Jim
The Americans Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where do you go once hell has froze
I didn't see this coming
I'd always dreamed we'd mend the seam
That day we'd take off running
Retraced the lines a thousand times
I wanted to remember
But these nights alone in our afterglow
Won't put it back together

Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
When I'd rather die, than live without you
What's it worth, when my best won't work
Should I leave this town, move on without you
I'm lost without you
My body wades through your tidal waves
I'll waste the rest of the summer
When what's long been due's come back to you
It's such a goddamn bummer
I ought've known but my eyes were closed
In dark or light, I'd stumble
By my demand you'd guide my hand
But was it worth our trouble
Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
When I'd rather die, than live without you
What's it worth, when my best won't work
Should I leave this town, move on without you
Slam the open window
Board all the doors shut and run, run, run
Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
When I'd rather die, than live without you
(Sing it!)
What's it worth, when my best won't work
Should I leave this town
Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
When I'd rather die, than live without you

What's it worth, when my best won't work
Should I leave this town, move on without you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Jim" by The Americans delve into the aftermath of a relationship gone sour and the internal struggle of deciding whether to move on or hold on. The first verse illustrates the surprise and disappointment felt by the singer when their dreams of fixing the relationship and running away together come crashing down. They have tried to go over their past actions over and over, desperately wanting to remember what went wrong. However, despite these moments of reflection, the nights spent alone in the aftermath of the relationship's demise do little to heal or mend the broken bond.

The second verse explores the singer's mindset in their current state. They feel trapped in their role as a "nice guy," sacrificing their own happiness by continuing daily routines and jobs that bring no fulfillment without the presence of their former partner. The singer questions the worth of staying in the town where they shared memories, wondering if it would be better to leave and start fresh. The feeling of being lost without their partner is overpowering.

In the third verse, the singer finds themselves trapped in a cycle of longing and regret. Their body metaphorically "wades through tidal waves" of memories and missed opportunities, accepting that they will waste the remainder of the summer pining for their ex. They admit that they should have seen the signs, but their vision was clouded by love. They acknowledge the guidance their partner provided but question if it was worth all the trouble and heartache.

The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer would rather die than continue living without their ex. However, their internal dilemma arises once again as they question the worth of their best efforts when they seem to have no effect on the failed relationship. They contemplate leaving town to escape the pain and confusion.

The final lines of the song bring a sense of urgency and determination. The singer imagines slamming shut all the windows and boarding up the doors to symbolize shutting out the world and running away from the pain. The repetition of the chorus reinforces their desperation to be with their ex and the uncertainty of whether they should continue to endure or start anew.

Overall, "Jim" depicts the emotional turmoil and introspection experienced after a relationship's collapse. It delves into themes of longing, regret, questioning one's worth, and the internal conflict of moving on or holding onto hope.

Line by Line Meaning

Where do you go once hell has froze
After experiencing the worst possible situation, where do you find solace or refuge?

I didn't see this coming
I was unaware or unprepared for the difficulties that arose.

I'd always dreamed we'd mend the seam
I had always hoped that we would repair our broken bond.

That day we'd take off running
The day when we would escape together and start fresh.

Retraced the lines a thousand times
Repeatedly reviewing the past, trying to remember every detail.

I wanted to remember
I desired to hold onto the memories and moments we had shared.

But these nights alone in our afterglow
These nights spent reminiscing about our past but feeling empty and incomplete.

Won't put it back together
Will not fix or restore what was broken.

Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
Pretending to be a good person while hiding my true emotions and struggles.

When I'd rather die, than live without you
The pain of being without you feels unbearable and makes me question the worth of my existence.

What's it worth, when my best won't work
Is it worth staying in this situation when my efforts and attempts are not effective or successful?

Should I leave this town, move on without you
Is it better for me to leave behind everything I know and start anew in order to move on without you?

I'm lost without you
I feel directionless and incomplete in your absence.

My body wades through your tidal waves
I navigate through the overwhelming emotions and challenges you put me through.

I'll waste the rest of the summer
I will spend the remaining time of the season in a futile and unproductive state.

When what's long been due's come back to you
When the consequences or responsibilities that have been delayed finally catch up to you.

It's such a goddamn bummer
It is extremely disappointing and disheartening.

I ought've known but my eyes were closed
I should have been aware or cautious, but I was oblivious or unwilling to see the truth.

In dark or light, I'd stumble
I would struggle or trip, regardless of the circumstances or conditions.

By my demand you'd guide my hand
You would support and assist me, even when I insisted on taking the lead.

But was it worth our trouble
Did the challenges and hardships we faced together justify the effort or hassle?

Slam the open window
Forcefully close the opportunity or chance for reconciliation or resolution.

Board all the doors shut and run, run, run
Securely block all avenues of escape and flee as fast as possible.

(Sing it!)
An exclamation to emphasize the emotional intensity and significance of the lyrics.

Should I leave this town
Should I abandon the familiarity and comfort of my current surroundings?

Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
Maintaining a facade of being pleasant and good-natured while concealing personal struggles during my daily routine.

When I'd rather die, than live without you
The pain of your absence is so unbearable that I would prefer to cease existing altogether.

What's it worth, when my best won't work
Is it meaningful or valuable to continue exerting effort and trying my hardest when it yields no positive outcome?

Should I leave this town, move on without you
Is it better for me to leave behind everything I know and start anew in order to move on without you?

Nice guy lies, all my 9-to-5's
Pretending to be a good person while hiding my true emotions and struggles during my daily routine.

When I'd rather die, than live without you
The pain of being without you feels unbearable and makes me question the worth of my existence.

What's it worth, when my best won't work
Is it worth staying in this situation when my efforts and attempts are not effective or successful?

Should I leave this town, move on without you
Is it better for me to leave behind everything I know and start anew in order to move on without you?

Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Michael Romano

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01Closing Down5:21

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

K Kandola

2y↑1

People think Americans are being self centered when we say that much of the western hatred of America comes mostly from insecurity.
But in my experience, it seems to be true.

People love poking fun at us, but when we poke fun back at any foreign nation, they feel like we’re “ punching down “.

I mean, you can make a simple joke about their accent and a few of them will get offended and start ranting off like “ WHAT ABOUT THE WAR CRIMES IN IRAQ , HUH?MS. ‘LIBERTY FOR ALL’ HUH. HOW MANY KIDS DIED IN THAT SHOOTING HAHAH”

😂😂😂

And obviously this is a select few people. I’m not painting a broad brush.

Valentine's Tube

American English stems from mostly 15th century England.
A lot of our words and phrases and our pronunciation of things comes from
that period. However, due to our history with the Spanish, French, Germans, Dutch,
and Hessians. American English has adopted a lot of different things. Mostly you could
say, American English is dominated by Colloquialisms that went national and Spanish and
that 15th Century English. In fact, a lot of early 20th Century Presidents and announcers had
a slight English accent.

The English however, good lord. You didn't just have it out with France they apparently got in your
underpants and stayed. The spelling of English words outside of Welsh, which, I mean. It's Welsh.
The French Tre and Our ending participles are horrid. The Major French influences in England.
Castles, started in France. I know, I know. There were some Romans in the past but selavie, it's all
French-ified now. Even the acclaimed best dishes in England are from France. (*cough, Cough* India too.)
I am so grateful that Jim brought up the whole thing about removing "The" From things. It's so weird like he
said. It's really a slip into either Laziness or an attempt at slang. Whom I feel bad for is the ever increasing loss
of Cockney Culture. Them Blokes are alright gov'.

All comments from YouTube:

King Brutus XXVI

2y↑143

Millie getting riled up about the language is funny. Mostly because the American version of English is actually closer to the version spoke by the British back in the 1700s while Great Britain has changed their dialect dramatically since then. Lawrence even mentioned it in one of his "Lost in the Pond" posts. ;-) Also, the driving thing? I grew in England (like Lawrence I'm in America now) and we were definitely taught that we were the origin of most of these things but... wrong. The Brits got "left lane driving" from the Romans and never changed once automobiles were invented. "Mom" (technically "mome") is also a word used by the British all the way back to the 1400s. Americans kept it "mom" while Brits went "mum." Great Britain changed most of the language over the centuries while the U.S. has stayed pretty true to the roots of English (in comparison).

J The Urp

The more you know

Cyn Thee Uhh [not G]

2y↑2

@Ruckus I learned that from Thomas Sowell

Ruckus

2y↑7

Here’s one most Americans don’t know: southern accents came from western England. “I be” and “I ax a question” came from the west coast of England. It’s neither blk nor southern. It’s British lol

NightlyRowen Tree

Yep

SandMan

2y↑7

So true, I try to explain that the British English has changed and that American English is actually closer to the English spoken in the past and everyone looks at me like 🤨

4 More Replies...

Big Picture

2y↑123

He's a comedian, don't take him seriously. He's making jokes, it's humour.

Mammal

I love jokes about shootings.

CJ Thompson

2y↑3

Yeah Millie seems very uptight often. No disrespect but my goodness you would have thought Jim insulted her mama

How Rue'd

@Ross Courtney
🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

Eric Eric

2y↑1

They are aware of that. Personally I don’t find him that funny.

Lucas Harvey

2y↑1

I thought they reacted very nicely to his jokes and their fake offense to things like the language was enjoyable.

5 More Replies...

intermenater

2y↑154

Actually the American public owned cars earlier than Brits because they were more affordable in the US, courtesy of Henry Ford.
So yes, we drove on the right side while Brits were in carriages on the left side.

Norwegian Blue

@Jeff Burdick Yeah and it only cost us a couple of hundred thousand men, put us into serious debt, all while fighting a massive war in the Pacific at the same time. Can't blame the US for being reluctant to join in so soon after making big sacrifices for WWI, which was one of the stupidest wars of all time.

