Song: Stretchy Pants
Year: 2021
Artist: Carrie Underwood
Language Focus: reduced pronunciation, colloquial grammar, holiday vocabulary
Episode Description
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States. Families gather together to eat a traditional meal and appreciate the good things in their lives.
We’ve got another funny novelty song for this episode, Carrie Underwood’s 2021 single, “Stretchy Pants.” This song not only celebrates the “big traditional meal” part of Thanksgiving, but it’s also stuffed full of useful vocabulary, interesting grammar, and reduced pronunciation.
We’re always thankful for all of the listeners who join us for each episode of the podcast. We hope you enjoy this episode!
Episode Transcript
<intro>
H: Hi! I’m Heather.
E: And I’m Ece.
H: We’re both extremely thankful to be the cohosts of the podcast, “English as a Singing Language.”
E: We sure are. I’m very thankful that we’ve been able to work together for three seasons to create this fun and, we hope, useful podcast for English language learners and teachers who love music.
H: I totally agree. So, what’s the language focus of this episode, Ece?
E: Well, remember how we talked about a holiday-themed novelty song in the last episode?
H: Yes! We talked about vowel pronunciation in the 1962 Halloween song, “The Monster Mash,” by Bobby Pickett.
E: That was a very funny song.
H: With lots of useful pronunciation.
E: Believe it or not, we have another holiday novelty song for this episode, and we’re going to be talking about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary!
H: Really? Wow! That sounds great!
E: I know! I can’t wait to talk about this song!
H: Me neither. Let’s get started!
<end intro>
H: <humming “Stretchy Pants”>
E: Hi Heather!
H: Oh hi, Ece! It’s crazy how we keep running into each other at the supermarket!
E: Yes. It does seem like we see each other at the grocery store a couple of times in each season of the podcast.
H: Well, it makes sense that we’d both be here today.
E: You’re right. There are a lot of people here today. Everybody is getting ready for Thanksgiving.
H: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
E: Many cultures all around the world have a traditional harvest celebration when families can gather after the hard work of growing food all spring and summer.
H: They can have a big meal together, enjoy delicious traditional dishes, and give thanks for the good things in their lives.
E: So what are you thankful for this year, Heather?
H: I’ve been trying to focus on the positive things in my life lately, and there’s my family, my friends and colleagues, my students, good health, and of course, I’m grateful to be able to create episodes of this podcast with you, Ece. How about you?
E: I’m also grateful for my family, friends, and colleagues. And I feel very fortunate that we have been able to create, produce, and share over 40 episodes of our podcast!
H: I’m going to be grateful for this delicious meal, too, when I finally finish cooking, and I can sit down with my family to enjoy it.
E: Did you hear the song that was playing in the supermarket just now? I think I heard you humming along.
H: Yes! It’s Carrie Underwood’s 2021 song, “Stretchy Pants.” It’s such a fun song!
E: Carrie Underwood is a famous pop and country singer who won Season 4 of American Idol.
H: That’s true. And you know what? I actually first heard the song while dancing in my Zumba class.
E: That’s a funny song for an exercise class, since it’s all about eating a huge meal.
H: You’re right. It’s a song about how people enjoy eating a lot on Thanksgiving Day.
E: Actually, this is what Carrie Underwood has to say about that, <quote> “People know that I am a champion for a healthy lifestyle, but a big part of that is balance. There are times to be disciplined, and then there are times when we need to eat and drink and be merry and enjoy ourselves with family and friends.”
H: So, as long as we exercise and eat a healthy diet most of the time, we can enjoy a big meal on Thanksgiving!
E: Agree. And there’s something else that is interesting about this song.
H: Oh yeah?
E: Yes, we can talk about pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary all in this one song!
H: That gives our listeners a lot to be thankful for!
E: It sure does. So, let’s start by talking about the vocabulary, starting with the title, “Stretchy Pants.”
H: Right. I think we usually use the word “stretch” as a verb. Like I stretch my muscles before my Zumba class.
E: And here it’s an adjective, “stretchy,” describing something that can get bigger because it has elasticity.
H: I definitely wear stretchy pants on Thanksgiving so I can eat a lot. I need my pants to be able to stretch and get a little bigger if I eat too much.
E: And that leads us right to the first vocabulary word. She sings, “My tummy is growling.”
