These were ranked as some of the best songs in English-language movies.
►Born Free by Barry and Black, Won Academy Award. Sung and played by Douglas Wright, who has many other easy songs. (45 words)
Note: 'cause is a contraction of because.
Born free, as free as the wind blows
As free as the grass grows
Born free to follow your heart
Live free and beauty surrounds you
The world still astounds you
Each time you look at a star
Stay free, where no walls divide you
You're free as the roaring tide
So there's no need to hide
Born free, and life is worth living
But only worth living
'Cause you're born free (2x)
►Singing in the Rain 1952, by Freed and Brown, sung by Gene Kelly (47 words)
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo...
I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!
I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain.
►Summertime 1935, from Porgy and Bess by Gershwin and Hayward (53 words)
Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Oh, Your daddy's rich
And your ma is good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Gonna spread your wings
And take the sky
But 'til that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mammy standing by
►Goldfinger 1964, by Bricusse, Newley, Barry, sung by Bassey (55 words)
Goldfinger
He's the man, the man with the Midas touch
A spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sin
But don't go in
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death from
Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl beware of this heart of gold
This heart is cold
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death from
Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl beware of this heart of gold
This heart is cold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
►Somewhere over the Rainbow 1939 from The Wizard of Oz by Arlen and Harburg, won Academy Award (60 words)
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up when the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
►The Way We Were 1973, by Bergman, Bergman and Hamlisch, won Academy Award (63 words)
Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we
Mem'ries are too beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember just the way we were
Memories
►As Time Goes By 1942, from Casablanca, by Hupfeld, sung by Dooley Wilson (71 words)
►As Time Goes By 1942, from Casablanca, by Hupfeld, sung by Kay Penton
You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh, the fundamental things apply,
As time goes by
An' when two lovers woo, they still say "I love you,"
On that you can rely, no matter what the future brings,
As time goes by
Moonlight an' love songs never out of date,
Hearts full of passion, jealousy an' hate,
Woman needs man and man must have his mate,
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story, a fight for love an' glory,
A case of do or die, the world will always welcome lovers,
As time goes by
Moonlight an' love songs never out of date,
Hearts full of passion, jealousy an' hate,
Woman needs man and man must have his mate,
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story, a fight for love an' glory,
A case of do or die, the world will always welcome lovers,
As time goes by
►The Sound of Music 1965 by Rodgers and Hammerstein (73 words)
The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
From a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
Stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more
►Ol' Man River,1927, from Showboat by Hammerstein and Kern, variation sung by Paul Robeson (79 words)
There's an old man called the Mississippi
That's the old man I don't like to be
What does he care if the world's got troubles?
What does he care if the land ain't free?
Ol' man river
That ol' man river
He must know something
But don't say nothing
He just keeps rolling
He keeps on rollinh along
He don't plant taters
He don't plant cotton
And them that plants 'em is soon forgotten
But ol' man river
He keeps rolling along
You and me
We sweat and strain
Body all aching
And wracked with pain
Tote that barge
Lift that bale
Get a little drunk
And you land in jail
But I keeps laughing, instead of crying
I must keep fighting until I'm dying
And ol' man river
He just keeps rolling along.