Simon

@intermenater so you saying everyone from any country other than America is genetically inferior to you because all the genetically superior people magically moved to the colonies when they heard the siren call of "freedom"

and you think that's NOT an incredibly stupid and racist thing to say.

if you want to be technical the first people who went to the original thirteen colonies were either chinless aristocrats who could afford to hire a ship all for themselves or the huge numbers of convicted criminals and debtors that were given pardons by the government in exchange for building England's colonies in the new world. so actually your genetics is that of inbred criminals, at least from those that came over in the 16th century. and given your comments i don't think your gene pool has gotten any deeper since.

Simon

the point is the traffic rules were in place before cars and indeed before America or the thirteen colonies even existed, which is why he stated it ironically with other equally flawed points on the understanding they were so clearly false no one would believe them to be true, except apparently you.

and also no Henry ford was the first to industrialise the process of mass manufacture but the "model T" he produced was NOT the first publicly available car. many companies sold automobiles ever since the first practical model was created in Germany. though again this was well after the basic rules that still govern traffic were laid down.

there is also the problem with roads, despite mass manufacture the popularity of automobiles actually rose slowly in America due to the lack of a suitable contiguous road network meaning automobiles were often restricted to one area of suitable road typically inner cities and actually relied on rail to cross wide areas of rough country lacking a smooth built surface. whereas in Europe with its years of building wide cobbled streets to expand the network of older roman roads, people already had a mostly automobile ready network to drive on.

the history of automobiles is far bigger and more complicated than one man, one factory or one country.

Jeff Burdick

@Tim Frost Please tell me specifically what I said that was "nonsense."

Jeff Burdick

@Tim Frost LOL. Not a democrat. Though in general, Democrats a significantly more educated than the repub cult.

I apologize for your lack of knowledge of history. By chance, do you refer to the 5th grade as your senior year?

24 More Replies...

Solar1011

2y↑29

I mean, Brits constantly take the piss out of Americans. I figure it's only fair we get to poke fun at y'all too sometimes ;)

Alex Amerling

Its all in good fun lol

raisedbyhumans

2y↑19

Jim Gaffigan is a comedic genius & it's worth checking out his other material. He's actually poking more fun at the "dumb American tourist" than he is at the Brits when he says these things about England.

Eric Eric

2y↑1

I was just thinking how I don’t find him very funny at all. Different strokes I suppose.

Tom Yocum

2y↑43

Actually English (words, spellings & dialect) including yours has changed over the years. I read somewhere that the UK once actually sent linguist type scholars over to America (Appalachian Mountains) to study what many people consider hillbilly slang, but is actually an old type of an English Dialect that only is still spoken by some Appalachian mountain people.

Ravex24

Well, there some commonality with the Habsburgs. 😆

Tate

Yup, lots of American Rural and Urban dialects/slang come from the north of England, even today there's lots of like syntax similarities between the scouser dialect and American inner city and backwoods slang

Iva Marie

I'm from the Southern Appalachian Mountains!

Tom Yocum

@ThunderPants Agreed. Actually it was many words that were spoken but considered archaic by today's standards. I remember where I heard this...it was from my daughter's English professor back when she was in college.

Daniel Raiber

2y↑2

@ThunderPants it honestly could be.

3 More Replies...

Jeremy Gilbert

2y↑20

From what I understand during the colonial era the English dialect was actually very similar to the standard American dialect but post revolution y'all poshed it up to distinguish yourselves from the Yanks across the pond so we Americans actually speak a more traditional form of English than the English themselves do, all because you had to try to sound like you were better than us. To quote from a Reader's Digest article about the subject,
"An important reason why American English and British English sound different is rhotacism, the change of a particular sound in a language. In this case, that sound is “r.” The standard American accent—what Americans think of as having no accent—is rhotic, meaning that speakers pronounce their “r’s.” Received Pronunciation (aka typical British accents) is non-rhotic, so words like “card” are pronounced like “cahd.”

At first, English speakers in the colonies and England used a rhotic accent. But after the Revolutionary War, upper-class and upper-middle-class citizens in England began using non-rhotic speech as a way to show their social status. Eventually, this became standard for Received Pronunciation and spread throughout the country, affecting even the most popular British phrases. Americans kept their rhotic American accent—for the most part. Port cities on the East Coast, especially in New England, had a lot of contact with the R-less Brits. So if you always wondered why Boston natives pahk theyah cahs to pahty hahd with a glass of cabahnet, thank rhotacism."

Perfectly_Cromulent

2y↑2

Nailed it, but I’m pretty sure they poshed it up because the aristocracy wanted to distinguish themselves from the commoners. I bet most Brits at the time never even met an American.

cheryl flam

2y↑16

Yea but Millie, you don’t pronounce Nike correctly. The founder and CEO of the company was asked how his company name was pronounced. He responded, “ well it DOSEN’T rhyme with bike. It rhymes with spikey .”

cheryl flam

2y↑2

@Tally Drake I agree. I found out about our incorrect pronunciation a few years ago, and I now say it the correct way….