H: I normally think of a dog growling, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
E: But it’s also the sound your stomach, or your tummy, makes when you’re hungry.
H: Yes. And since she’s so hungry, she says, “I’m ready to stuff my face.”
E: When we use the verb “to stuff,” it means you’re taking a lot of things and pushing them, stuffing them into a small container.
H: Like sometimes when you travel, and you want to bring too many clothes. You stuff them all into your suitcase.
E: But she is going to stuff a lot of food into her face.
H: And that food includes, “turkey, potatoes, casserole dishes.” What’s a casserole, Ece?
E: A casserole is a dish in which all the ingredients are mixed together and then baked. It’s usually very heavy and creamy.
H: Mmmmmm….sounds good. In fact, I make a corn casserole and a sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving dinner every year.
E: Good thing you’re planning to wear stretchy pants and not “buttoned up britches.”
H: Button – what?
E: “Britches” are an old-fashioned word for “pants” or “trousers.”
H: Oh! No, you’re right. I definitely do not want to wear pants with buttons on Thanksgiving!
E: In the song, it sounds like she is going to eat everything. She says she is going to “leave no crumbs.”
H: “Crumbs” are the tiny, little pieces of cookie or bread that are created when you take a bite of it.
E: So, she is going to eat everything even the crumbs!
H: It sounds like she will definitely need those stretchy pants!
E: And finally, she says she’s going to, “guzzle down some eggnog.”
H: Gumple down some egg blog?
E: No, the first word is a verb. To guzzle. It means to drink very quickly without stopping,
H: Like when you’re really thirsty, and you just gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Drink it down very fast. But, what is she drinking?
E: Eggnog. It’s a thick, sweet drink made from eggs and cream. It’s a popular drink during the winter holidays.
H: Mmmmmmm….sounds delicious! Ok. We’ve talked about the vocabulary, but it seems like there’s some interesting grammar in this song, too.
E: There is! In many songs, we talk about the difference between the grammar that you will learn in a grammar textbook, or you will see on an English test, compared to the English that you will actually hear people speak.
H: There are some good examples of this difference in this song.
E: For example, she sings, “’Cause I ain’t messing around with them buttoned up britches.”
H: And what we would teach is, “Because I am not messing around with those buttoned up britches.”
E: Exactly. “ain’t” is very commonly used, but it ain’t what we teach in class.
H: No, it isn’t. Same with using “them” instead of “those.”
E: How about what she says about the leftovers, the extra food that they didn’t finish, “they gonna get eaten.”
H: Deleting the be-verb is also very common in conversational English saying, “They gonna get eaten.”
E: And there’s the reduction of “going to” which becomes “gonna.”
H: So instead of, “They are going to get eaten,” she sings, “They gonna get eaten.”
E: And it works a lot better with the rhythm of the song.
H: There are a few other interesting pronunciation reductions in the song, too.
E: There’s the “’cause” for “because,” for example when she sings, “’Cause I just tried everything, and I’m going back for round two.”
H: Round 2? What does she mean?
E: You know in a boxing match how they have 3-minute rounds when the boxers fight each other, and then the boxers take a break, and after they rest, they come back and fight for another round.
H: Oh! I see. She’s eaten one round. Then she took a rest, and now she’s going back for another round, to eat some more. Haha I think a lot of people do that on Thanksgiving.
E: Probably why they need stretchy pants!
H: Ok, and speaking of “stretchy pants,” she sings, “ask me where I got ‘em.”
E: Mmm-hmm. Instead of “got them.” “Got ‘em” is a common reduction for “got them.”
H: Or how about, “Aunt Bertha’s ‘nana pudding.” What’s a ‘nana?
E: Here it’s short for “banana.” Banana pudding is a popular dessert for Thanksgiving.
H: There’s also, “I’m ‘bout to pop.”
E: The word “about” gets reduced to “’bout.” And that’s a funny description. She’s eaten so much thanksgiving dinner that she is “about to pop,” or explode.
H: Then she sings, “don't let me fool ya, I got some room for some more.”
E: We reduce “you” to “ya” all the time, don’t we?
H: I hear ya say it all the time, Ece.
E: I’m pretty sure ya do too, Heather.
H: And how about the very last line of the song? “Santa ain't got nothing on me.”
