Friday Sessions #43: ‘Ooh it’s getting unbelievable’ – ‘The Logical Song’, Supertramp

Most English language learners would probably agree that pronunciation is not the most logical, or easiest aspect of the language. Do you remember discovering that the ough at the end of the word ‘enough’ was pronounced ‘uf ‘, so enough should actually sound more like ‘enuf’ ? (At that point, English pronunciation probably didn’t seem logical at all.)

Supertramp’s track ‘The Logical Song,’ which echoes the distinct sound of the 1970’s, incorporates a whole list of words which have the same sound at the end. However, the spelling is different….. for example the words; wonderful ending in ul, miracle ending in le, and magical ending in al.

As you listen to this week’s track, check the list of words below and note that they all share the same sound at the end.

Try to remember that despite the crazy logic of some pronunciation rules, when you do know and understand the correct sound, your confidence will most definitely increase. You’ll be able to speak and communicate knowing that you are vocalising the sounds correctly. Maybe then the most unbelievable and radical sounds might seem more practical… or even wonderful!!?

wonderful
miracle
beautiful
magical
sensible
logical
responsible
practical
dependable
clinical
intellectual
cynical
radical
liberal
fanatical
criminal
acceptable
respectable
presentable
vegetable
logical
digital
unbelievable

Lyrics:

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily
Oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me

But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh responsible, practical
And then they showed me a world where I could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical

There are times when all the world’s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am

I said, watch what you say or they’ll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal
Won’t you sign up your name, we’d like to feel you’re acceptable
Respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable!
Oh take it, take it, take it, yeah

But at night, when all the world’s asleep
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man
Won’t you please (Oh won’t you tell me)
Please tell me what we’ve learned (Can you hear me)
I know it sounds absurd (Oh won’t you help me)
Please tell me who I am

Who I am
Who I am
Who I am

‘Cause I was feeling so logical
D-d-d-d-d-d-digital
One, two, three, five
Oh, oh, oh, oh yeah

Ooh it’s getting unbelievable, yeah