Tally Drake

2y↑1

Perhaps, but the Brits do pronounce Adidas correctly, and we Yanks don't.

Michael Tripp

2y↑15

You guys were so effing triggered. Seriously? They're jokes for God's sake. You talked over his best lines and you paused so much that the joke got lost. SIT ON YOUR BLEEPING HANDS, smile and enjoy.

Sherlock4Sure

2y↑20

Oh dear! Please don't take it so hard! He is truly hilarious and makes fun of everyone equally! 😂

Yasha R

2y↑7

LMAO, see this is why more Brits should watch American History, we are cousins! We had the same language and it diverged into accents. You are missing Jim's point, American English and English English BOTH changed and yet Brits have a superior attitude. The point is even a study in Oxford of the English language found modern day American English had more in common in 17th century English than England of today. lol

James Woodard

2y↑11

US and British English developed at the same time. English was in a great deal of flux in the 17th and 18th Centuries when folks were going back and forth between Britain and the American colonies. The language was still going through the process of developing from Middle English (which is not even understandable to modern English speakers) to the Early Modern English of Shakespeare and the King James Bible. The alphabet wasn't even the same as ours today because it included Thorn and Long S. (Þ and that S that looks like an f without the cross stroke).
The modern English language developed at the same time in both Britain and North America. So, something isn't the "correct" way just because that's the way that British people say it today. The American way is often just as old.
This is a different situation than later British colonies which were populated much later when fully Modern English had already developed. In Australia, the colonists took the fully formed Modern English language and developed it over time into a new variation. That's not how it worked in regards to the US, however. Australian English is a daughter of British English. American and British English are sister dialects.

Brace Juice

2y↑7

The English language has changed so much since the independence of the American colonies. There are elements of American English that are remnants of older British accents that died out in Britain but remained in America. If a modern day brit and American were dropped into London in 1600 they’d both sound bizarre to the people of the time

Clare Gale

We do have different accents here in the u.k. over 40 and some are very similar to the old English accents used a long time ago .

Nita B

2y↑18

Jim and his family livestreamed their dinnertime throughout the Covid lockdown. We watched them cook, and dine, and talk, and just get through every day life like us. He has 5 children, and an amazing wife who suffered a brain tumor a few years back. He's clean with great observational humor. Love his spirit. Please watch him talk about Canada. It's hilarious...even Canadians agree!

Rich

2y↑18

It's funny how most people have no problem making fun of Americans but as soon as you make fun of their country, they're livid

Alex Amerling

Its really unbelievable at how people can't take jokes anymore.

K Kandola

2y↑3

Just take it as a compliment; Its insecurity and narcissism.

Lee Heafner

2y↑12

But didn’t the US have cars first? So we drove first!

Lisa Humphries

2y↑45

You guys are so funny. That is what makes Jim Gaffigan’s statements funnier. All Americans know that USA and it’s English stemmed from the the UK.
We just like to pretend that YOU are copying US!
LOL
Maybe only Americans get this humor??

Timbothruster afterburn 🚀

@K Kandola You got it buddy 👍😊

K Kandola

@Timbothruster afterburn 🚀 my bad man I usually copy a longer comment before posting Bc YouTube will delete it for no reason; I deleted it myself to repaste and I didn’t copy it 😂🤦🏽‍♂️

But yea, I agree with what you’re saying. Analogously, it’s like we’re the rich parents of the world, and the western countries are our spoiled children. They’re so clueless to how the dynamics of our world actually work. They idealize what the world would be like without us for some reason, even though the period of US dominance after WW2 has been the most prosperous time period in all of human history by a long shot.

Timbothruster afterburn 🚀

@UCmjbAxLzvYxhY5Qzbh0YQGQ Oh, I completely agree, & I wasn't even referring to her, what I meant was the people that point out the same problems in America that they have, or similar ones and bark about how it needs to be changed. As for Millie, she does need to loosen up a bit, but for the most part she is a really good person, and I don't agree with the chat slander against her.

Timbothruster afterburn 🚀

2y↑1

@K Kandola Right, people from other countries need to grow up & quite acting childish!!🙄

K Kandola

2y↑1

6 More Replies...

John Battle

2y↑10

Millie you're adorable but modern Brits didn't invent the language anymore than Americans, neither one of us would understand ancient English and our founding fathers inherited the same language as you did so it's as much ours as it is yours Australia's NewZealands, Canada's

M M

2y↑8

No Millie, there is no us and you, the English language is ours too. No roasting, but English people like my ancestors, Thomas Cushman (Kent), and John Allerton (Suffolk) (don’t recall the names of the women they married as both were teenagers when they arrived) who arrived in Massachusetts on the Mayflower in 1620, and my Allen (Essex) ancestors in 1630, brought their English language, culture and their desire to have their civil rights enshrined in the Magna Carta upheld. If you ever travel to Massachusetts, visit Plymouth village the first settlement of the pilgrims, in Plymouth, MA (southeastern Massachusetts on the coast) They have actual houses and other representations of how they lived. With people employed to dress, and speak how they lived. Even some members of the Wampanoag people work there to represent how they lived. In some towns around there, the local dialects share interesting similarities to those in the area where Shakespeare lived.

