Questions tagged [songs]
0
votes
1answer
45 views
How should I understand “ought” in this verse?
I was wondering how should I interpret this verse from the old union song Solidarity Forever:
What's the ought with have in common with those greedy parasites?
I'm split between
What ...
0
votes
2answers
79 views
Usage of “he don't” vs “he doesn't”
Well, I listened to a song and heard it's said in the text "He don't know how to..." I think a song artist used this phrase for better sounding. Am I right? Correct me if I'm wrong, and please explain ...
-2
votes
1answer
45 views
Question for song
One Month - Tegan and Sara
Video Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIwv1XdTTHc&t=32s
Q1. What does she say in 0:32 ?
0
votes
2answers
79 views
Is the phrase “Those one track minds” grammatically correct? [closed]
There is an interesting grammatical construction in the song Shout by Tears For Fears.
They really really ought to know
Those one track minds
That took you for a working boy
Kiss ...
1
vote
1answer
221 views
What is the meaning of “Who has taken you from crayons to perfume?” [closed]
Its To Sir, With Love song, from Lulu.
-1
votes
2answers
56 views
Words in a song: “How every mouth sings of what it's without so we all sing of love”
It is from Iron and Wine song "Innocent bones". As a non native English speaker, I struggle to understand the exact meaning. It is thoroughly a grammatical question.
Does it mean that, because ...
2
votes
1answer
359 views
What is the real pronunciation of “postman”? [duplicate]
I can see that the word postman is pronounced as /pəʊs(t)mən/ commonly, where you can’t hear the vowel in the ‑man syllable.
But sometimes it is pronounced
/pəʊs(t)mæn/ — with a noticeable /æ/ vowel ...
1
vote
1answer
246 views
Like she's never danced before - did she or she didn't [closed]
I have a questions that bugs me for quite some time and no one could explain it to me properly.
In a song "Maniac" by Michael Sembello we have the line
And she's dancing like she's never danced ...
0
votes
1answer
205 views
The reason… is you? [closed]
In Hoobastank's The Reason, a lyric is
And the Reason is you...
Is that sentence (grammatically) correct? I'm asking because, you know... You are the reason.
Specifically, should "is" in the ...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
to be in present progressive
Sometimes in songs I see sentences in present progressive without verb to be, like - she getting down. Is it right?
0
votes
0answers
40 views
Is it okay to omit “the” before the words “stars” and “sun”?
I'm writing song lyrics and "the" just ruins the melody. I want the lines to be "Sun is shining bright" and "Stars are shining bright". I think I saw songwriters omitting the article such as in Bruce ...
0
votes
0answers
106 views
What does “her mama leaned hard” in this Emmylou Harris Song mean?
I was listening to the song "Red Dirt Girl" by Emmylou Harris, and didn't understand one of the lyrics: "her mama leaned hard." What does this mean?
Her daddy turned mean and her mama leaned hard
...
0
votes
1answer
190 views
Looking for explanation of “His smile fair as spring, as towards him he draws you” [closed]
As the title, I couldn't figured out anything by myself from this sentence
His smile fair as spring, as towards him he draws you.
Especially "fair as spring", seems my first time to see the ...
0
votes
0answers
208 views
Is “all he left us was alone” grammatical?
According to several websites, the lyrics of the song "Papa was a Rollin' Stone" by The Temptations (and, later, George Michael and Phil Collins) include the following line:
"And when he died, all he ...
2
votes
1answer
365 views
Which of these two possible meanings of this sentence is correct? [closed]
I have a question regarding this quote from "Ravens" by "Mount Eerie":
And in every dream I have at night
And in every room I walk into like here
Where I sit the next October
Still seeing ...
-1
votes
2answers
738 views
What does this song quote mean? [duplicate]
"All the good girls they go to heaven, but the bad girls they get backstage"
The first sentence is fine, but I don't understand what it mean to go "backstage"
Song name is Backstage.
2
votes
1answer
811 views
Why sing “tow, row, row, row, row, row” for the British Grenadiers?
Like "Rule, Britannia!", I like the "British Grenadier March".
I never understood however this phrase in the lyrics, it is in every verse, here Verse 1 for example:
Some talk of Alexander, and ...
1
vote
0answers
493 views
“The stars get red”, What's the meaning of that expression? [closed]
In Frank Sinatra's song "Something Stupid", He says:
The time is right,
your perfume fills my head,
the stars get red,
and oh, the night's so blue.
And then I go and spoil it ...
