'Too many friends' song - Unable to hear 'not enough lovers'

[Fr3dY]

Hi all,

I'm from Spain but have some english language skill level, both for reading/writing and speaking/listening.
However, there's this 'Too many friends' song that is puzzling me... I'm hearing something like 'not enough fathers', but according to the lyrics it's supposed to say 'not enough lovers'. I've heard the words 'lovers' before but I'm completely unable to identify it here.
You can check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8PbYor8R8 (first occurrence is at 0:54, chorus say it at 02:45).

So, is it just me? (I guess so) :-D




Regards,

 

[GoesStation]

It's definitely lovers, rhyming with covers a few lines later.

 

[jutfrank]

I hear what you mean. It's definitely not just you.

Starting 0:53 he says the line three times. In the first of those three, the initial 'L' sound of lovers can barely be heard at all. The second is similar, but in the third it can be heard quite distinctly.

 

[Fr3dY]

I hear what you mean. It's definitely not just you.

Starting 0:53 he says the line three times. In the first of those three, the initial 'L' sound of lovers can barely be heard at all. The second is similar, but in the third it can be heard quite distinctly.

That's curious, the reply from @GoesStation was "it's definitely lovers", but yours is different.
By looking at the 'Member Info', you're british but he/she is american. Could that have something to do with it?

PD: If 'lovers' in this song is pronounced correctly, then what about 'La Bouche - Be my lover' song? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ka01Y_pYgM @ 0:23.
It sounds sooooo different... :roll:

 

[Tdol]

I would also say that it is definitely lovers, but I agree that the pronunciation of /l/ is not very clear. However, that does not mean that there is doubt about what the word is.

 

[GoesStation]

That's curious, the reply from @GoesStation was "it's definitely lovers", but yours is different.
By looking at the 'Member Info', you're british but he/she is american. Could that have something to do with it?

PD: If 'lovers' in this song is pronounced correctly, then what about 'La Bouche - Be my lover' song? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ka01Y_pYgM @ 0:23.
It sounds sooooo different... :roll:

The key is the sound before "lover". It's a vowel in "my lover", allowing the singer to enunciate the /l/ very clearly. The cluster /fl/ in "enough lovers" is less distinct.

 

[jutfrank]

That's curious, the reply from @GoesStation was "it's definitely lovers", but yours is different.
By looking at the 'Member Info', you're british but he/she is american. Could that have something to do with it?

No, it's not related to any variety of English. I agree it's definitely lovers. I'm just saying that in the first two times, like you, I can't hear the initial consonant. I don't want to speak for other people but I assume they can't, either.