Juene Turner

2y↑14

Actually, neither the British nor the Americans speak the original English do we? At one point, we both spoke Shakespeare's English then we both changed.

Juene Turner

2y↑1

@Gary Smith LOL

Gary Smith

2y↑4

Thou speaketh the truth I doth say. Wouldsed thou care to join me in a trip to M&M store?

h harrise

2y↑53

Her mask slipped. I saw genuine anger on her face. Now we Americans know how you really feel.

Mammal

Couldn't hear you over the weekly shooting.

K Kandola

@KEM are you scared she’s going to swallow a bottle of pills because someone called her boring?

K Kandola

@KEM “ boring” is unnecessarily mean?😂
That’s the answer of a narcissist.

Sean Wilson

Her mask slipped from that Bill Burr motherhood reaction. You just weren't paying attention.

Brandon Esquivias

2y↑1

Dawg I’m American this shit ain’t even rlly funny lmao, seems he trying so hard second why you taking her reacting so serious lmao 🤦🏻‍♂️”Now we Americans know how you really feel”

11 More Replies...

M M

2y↑13

I’m sorry Millie, I know how you feel because we Americans get the same roasting from the British

Alex Amerling

But difference is we can take the jokes lol

Noah D

2y↑4

@Gary Smith this is correct, but the British just roast us out of jealously

Gary Smith

2y↑3

They got that from us as well, the U.S. invented roasting.

TheMarkc614

2y↑7

Many US families have been speaking English as long as any UK families...since they came from England to the US. But differences happen over time.

rj

2y↑10

On the language note...I always find it funny how people think there's a correct way and incorrect way to speak (not referring to poor grammar). I love the regional differences and accents!

Sandman

2y↑8

Fun fact, the English language was first spoken (invented) in the area that is now northern Germany.

Deacon StJohn

Idk if I’d call it a fun fact. I’d rather say “here’s something you were supposed to know about your own culture but you failed”

Clare Gale

2y↑1

Brought over yo England back in the 10th century and has just evolved over hundreds of yrs .

Greven Sher

2y↑31

Virginian here. Jim is great, but don't take the jokes so hard. it's just "having a laugh". we love the Brits these days, but we still like to have some fun.

Greven Sher

2y↑1

@Matthew S. Aziz lmao. Though I don't mind salads with my ham.

David Robichaud

Lol "The Virginian"

Matthew S. Aziz

I thought you said vegetarian instead of virginian… I was soooo confused lol

Todd Sonnier

2y↑9

Lol at Millie letting that first set of jokes go straight over her head. It's sarcasm

Chrissa Todd

2y↑14

well he wasn't serious when he said american's invented language that's the joke :P

Grib

2y↑6

There has never been a stand-up comedian worthy of getting worked up. All they are doing is taking everyday situations and exaggerating them until they are funny. Most people know that the stuff isn't true. Jim makes fun of everything American. It's all in good fun.

Connie

2y↑1

Watching this reminded me of when I lived in England for a short time. Most people were very friendly to me, but the mask would slip eventually, and I would see the disdain the British actually had for Americans underneath. Things going back to WWII and earlier - stuff I had nothing to do with & certainly couldn't alter. There is an undercurrent of arrogance and dislike of Americans in most of the British people I met. I'm very sorry to have discovered it.

Chuck Barton

2y↑5

Fun video - enjoyed the reactions a lot. I always had an interesting take on why American's and the British drive on opposite sides of the road - an example of being separated by a common language. Here is my fictional take on the situation - the vehicles were being created on both side of the Atlantic and it was decided that they should follow a standard, so one inventor said to the other inventor, we are setting the vehicle up to drive on the right, so the American put the car on the right side of the road, but the Brit put the driver on the right side of the vehicle - now we both drive on the wrong side of the road! :)

Factual: The British set the driver up on the right side of the vehicle so the driver could still wield his sword - just like they would on a horse. (Don't stress over lefties, back in the day, no one cared, or thought they were possessed by the Devil)

Keep up the entertainment.

Tim Buktu

2y↑18

A big fallacy British have about Americans is that they somehow think we're sort of British.
We're not.
OK sure 250 years ago but since then we've had wave after wave of Germans, Italians, Eastern Europeans, Spanish, Chinese not to mention the Irish who seem to be a bit moody about the English. And each one of those peoples have brought their own spin to the mix.
As a result, our language has changed considerably.
To say Americans speak English badly is similar to saying the English speak French badly.