►High Noon, 1952 by Tiomkin and Washington, won Academy Award (86 words)
Do not forsake me oh my darling on this our wedding day
Do not forsake me oh my darling wait wait along
I do not know what fate awaits me I only know I must be brave
And I must face a man who hates me
Or lie a coward a craven coward or lie a coward in my grave
Oh to be torn twixt love and duty supposin' I lose my fair haired beauty
Look at that big hand move along nearing high noon
He made a vow while in state's prison vowed it would be my life or his'n
I'm not afraid at all of what will I do if you leave me
Do not forsake me oh my darling you made that promise as a bride
Do not forsake me oh my darling although you're grieving don't think of leaving
Now that I need you by my side
Wait along wait along wait along wait along
►Impossible Dream 1965, from Man of La Mancha by Leigh and Darion, sung by character of Don Quixote (88 words)
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, and no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march, march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest, my final rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strives with his last ounce of courage
To reach To reach the unreachable star, the unreachable the unreachable star
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe, No No No No
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star,
To dream, to dream the impossible dream
►Staying Alive 1977, from Saturday Night Fever by Gibb, Gibb, and Gibb (91 words)
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around
Since I was born
And now it's all right, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Well now, I get low and I get high
And if I can't get either, I really try
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes
I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose
You know it's all right, it's okay
I'll live to see another day
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah,
I'm stayin' alive
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk
Music loud and women warm
I've been kicked around since I was born
And now it's all right, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
►I Just Called To Say I Love You, 1984, from Woman in Red, by Stevie Wonder. Won Academy Award (101 words)
No New Year's Day to celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring, no song to sing
In fact it's just another ordinary day
No April rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding Saturday within the month of June
But what it is, is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
No summer's high
No warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No falling breeze
No autumn leaves
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies
No Libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is, is all so new
Made of these three words that I must say to you
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart, of my heart
►I Could Have Danced All Night 1956, from My Fair Lady by Lerner and Lowe, sung by Julie Andrews (114 words)
Bed, bed! I couldn't go to bed
My head's too light to try to set it down
Sleep, sleep! I couldn't sleep tonight
Not for all the jewels in the crown
I could have danced all night
I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings
And done a thousand things
I've never done before
I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night
(It's after three now)
(Don't you agree now)
(She ought to be in bed)
I could have danced all night (You're tired out, you must be dead)
I could have danced all night (Your face is drawn, your eyes are red)
And still have begged for more (Now say goodnight, turn out the light)
(Please, it's really time for you to be in bed)
I could have spread my wings (Do come along, do as you're told)
And done a thousand things (Or Mrs. Pierce is apt to stir)
I've never done before (You're up too late, please, it sure is late)
(Miss, you'll catch a cold)
I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he (Put down your book, the work'll keep)
Began to dance with me (Now settle down and go to sleep)
I could have danced, danced, danced all night
(I understand, dear)
(It's all been grand, dear)
(But now it's time to sleep)
I could have danced all night
I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings
And done a thousand things
I've never done beforeI'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night
►Born Free by Barry and Black, Won Academy Award. Sung and played by Douglas Wright, who has many other easy songs. (45 words)
Note: 'cause is a contraction of because.
Born free, as free as the wind blows
As free as the grass grows
Born free to follow your heart
Live free and beauty surrounds you
The world still astounds you
Each time you look at a star
Stay free, where no walls divide you
You're free as the roaring tide
So there's no need to hide
Born free, and life is worth living
But only worth living
'Cause you're born free (2x)
►Singing in the Rain 1952, by Freed and Brown, sung by Gene Kelly (47 words)
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo...
I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!
I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain.
►Summertime 1935, from Porgy and Bess by Gershwin and Hayward (53 words)
Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Oh, Your daddy's rich
And your ma is good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Gonna spread your wings
And take the sky
But 'til that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mammy standing by
►Goldfinger 1964, by Bricusse, Newley, Barry, sung by Bassey (55 words)
Goldfinger
He's the man, the man with the Midas touch
A spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sin
But don't go in
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death from
Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl beware of this heart of gold
This heart is cold
Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death from
Mister Goldfinger
Pretty girl beware of this heart of gold
This heart is cold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
He loves only gold
Only gold
He loves gold
►Somewhere over the Rainbow 1939 from The Wizard of Oz by Arlen and Harburg, won Academy Award (60 words)
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up when the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Away above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
►The Way We Were 1973, by Bergman, Bergman and Hamlisch, won Academy Award (63 words)
Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty water-colored memories of the way we were
Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another for the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again, tell me, would we, could we
Mem'ries are too beautiful and yet
What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember just the way we were
Memories
►As Time Goes By 1942, from Casablanca, by Hupfeld, sung by Dooley Wilson (71 words)
►As Time Goes By 1942, from Casablanca, by Hupfeld, sung by Kay Penton
You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh, the fundamental things apply,
As time goes by
An' when two lovers woo, they still say "I love you,"
On that you can rely, no matter what the future brings,
As time goes by
Moonlight an' love songs never out of date,
Hearts full of passion, jealousy an' hate,
Woman needs man and man must have his mate,
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story, a fight for love an' glory,
A case of do or die, the world will always welcome lovers,
As time goes by
Moonlight an' love songs never out of date,
Hearts full of passion, jealousy an' hate,
Woman needs man and man must have his mate,
That no one can deny
It's still the same old story, a fight for love an' glory,
A case of do or die, the world will always welcome lovers,
As time goes by
►The Sound of Music 1965 by Rodgers and Hammerstein (73 words)
The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears
My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
That rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
From a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
Stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray
I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more
►Ol' Man River,1927, from Showboat by Hammerstein and Kern, variation sung by Paul Robeson (79 words)
There's an old man called the Mississippi
That's the old man I don't like to be
What does he care if the world's got troubles?
