[1] Use the right browser with the right plugin: Google Chrome + Zhongwen (https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/kkmlkkjojmombglmlpbpapmhcaljjkde?hl=en)
(Firefox with PeraPera-Kun doesn't have Skritter support)

[2] Use a website that provides lyrics (歌词) and listen to the music:
e. g. http://mp3.163.com (网易音乐)
(alternatively sogou etc.)

[3] Activate the Zhongwen plugin

[4] Choose the songs according to your language level
Example:
most challenging: 幽兰操 by 王菲
easiest: 老婆老婆我爱你 (but only easy ...)

[4] When listening to the music make the website show the lyrics (e.g. click on "打开歌词" in the 音乐盒 on 163.com)

[5] Translate unknown words while listening to the music, click on "S" to add the word to your Skritter queue.

[6] Study the newly added words on Skritter.


+ Optional

Save your list of music to repeat the music and practice your listening and reading comprehension, e.g. by creating a 163.com account

May be fun, but watch out. I did this many years ago, and given the sappy content of Mandopop at the time, I ended up with a very stilted vocabulary.

YMMV.

Yeah, I don't know about Chinese songs, but at least in Spanish and English, song lyrics are not at all representative of normal speech. I often help people who are studying English and many of them get terribly confused by our absurd and horribly ungrammatical song lyrics. Spanish lyrics and movie subtitles have a different problem, which is that they're stuck in some time warp from the 1940's and often use overly formal, old-fashioned, or poetic turns of phrase that would be very out of place in conversation.

For an advanced learner who can tell the difference, that's no problem. For a beginner, it can be a disaster. A music professor of mine who had learned Italian only from opera and classical music reduced a Roman shopkeeper to tears of laughter when he went in looking for shampoo and said something akin to "Good woman, I wouldst procure a potion wherewith to lave my locks."

James

Stilted and/or quite "funny" one especially if you start with things such as

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sfDuDue_r8

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHACfybxs64

Mc Hotdog is certainly the best chinese language rapper, suggest everyone to listen to him. Often hilarious lyrics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da9_GAdz_Zk

LOL MC Hotdog is awesome...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBsPaeTRxxU&feature=related

K'naan waving flag, 中文版。

@James, I'm a big opera fan (well, except for Peking opera - can't stand the wailing). You had me ROFLMAO with that ditty!

I tried a few phrases from Wagner on a German acquaintance and he just grimaced and told me it sounded archaic. Not quite reduced to laughter, but that's German for you...

Are there any sites with Chinese children's music and the lyrics listed?

For example, I found Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Chinese today on youtube;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6l-D0Txxg0

My favorite song that i sing to both my doughters is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4QxN0OE7b4 There is even a Chinesepod with this song in a much better version: http://chinesepod.com/lessons/baby-talk-friends-song.

More very famous childrens songs are e.g:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiSD5z6x5IM
shìshàng zhǐyǒu māma hǎo
世上 只有 妈妈 好 ，
yǒu mā de háizi xiàng gè bǎo
有 妈 的 孩子 像 个 宝 。
tóu jìn māma de huáibào
投 进 妈妈 的 怀抱 ，
xìngfú xiǎng bùliǎo
幸福 享 不了 。
méiyǒu māma zuì kǔnǎo
没有 妈妈 最 苦恼 ，
méi mā de háizi xiàng gēn cǎo
没 妈 的 孩子 像 根 草 。
líkāi māma de huáibào
离开 妈妈 的 怀抱 ，
xìngfú nǎli zhǎo
幸福 哪里 找 。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xybVKs9vdy0&feature=related or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSsmT_jtiUA&feature=related

lán lán de tiānkōng yínhé lǐ
蓝 蓝 的 天空 银河 里
yǒu zhǐ xiǎo bái chuán
有 只 小 白 船
chuán shàng yǒu kē guì huā shù
船 上 有 棵 桂 花 树
bái tù zài yóu wán
白 兔 在 游 玩
jiǎng ér jiǎng ér kàn bújiàn
桨 儿 桨 儿 看 不见
chuán shàng yě méi fān
船 上 也 没 帆
piāo yā piāo yā
飘 呀 飘 呀
piāo xiàng xītiān
飘 向 西天

dù guò nà tiáo yínhé shuǐ
渡 过 那 条 银河 水
zǒuxiàng yúncǎi guó
走向 云彩 国
zǒu guò nàgè yúncǎi guó
走 过 那个 云彩 国
zài xiàng nǎ'r qù
再 向 哪儿 去 ？
zài nà yáoyuǎn de dìfāng
在 那 遥远 的 地方
shǎn zháo jīn guāng
闪 着 金 光
chénxíng shì dēngtǎ
晨星 是 灯塔
zhào yā zhào de liàng
照 呀 照 得 亮

I am practicing those songs now since I will be back in China with the family for the summer break and like to sing them to my doughters.