Raymond Davis

2y↑10

What gets's my goat. is when British people try to correct the pronunciation of things like tomatoes that were discovered over here.

NexSerenade

2y↑4

Yes!! This is the comedian I've wanted you both to react to since your very first comic video! Honestly this isn't anywhere near his best material but you do get a small taste of his style of comedy in this one. I used to love watching him appear on Conan O'Brien's show when I was growing up. I'd love to see you guys do more of his stuff and I'm convinced that you both (epsecially Millie) will really dig it! Also, since I mentioned him you should totally react to Conan O'Brien, particularly his remote and travel segments. Keep up the great work, guys!

Kevin Cline

2y↑5

Me laughing at Millie getting so shook. I understood where you were going with your comment Millie. I love watching you get shook Millie and James trying to find out why you're so upset. I remember, we separated from you guys, Britain, so you all, (y'all), had the stuff first, we just made it better. You need to do some 'imjoshfromengland2' tiktok compilations. Watch him get shook over some of the things we do in America. Also he is amazed how we have it and y'all don't.

Clare Gale

Americans can be extremely insular , it's all about the u.s. your , better than any other nation on the planet ..right ?

Jimreb80

2y↑9

I am American. Ohio state to be exact. I love him. He has that silly, random humor. I myself am a comedian trying to make a name. I am so glad I subscribed to you both so long ago. You both always give me smiles. I'm always looking forward to your next post. I call myself a silent follower. I always see and like. Just don't comment much. You both make me smile. Oh, I'm late. congratulations on the engagement. Love and appreciate you both.

Jimreb80

2y↑2

@Edward McLaughlin I get it.. great words. I never looked at it that way. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Edward McLaughlin

2y↑1

Advice, don't use lol if you are trying to be a comedian. Also, comedians don't try. They just are. Comics try.

Kali Cush

2y↑9

Millie got a little heated in this one lol tell us how you really feel lol

Matt Mc

2y↑2

It’s okay guys. It’s all in good fun. We love the UK. Literally our closest relationship.

Leah Quigley

2y↑2

Oh Millie! Jim Gaffigan is hilarious!! Watch some more of his stand up . I promise you, you will enjoy it. You are obviously proud of your country/heritage. It’s all in good fun. 😊

Just June

2y↑8

It's all a joke... Calm down Millie.😜

Jay A. D-Gauthier

2y↑6

Also Jim is known for his stereotypical American grumpy dad type stuff. He’s only joking lol. We have no shade for the UK it’s all love

Malcolm Drake

2y↑10

I guess that's why they're called ... jokes. ...wow

Ronald Luk

2y↑4

Hi James and Millie, I hope you are having a great day! I'm glad you are doing comedy reactions now too! Please react to Gabriel Iglesias- "Latinos are not all the same". He is hillarious!!!

Robert Schwartz

2y↑8

I realize that this is a reaction channel, but it's one thing to react, and another to interrupt after every joke.

CinesterCharlie

2y↑9

"Oh, we did invent the language" - Millie the school teacher

Nunnie

2y↑5

During the 1700s both americans and brittish spoke similarly. We changed spelling to match that. After the 1700 brittish people started speaking differently. So Our english is older.

Cynde Janis

Jim Gaffigan is my favorite comic. I have seen his live shows as well as his TV Specials! He is also a good actor and has been in a number of movies.

Maro

2y↑12

Millie seemed to get a littttttttttttle defensive

Scott Free

2y↑1

That was fun watching Millie's nostrils flare on that one. LMAO! However Henry Ford was the first to mass produce and sell automobiles to the general public thus the common citizenry. So the US set up road traffic logistics and yes the UK just did the opposite for shits and giggles. And on that note Henry Ford design and had a place on the back of every vehicle he sold for a moving TRUNK to be strapped on the back for storage. That's what it's called a trunk not a boot. ROFL!

Howdy Yall

2y↑7

Jim Gaffigan is a comedian and a funny one to boot. So what's up with Millie being so defensive? Is she that thin skinned? I really think she needs to loosen up or hand the reins back to her fiancée and let him do these kind of reactions alone because for whatever reason she can't handle them. Quite frankly this channel was doing fine before she inserted herself into the videos. I just don't think she adds much if anything? And my question is how long is she going to wear that Harvard sweatshirt? Inquiring minds want to know.

Andrew Sunde

I LOVE Jim Gaffigan! PLEASE watch more of him!

Olly Levesque

2y↑3

James and Millie, you’re allowed the NYC one. It’s an experience lol. And cool views of Times Square. But I was confused why my mama wanted to go. I lived there for college so anywhere they family wanted to visit was a go

Lisa Humphries

2y↑2

I’m American and I LOVE the Royal Family, too.
I watched live (yes, in the middle of the night here) when Princess Diana, Kate, and Meghan were married to their respective husbands.
So fun.