E: That’s an interesting expression. You can say, “Santa doesn’t have anything on me.” Or you’ll also commonly hear, “Santa ain’t got nothing on me.”
H: And it means that person isn’t better than you at something.
E: So, Santa Clause has a big tummy and can probably eat a lot, but Carrie Underwood can eat more.
H: Exactly. So, I might say, “Mary dances very well. She’s a good dancer.”
E: And I would say, “Mary’s got nothin’ on me.”
H: No, she doesn’t, Ece.
E: Well, we’ve talked about the interesting holiday vocabulary.
H: And we discussed the conversational grammar and reduced pronunciation.
E: Ya know what that means?
H: I believe it means we’re ready to eat!
E: No, Heather, it means we’re ready to sing!
H: Oh right! After talking about this song, I started thinking about Thanksgiving dinner!
E: We’ll finish up our shopping and be ready to cook a delicious meal!
H: Listeners, don’t forget to listen to this fun Thanksgiving song, and sing out loud!
E: There’s a link to the official music video in the episode notes.
H: Aaaaaand…
E + H: We’ve got our stretchy pants on! We’ve got our stretchy pants on!
<outro>
H: Let’s see, I’ve got the turkey, potatoes, casserole dishes, pumpkin pie, apple pie…I’ve got everything.
E: You’re definitely going to need your stretchy pants!
H: Maybe I can burn off the calories singing and dancing to this catchy song in my Zumba class.
E: That’s a great idea.
H: Listeners, we are really thankful for all of you. We love creating each episode of the podcast.
E: We imagine you singing and practicing English in countries all over the world.
H: If you’d like to keep in touch with us, you can send us an email at singinglanguages@gmail.com.
E: Or follow us on Instagram @singinglanguages.
H: Invite your friends and family members to listen to the podcast, and you can sing and learn English together.
E: I am thankful for you and the podcast and all our listeners.
H: Me too.
E: Have fun,
H: be grateful for the good things, and…
E + H: …just keep singing!!
Official YouTube Video
Complete Lyrics
Time to celebrate the season, haven't eaten all day
My, my tummy is (1) growling 'cause I've been saving up space
I've got my place at the table, [a] can't fit no more on my plate
I've got my fork in my hand ready to (2) stuff my face
So bring on the turkey, potatoes, (3) casserole dishes
'Cause [b] I ain't messing around with them buttoned up (4) britches
You got [c] them skinny jeans on, girl, I feel sorry for you
'Cause I just tried everything, and I'm going back for round two
Refrain:
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants)
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy, stretchy)
Spandex and Lycra, you better work it for me
'Cause I'm about to expand this band of (5) elasticity
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants)
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy, stretchy)
Ask me where I got 'em, Amazon at my door
And if I wear this pair out, I'm gonna buy me some more
I got (6) leftovers waiting in the fridge for repeating
Give me a nap and an hour, you know [d] they gonna get eaten
So bring on the turkey, potatoes, casserole dishes
'Cause I ain't messing around with them buttoned up britches
Can't get my skinny jeans on, but don't feel sorry for me
'Cause I just tried everything, and I'm going back for round three
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants)
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy, stretchy)
Hey, Spandex and Lycra, you better work it for me
'Cause I'm about to expand this band of elasticity
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants) (I got my stretchy pants on)
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy, stretchy)
Fruitcake (I'll try it)
Ambrosia (I'll try it)
Aunt Bertha's (7) 'nana pudding with a cherry on top
Cookies (I'll have some)
Oh, Gingerbread, leave no (8) crumbs
(9) Guzzle down some (10) egg nog, even though I'm 'bout to pop
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants)
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy, stretchy)
So bring on the turkey, potatoes, casserole dishes
'Cause I ain't messing around with them buttoned up britches
And when you think that I'm done, and I'm laid out on the floor
No-no-no, don't let me fool ya, I got some room for some more
With my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants)
I got my stretchy pants on (stretchy, stretchy)
Oh, oh, oh, my stretchy pants on (stretchy pants)
Mm, I got my stretchy pants on y'all (stretchy, stretchy)
Santa ain't got nothing on me
Songwriters: Carrie Underwood / Hilary Lindsay / Christopher Destefano
Stretchy Pants lyrics © Sony/atv Cross Keys Publishing, Carrie Okie Music, Concord Sounds, Monsters Hate Puppies Publishing
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