@mandarinboy thanks, those are great.

Not really a childrens song but this is the song we listen to when I meet my wife and it is still the best Chinese song i heard. Yes, it is Wong Faye and it is sooo good:-)It is from her Sky album from 1994. It is also very slow so it is easy to follow the lyrics. I have tried this in Karaoke bars in Hangzhou sometimes. I throw in the English translation as well since it is very good lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Ip9Xle_So

xiǎng zǒu chū nǐ kòngzhì de lǐngyù
想 走 出 你 控制 的 领域
què zǒu jìn nǐ ānpái de zhànjú
却 走 近 你 安排 的 战局
wǒ méiyǒu jiānqiáng de fángbèi
我 没有 坚强 的 防备
yě méiyǒu hòu lù kěyǐ tuì
也 没有 后 路 可以 退
xiǎng táo lí nǐ bù xià de xiànjǐng
想 逃 离 你 布 下 的 陷阱
què xiànrù le lìng yī gè kùnjìng
却 陷入 了 另 一 个 困境
wǒ méiyǒu juédìng shū luǒ de yǒngqì
我 没有 决定 输 蠃 的 勇气
yě méiyǒu táotuō de xìngyùn
也 没有 逃脱 的 幸运
wǒ xiàng shì yī kē qí
我 像 是 一 颗 棋
jìn tuì rèn yóu nǐ juédìng
进 退 任 由 你 决定
wǒ búshì nǐ yǎn zhōng wéiyī jiànglǐng
我 不是 你 眼 中 唯一 将领
què shì bù qǐ yǎn de xiǎo bīng
却 是 不 起 眼 的 小 兵
wǒ xiàng shì yī kē qízǐ
我 像 是 一 颗 棋子
lái qù quán bù yóu zìjǐ
来 去 全 不 由 自己
jǔshǒu wú huǐ nǐ cóng bù céng yóuyù
举手 无 悔 你 从 不 曾 犹豫
wǒ què shòu kòng zài nǐ shǒu lǐ
我 却 受 控 在 你 手 里
xiǎng zǒu chū nǐ kòngzhì de lǐngyù
想 走 出 你 控制 的 领域
què zǒu jìn nǐ ānpái de zhànjú
却 走 近 你 安排 的 战局
wǒ méiyǒu jiānqiáng de fángbèi
我 没有 坚强 的 防备
yě méiyǒu hòu lù kěyǐ tuì
也 没有 后 路 可以 退
xiǎng táo lí nǐ bù xià de xiànjǐng
想 逃 离 你 布 下 的 陷阱
què xiànrù le lìng yī gè kùnjìng
却 陷入 了 另 一 个 困境
wǒ méiyǒu juédìng shū luǒ de yǒngqì
我 没有 决定 输 蠃 的 勇气
yě méiyǒu táotuō de xìngyùn
也 没有 逃脱 的 幸运
wǒ xiàng shì yī kē qí
我 像 是 一 颗 棋
jìn tuì rèn yóu nǐ juédìng
进 退 任 由 你 决定
wǒ búshì nǐ yǎn zhōng wéiyī jiànglǐng
我 不是 你 眼 中 唯一 将领
què shì bù qǐ yǎn de xiǎo bīng
却 是 不 起 眼 的 小 兵
wǒ xiàng shì yī kē qízǐ
我 像 是 一 颗 棋子
lái qù quán bù yóu zìjǐ
来 去 全 不 由 自己
jǔshǒu wú huǐ nǐ cóng bù céng yóuyù
举手 无 悔 你 从 不 曾 犹豫
wǒ què shòu kòng zài nǐ shǒu lǐ
我 却 受 控 在 你 手 里
wǒ xiàng shì yī kē qízǐ
我 像 是 一 颗 棋子
lái qù quán bù yóu zìjǐ
来 去 全 不 由 自己
jǔshǒu wú huǐ nǐ cóng bù céng yóuyù
举手 无 悔 你 从 不 曾 犹豫
wǒ què shòu kòng zài nǐ shǒu lǐ
我 却 受 控 在 你 手 里
wǒ què shòu kòng
我 却 受 控

Wishing to walk out from the territory that you've controlled
However I've walked into the battle that you've arranged
I don't have a rock-solid defense
Nor do I have a backroad to retreat

Wishing to escape from the trap that you've put down
However I've fallen into another deadlock
I don't have the courage to decide upon my fortunes
Nor do I have the luck to break free

I am like a piece of chess
My backs and forths are for you to determine
I am not the only queen in your eyes
But just an insignificant piece of pawn

I am like a piece of chess
My comings and goings are not for my own to decide
Making your move and not taking back, you have never wave your mind
As I am being controlled within your hands

The next step is for us to record our own versions of these songs and put them on the Internet... ;)