Nuclear Powered Brain

2y↑4

American is fiercely independent, maintaining some of England's traditions better than England herself. Like our mix of English based units which were NOT revamped to Imperial in 1824.

Colleen Monfross

2y↑3

Americans invented the car so we established which side of the road it was to be driven on. Notably, the UK and Japan are the only two countries who differ on this. Also, yes, Americans speak English predominantly but it has evolved (or devolved, depending upon your perspective) into the variant of American English, as you would expect being so far from the UK and being the melting pot that we are with many languages influenicng the dominant language.

Colleen Monfross

@Pacman C I believe same as the US, I don't know that for sure, only know what I have read.

Pacman C

How about India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Ireland, New Zealand, Indonesia, South Africa and a couple others that escape me at the moment? Which side of the road do you think they drive on?

duckdragon

2y↑9

wow came here to watch a comedian reaction, and 30 seconds in I was told I stole English, even though my ancestors are British.

Mostly Harmless

2y↑6

You LIE! We drove on the right before you drove on the left and it was due to the Conestoga wagon. We would have probably chosen the left side too but because the break man sat on the left side, they had to drive on the right so he could see oncoming wagons. :D

T D

2y↑2

It’s okay Millie, we still love y’all’s channel

Gerald Torres

2y↑2

To be correct on the English language, the US was British once and obviously English was the language. Over time the language evolved a little different in both countries because some words used in the US are the original words used and the British chose a new word so the language is inherited not adopted.

Hannah

Hey Millie, you’re a great sport! I know I would be like you, if the jokes were reversed. I will say that my English husband doesn’t say “the” before hospital. I think it’s great that you’re proud of who you are! Much love! Btw-majority of Americans love England.

Hannah

@A J she could have gone off completely but she didn’t. My personal POV she held it together as best as she could. Anyway, not worth arguing about 😂.

A J

2y↑2

Great sport? She got mad instantly

Andyman999999

2y↑5

Definitely react to more from him.

Duane Hamilton

I liked the video. Actually Edward VIII was king for most of 1936. It was bad year for the monarchy, there were 3 kings that year.
I never quite figured out why we drive on opposite sides of the road. The convention was probably adopted during horse and carriage days. We were a British colony, so you would think that our carriages would also be driven on the left. In the early 1900s cars and horses shared the road. How did we wind up driving on opposite sides of the road.

RICHARD DIONNE

2y↑7

I'm not convinced she liked it. Seemed offended a few times.

Wiley Coyote

2y↑8

Here's why Millie is somewhat wrong. In many ways American English is closer to how British English used to be. A ton of American used words and spellings are what Britain used to use, and that even applies to certain pronunciation trends to a lesser extent.

Wiley Coyote

2y↑2

@Gary Smith True.

Gary Smith

2y↑2

Like Soccer...

Vance Bear

i really enjoy watching you guys keep up the good work

Matt Perryman

2y↑5

Lmao! This is one you guys probably should've skipped!

The Chloe Chronicles⚘️

Jim Gaffigan is amazing when he talks about food and places like McDonald's and stuff.

travis303

2y↑1

I love Jim gaffigan. He is my favorite comedian

Steve Walker

You guys make me smile. Thank you.

Justin Schauwecker

2y↑6

English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian languages brought to Britain in the mid 5th to 7th centuries AD by Anglo-Saxon migrants from what is now northwest Germany, southern Denmark and the Netherlands.

Nate M

You need to react to any Robin Williams stand up, either "live on Broadway" or "words of mass destruction" the man is a legend for a reason lol
Also out of all the countries in the world there's only 2 that drive on the left side of the road which means their wrong lol

Fatty McButterpants

When Amelia tells you to "have a fantastic day", it's impossible to have any other kind of day! :)

Gary Gemmell

2y↑6

In the words of George Bernard Shaw: "England and America are two peoples separated by a common language.".

Clint Moses

Congrats on being engaged both of you!! Cheers

Kenneth_James

2y↑6

ACTUALLY. WE STARTED DRIVING ON THE RIGHT IN 1804 BEFORE YOU STARTED DRIVING ON THE LEFT IN 1835. GET IT TOGETHER MILLIE

LFA Dream

2y↑4

I would like to have heard what Millie said about this stand up off camera. :)

Ladygossamer

First off congratulations on the engagement is second you’re going to be married for a really long time because both if you have a wonderful sense of humor. And the English language did come from you guys that country was there before America just saying

Jay A. D-Gauthier

2y↑5

Don’t apologize for pausing, I learn so much from you two. I’ve only been to mainland England but the lack of “the” was funny. But Millie usually gets American pronunciations right more. Maybe there’s more difference in England than jersey than we think!

dmp762

Fun fact: The English spoken in England when the US was still the 13 colonies, was fairly different from the English spoken in England today.
Infact, the London accent from the late 1700s sounds more like a Boston accent, than the modern London accent.

