Learn English Through Music: Eurovision 2026

With the Eurovision Song Contest on the horizon, we’re all eager to hear this year’s strange, heartfelt, weird, and wonderful entries. Whether you love it or hate it, nobody can deny Eurovision’s power to create some of the most iconic and chaotic pop culture moments of the year (remember this one?).

Meet Look Mum No Computer 🤖

This year’s UK entrant is Sam Battle, an up-and-coming electronic artist who writes songs and invents complex, wacky machines – from flamethrower organs to bikes with drums built in.

His Eurovision entry, “Eins Zwei Drei”, is a playful ode to escaping your office job and embracing whimsy... by counting in German.

But “Eins Zwei Drei” might be a little confusing if you’re not up to date on British slang and culture. You might be asking: what emotion is okey-dokey, how do you cut mustard, and why are Brits paying each other in horses?

Don’t worry – we’re here to help. Let’s break down some of the song’s lyrics:

💼 “So sick of doing the whole 9 to 5”

9 to 5

A common phrase meaning a standard full-time working day, usually an office job.

Example: Many people dream of escaping the 9 to 5.

💷 “I pay my dues; I’m just staying alive”

Pay your dues

To work hard for a long time before success or recognition.

Example: They paid their dues before becoming a famous singer.

🤷‍♀️ “Oh, what's the point of it, point of it?”

What’s the point?

Used to ask the reason for doing something, usually to suggest the action is unnecessary or pointless.

Example: What’s the point of studying vocabulary if you never use it?

🐴 “I'll pay; you can owe me. That'll be a pony”

Pony

Not a real pony. This is British Cockney rhyming slang for £25.

Example: That’ll cost you a pony.

👌 “Got me feeling okеy-dokey”

Okey-dokey

A playful and informal way to say “okay”.

Example: Okey-dokey, let’s get started.

🎤 “Kill at karaoke”

Kill it

To do something extremely well.

Example: She killed it in her English presentation.

🌭 “Counting in English doesn’t cut the mustard”

Cut the mustard

To be good enough or reach an expected standard.

Example: His first draft didn’t quite cut the mustard, so he rewrote it.

🍮 “So sick of munching roly-poly with custard”

Roly-poly

A traditional British dessert of suet pudding and jam, rolled up like a Swiss roll, and usually served hot with custard.

Example: I’m craving a roly-poly for dessert.

Munch

To munch means to eat something, often with enthusiasm or while chewing noisily. It’s an informal, playful word.

Example: She was munching crisps throughout the whole film.

Why Learn English Through Music? 🎵

Memorable: Rhythm and rhyme can help new vocabulary stick.

Low-pressure: It’s easy to learn while commuting, exercising, or just relaxing.

Fun: Finding new artists you love makes language learning more enjoyable.

Better pronunciation: Listening to English improves your accent and pronunciation.

Real language: Music often includes slang and everyday phrases you don’t usually hear in class, like those in “Eins Zwei Drei”.

🚀Hit all the High Notes with Twin

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Study with Twin in London’s Royal Borough. With flexible, tailored English tuition, a focus on real communication, and a packed social programme, you’ll make rapid progress while fully immersing yourself in British culture.

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