpərˈstɪʃəs/ B2	adjective - resulting from or influenced by superstition
wall /wɔːl/ A1	noun - a long, upright structure, often made of brick or stone, that encloses an area
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to move downwards quickly and without control noun - an act of falling
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child
broke /broʊk/ A1	verb - past tense of break; to separate into pieces adjective - having completely run out of money
glass /ɡlɑːs/ A1	noun - a hard, transparent substance used to make windows, bottles, etc.
luck /lʌk/ A2	noun - success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality
past /pæst/ A2	noun - the time before the present
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of
suffer /ˈsʌfər/ B1	verb - experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant)
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front of the head
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the fingers and thumb
problem /ˈprɒbləm/ A2	noun - a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.
strong /strɒŋ/ A2	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy
devil /ˈdevəl/ B1	noun - the supreme spirit of evil; Satan

Key Grammar Structures

• Very superstitious

  ➔ Use of adverbs of degree ("very") to intensify adjectives ("superstitious").

  ➔ Here, "very" emphasizes the extent to which someone is superstitious. It indicates a strong belief in superstitions.

• Writing's on the wall

  ➔ Use of the possessive "'s" to indicate "writing is" (contraction) and idiomatic expression.

  ➔ "Writing's on the wall" is an idiom meaning that there are clear signs that something bad is going to happen.

• Ladder's 'bout to fall

  ➔ Use of the possessive "'s" to indicate "ladder is" (contraction) and colloquial abbreviation of "about" ( 'bout). Use of "to be about to" to express immediate future.

  ➔ This means the ladder is going to fall very soon. "'bout to" is a colloquial way of saying "about to."

• Broke the looking glass

  ➔ Simple past tense ("broke") indicating a completed action in the past.

  ➔ "Broke" is the past tense of "break," showing that the action of breaking the looking glass happened in the past.

• When you believe in things That you don't understand

  ➔ Use of "when" to introduce a conditional clause. Use of a relative clause ("That you don't understand") to modify "things". Use of present simple tense ("believe", "don't understand") to express general truths or habitual actions.

  ➔ This sentence sets up a condition: if you believe in things you don't understand, then you will suffer. "That you don't understand" clarifies what kind of "things" are being referred to.

• Superstition ain't the way, yeah

  ➔ Use of colloquial contraction "ain't" (instead of "is not"). Negative statement. Use of "the way" to mean "the correct method or approach".

  ➔ This means that relying on superstition is not the correct or effective approach to solving problems or living life.

• You don't want to save me

  ➔ Use of negative form of "want to" + infinitive to express lack of desire.

  ➔ This expresses that the speaker believes that someone else is unwilling to rescue or help them.