What does he care if the land ain't free?
Ol' man river
That ol' man river
He must know something
But don't say nothing
He just keeps rolling
He keeps on rollinh along
He don't plant taters
He don't plant cotton
And them that plants 'em is soon forgotten
But ol' man river
He keeps rolling along
You and me
We sweat and strain
Body all aching
And wracked with pain
Tote that barge
Lift that bale
Get a little drunk
And you land in jail
But I keeps laughing, instead of crying
I must keep fighting until I'm dying
And ol' man river
He just keeps rolling along.
►High Noon, 1952 by Tiomkin and Washington, won Academy Award (86 words)
Do not forsake me oh my darling on this our wedding day
Do not forsake me oh my darling wait wait along
I do not know what fate awaits me I only know I must be brave
And I must face a man who hates me
Or lie a coward a craven coward or lie a coward in my grave
Oh to be torn twixt love and duty supposin' I lose my fair haired beauty
Look at that big hand move along nearing high noon
He made a vow while in state's prison vowed it would be my life or his'n
I'm not afraid at all of what will I do if you leave me
Do not forsake me oh my darling you made that promise as a bride
Do not forsake me oh my darling although you're grieving don't think of leaving
Now that I need you by my side
Wait along wait along wait along wait along
►Impossible Dream 1965, from Man of La Mancha by Leigh and Darion, sung by character of Don Quixote (88 words)
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, and no matter how far
To fight for the right without question or pause
To be willing to march, march into hell for a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest, my final rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strives with his last ounce of courage
To reach To reach the unreachable star, the unreachable the unreachable star
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe, No No No No
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star,
To dream, to dream the impossible dream
►Staying Alive 1977, from Saturday Night Fever by Gibb, Gibb, and Gibb (91 words)
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk
Music loud and women warm, I've been kicked around
Since I was born
And now it's all right, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Well now, I get low and I get high
And if I can't get either, I really try
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes
I'm a dancin' man and I just can't lose
You know it's all right, it's okay
I'll live to see another day
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah,
I'm stayin' alive
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk
Music loud and women warm
I've been kicked around since I was born
And now it's all right, it's okay
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times' effect on man
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother
You're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'
And we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin' nowhere, somebody help me, yeah
I'm stayin' alive
►I Just Called To Say I Love You, 1984, from Woman in Red, by Stevie Wonder. Won Academy Award (101 words)
No New Year's Day to celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring, no song to sing
In fact it's just another ordinary day
No April rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding Saturday within the month of June
But what it is, is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
No summer's high
No warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No falling breeze
No autumn leaves
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies
No Libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is, is all so new
Made of these three words that I must say to you
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart, of my heart, of my heart
►I Could Have Danced All Night 1956, from My Fair Lady by Lerner and Lowe, sung by Julie Andrews (114 words)
Bed, bed! I couldn't go to bed
My head's too light to try to set it down
Sleep, sleep! I couldn't sleep tonight
Not for all the jewels in the crown
I could have danced all night
I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings
And done a thousand things
I've never done before
I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night
(It's after three now)
(Don't you agree now)
(She ought to be in bed)
I could have danced all night (You're tired out, you must be dead)
I could have danced all night (Your face is drawn, your eyes are red)
And still have begged for more (Now say goodnight, turn out the light)
(Please, it's really time for you to be in bed)
I could have spread my wings (Do come along, do as you're told)
And done a thousand things (Or Mrs. Pierce is apt to stir)
I've never done before (You're up too late, please, it sure is late)
(Miss, you'll catch a cold)
I'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he (Put down your book, the work'll keep)
Began to dance with me (Now settle down and go to sleep)
I could have danced, danced, danced all night
(I understand, dear)
(It's all been grand, dear)
(But now it's time to sleep)
I could have danced all night
I could have danced all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my wings
And done a thousand things
I've never done beforeI'll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when he began to dance with me
I could have danced, danced, danced all night