Karaoke Korner

Untouchable

Hot new band McFly are in a league of their own

By Patiweth Sethchindapong

There are some things in life that don�t go the way you want them to or the way you think they should. Love is one of those things that can�t be controlled no matter how much effort you put in sweeping somebody off their feet. In the song, the boys (or one of them) from McFly have a crush on a very beautiful girl, but �she�s out of their league.� To be out of somebody�s league is an idiom meaning something or someone who is too good, difficult, or expensive for somebody to have. We�re not told exactly why she is out of their league, but one line from the song suggests that her big, bad boyfriend � who�s a marine � might be a problem for the boys. Instead of hitting on his girl, her boyfriend may hit them. The best thing for the guys to do is to accept the situation and recognise that some things just aren�t meant to be. This week�s Karaoke Korner takes a look at a few more idioms with the word �league� in them.

Exercises

The following sentences contain idioms that use the word league. Determine the correct definition of the idiom and match the sentences on the left with the corresponding definitions on the right.

Sentences

1. He�s not a bad tennis player, but he�s not in the same league as Paradorn.

2. If you ask me, Steven Spielberg�s in a different league from most Hollywood directors.

3. When it comes to cheating, Somchai seems to be in league with Lek.

Idioms

a. Making secret plans or arrangements with somebody.

b. A lot better.

c. Not at all similar in quality, skill, or achievement.

�Obviously�

By McFly

Recently I�ve been
Hopefully reaching
Out for this girl
She�s out of this world
Believe me

She�s got a boyfriend
He drives me round the bend
�Cos he�s 23
He�s in the marines
He�d kill me

It�s been so many nights now
I find myself thinking about her now

�Cause obviously
She�s out of my league
I�m hopin� and wishin�
She�s draggin� me in and now
I know I never will be good enough for her

No, no
Never will be good enough for her.

Gotta escape now
Get on a plane now, yeah
Off to LA, that�s where I�ll stay, yeah
For two years

I�ll put it behind me (I�ll put it behind me)
Go to a place where she cant find me, yeah

Chorus
�Cause obviously
She�s out of my league
I�m wastin� my time
�Cause she�ll never be mine
I know I never will be good enough for her
No, no
Never will be good enough for her

It�s outta my hands
I�ll never know where I stand
I know I�m not good enough for her
He�s good enough for her (for her, for her)

(Chorus x3)

No, no
I never will be good enough for her

About McFly

Name: McFly
Nationality: British
Style: Pop, rock
Label: Universal
Album: Room On The Third Floor (2004)
In brief: This next-big-thing boy band from the UK comprises Danny Jones (guitar/vocals), Tom Fletcher (guitar/vocals), Dougie Poynter (bass, vocals) and Harry Judd (drums). Following a close association with Busted (Tom is a kind of �assistant songwriter� with the band following his unsuccessful attempt to join them), McFly are managed by the same team as Busted and they even featured on the flipside of Busted�s smash single �Build Me Up Buttercup.� Seventeen-year-old Danny loves The Who, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen, while 18-year-old Tom grew up listening to The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Dougie, the youngest member of the group, joined the band when he was only 15 and counts New Found Glory and blink-182 among his favourites. Lastly, 17-year-old Harry is a fan legendary rockers Led Zeppelin. Critically acclaimed as real songwriters and performers, McFly are ones to watch. And the name? Taken straight from the classic 80s movie Back to the Future.
Official website: www.mcflyofficial.com
If you like Mc Fly, check out: Busted, blink-182, Keane, the Beach Boys

Vocabulary

crush (n): a strong feeling of love, that usually does not last very long
marine (n): a soldier who is trained to serve on land or at sea
hit on (somebody) (slang): to start talking to somebody to show them that you are attracted to them
obviously (adv): used to say that a particular situation or fact is easy to see or understand
drag (v): to pull somebody/something along with effort and difficulty
escape (v): to get away from a place where you have been kept as a prisoner or not allowed to leave
flipside (n): the other side of a coin, record, etc.

Idioms

sweep the person off their feet: to make somebody fall suddenly and deeply in love with you
out of this world: used to emphasise how good, beautiful, etc. something is
drive someone round the bend: crazy; annoying me very much