This reminds me how I used to listen to The Beatles as a kid, long before I learnt English. I did know roughly what the songs are about, but I didn't understand most of the words. I did burn the lyrics deep into my brain by repeat listening, as just sounds.

Then decades later - I'm going somewhere by subway and suddenly I remember She's Leaving Home and play it back in my head after years of not thinking about it. And I realise I can understand (and remember!) every word as it comes up in mind, truly understanding the song for the very first time.

I ended up bursting into tears right there, since it's so emotional. That was such a cool experience.

This makes complete sense since "words" are just multiple sounds combined and tethered to a meaning/definition. This also justifies the phrase, music is a language. I routinely listen to music in many languages that I do not speak, and have learned a lot of random words this way.

Letting the days go by...

So, if I'm understanding correctly, the best learners don't try and give the word meaning from what they already know? Maybe that's how children learn.

They just figured this out? I thought everyone knew it already. In language classes at my school they just started talking to you in whatever language from day 1. The sounds would start to resolve into (unfamiliar) words after a while, and shortly after that you would start picking up the meanings of the words. Same thing happens when you travel to another country and start hearing the language there.

Obligatory https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wIF2zw0IEog