Rick Davis

That being said I love you guys congratulations on your engagement

Elle Shiz

2y↑4

No, yall changed your accents after the upper class decided they didn't want to sound like Americans. The accents on the East coast of America are more English than in the UK.

Michael Derfelt

2y↑1

Love your reactions!

Control Z Channel

2y↑5

I think she subconsciously changes her thoughts based the video sometimes. I've never heard a Brit say "the" hospital.

Janice Byer

Me neither. We Americans similarly go "to school" and "to college" but not "to university" as Brits are heard to say.

JLA

2y↑1

The only thing I'm going to say to you Millie, to call you out a bit, is that Brits say they created English so they are correct, yet refuse to accept French, Spanish, etc pronunciations for things.
Like how you all say Nike to rhyme with bike, but it's said like Ni-key because it's named from the Greek god. So one can argue both sides of that coin. Especially since even "English" is derived from older languages and not spoken the same as originally intended.

Dizzle Bizzle

2y↑2

i wonder if you guys realize how Americanized your 'English' is. of course English started in England and went all over the world but throughout the 20th century British English took on a lot of words and useage from American English. it's not a competition but i just felt it needed to be said when she proudly says "it was our language first!" while she also uses a lot of Americanism while thinking that she's speaking the 'original' language.

Duncan Bates

2y↑6

modern English in the UK is not the same as it was a few hundred years ago.

JoAnn Shupe

2y↑5

Despite James' insistence that Americans speak "American English", I am here to tell you that yes, an awful lot of words are different, the pronunciation is obviously different, but ANY American if asked will tell you they speak "English". There is no such thing as speaking "American".

John Battle

@JoAnn Shupe Not really indigenous or Spanish outside of names. There's no word we say exclusively outside of slang

JoAnn Shupe

@John Battle Not only do we have a few celtic words, but we started by picking up words from the indigenous peoples, and also many, many Spanish words from Mexico; not to mention any interesting words from later immigrants that sounded cool.

John Battle

2y↑2

Compared to UK we say American English but the name of the language is pointless as it's also filled with celtic words

CJ Thompson

2y↑3

Ngl, I’ve loved my visits to the Uk but I find it ridiculous when they make fun of USA being backwards…. While having a whole monarchy. What a waste of tax payer money 🤦🏿‍♂️

Valentine's Tube

John Alden

My family has been speaking English for as long as it has existed. So have families in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, etc. English is a global language. It does not belong to England any more than Spanish belongs to Spain or Portuguese belongs to Portugal. Those ships sailed (literally) many centuries ago.

Janice Williams

2y↑1

I absolutely love The Queen. I can’t imagine anyone else being queen.

Adam Carman

Remembers the people I went to London to study with who were more interested in crashing movie premiers and getting their noses pierced than going somewhere historical or cultural....They would have loved the M and M store!

mallomon

2y↑7

I mean, to be fair, the English you speak is probably no closer to "original" English than the English that Americans speak. Also, many of the words Americans use that Brits think had origins here in the US actually originated in Britain. So blame yourselves 😜

A J

2y↑2

We had cars before you did, lol British people get so arrogant/defensive when people make jokes holy.

Edit: Millie getting angry makes me want to say the words even more "incorrectly" and her being genuinely surprised that English originated in England is hilarious lol

Britney Spears

U guys get defensive over a flag that’s literally made out of fabric so you can’t talk lol

Zachary Leahy

2y↑1

Watch some Katt Williams, his specials "The Pimp Chronicles, and American Hustle" were some of my favorites of all time...
Also Bo Burnham is pretty talented with his use of music and effects throughout his skits

Jeffrey Hrapsky

2y↑8

Millie really gotta work on her sense of humor.
She doesn't seem to understand the concept of jokes.

ihearttubing

2y↑4

Actually, it was KING Edward VIII who abdicated. He was already king having ascended the throne upon the death of his father George V. King but abdicated before his coronation,

Landon Michelle

@Liana Baddley the king's speech was about King George VI (Queen Elizabeth's dad). His older brother was Edward VIII (who abdicated the throne to marry a twice divorced American).

Liana Baddley

Yep! Ummm pretty sure there's a movie about this. Lol 😆 Didn't it/he win The Oscar? And a bunch of other awards? King's Speech! Great Movie! Tbh don't know how factual it was. But some Truth was probably in it.

Dan Stanicki

Yeah....she's right.......and I'm an American, born and raised, with an English mum. Also, I've seen Jim Gaffigan live in NYC and he's a riot!

Johanna Waldo

Okay, there’s no “American English”. There’s just English, and of course, it came from England. We have our own variations of words, pronunciation and slang, because language changes from region to region. Jim Gaffigan is very funny, and is most often making fun of himself, so don’t take this stuff personally. You should watch more of this special so you can get a broader perspective.

Oscar Linebaugh

Hey there, Beeslys! How about doing a reaction on It's a Southern Thing - Southern Commercials That are Downright Knee-slappers. It will answer some of your questions about the South.

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