2
votes
1answer
225 views
What is the meaning of “waddnat”?
In the negro spiritual Jonah and the Whale, I found the word waddnat:
...
Now the Lord made a whale, long and wide
Lord, Lord waddnat a fish
And he swallowed up Jonah, hair and hide
Lord, ...
1
vote
1answer
717 views
What does the phrase “branded on my feet” mean? [closed]
It is a line from Bob Dylan's Mr. Tambourine Man:
Though I know that evenin's empire has returned into sand, Vanished
from my hand, Left me blindly here to stand but still not sleeping. My
...
1
vote
0answers
239 views
Is there a specific term for ending a rhyming line with something unexpected?
Please note that I've tried googling variations on this, but usually just end up with "words that rhyme with unexpected" which is obviously not what I'm going for.
There's a technique I've seen used ...
1
vote
2answers
2k views
Should it be “you and I” or “you and me” in the song “We are the world”
In the song "We are the world" by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, there are these lyrics:
"We are the world,
We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So, ...
2
votes
1answer
39 views
All I'm askin' / Is about the interesting preposition placement in the song “Respect”
The Aretha Franklin song "Respect" has the interesting lyric "All I'm askin' / Is for a little respect" [link] where in everyday English, I would expect "All I'm askin' for / Is a little respect".
I'...
-1
votes
1answer
153 views
Specific usage of the word “Cruise” on a song [closed]
i just wanted to ask about the word "Cruise", because on the song by "Florida Georgia Line", they say "You make me wanna roll my windows down and CRUISE" and I don't understand the specific meaning of ...
0
votes
1answer
377 views
What does “work me right” in “I set an explosion if you don't work me right” mean?
It's a quote from the song "Bomb" by Isa.
Here is the rest of the lyrics: https://www.musixmatch.com/de/songtext/Isa-3/Bomb
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Really don't / don't really difference [duplicate]
In the Chris Medina song "What are words", he sings "what are words if you really don't mean them when you say them?". I am a non-native English speaker, but to my ears that doesn't sound good. Had I ...
8
votes
6answers
2k views
The term for a song that people quickly become tired of on the radio?
Recently I was listening to the radio and the host used some expression (that now evades me) to explain that the song 7 Years by Lukas Graham quickly becomes uninteresting to listeners after a few ...
25
votes
3answers
9k views
Is there a word for the opening of a song?
I'm looking for a word (if such exists) for the opening of a song.
Specifically, the part before the singer starts singing the lyrics, often a 30 seconds to 1 minute solo instrumental at the ...
0
votes
2answers
121 views
Post-song Terminology
Sometimes, after the actual song is finished, musicians add an extra something to it, not necessarily part of the lyrics. Sometimes they recite a poem or sing lyrics from another song without ...
0
votes
1answer
224 views
What does it mean - “We all know that you are news”?
“We all know that you are news - but are you king? King of the Jews?"
(Jesus Christ Superstar music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice)
(Scene on YouTube). The line comes after 1:11 in ...
6
votes
3answers
201 views
Did “sublime” and “cherubim” rhyme in the past?
In my choir we are currently practicing some carols, including See amid the the winter's snow, which was written by Edward Caswall (1814–1878). Its six verses and refrain each have two pairs of very ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
“You're a crooked jerky jockey, and you drive a crooked hoss!” — What's a Hoss?
So, it's that time of year, and every once in a while I'll hear the Grinch's tune on the radio. One line that has always confused me is the line
You're a crooked jerky jockey, and you drive a ...
3
votes
3answers
464 views
Term for addictive song, replayed too many times it is hated or neutral now
I looked thoroughly on the internet, but I failed to find a term or single word (if exists any) for a song that is so addictive that you replay it again and again although you know you will hate it ...
4
votes
2answers
760 views
What does “be out in” mean?
There's a song "Winter" by The Rolling Stones, and there's a line "And I wish I been out in California". What does it mean - he wants to be in California or he's sad about that he's in California?
-3
votes
1answer
5k views
What is “Yindy”? [closed]
I've heard a song "Yindy" by "Fiddler's Green". Here's the first couplet and a refrain from it:
My mother she took me to the preacher.
She told me that he will be my teacher.
My father he thought ...
2
votes
2answers
387 views
it's good for your dime
I was listening to Moonshine a Kill the Vultures tune.
I'm not sure about the meaning of:
it's good for your dime
Does he mean it is cheap?
complete sentence:
I got moonshine
Drink it ...
0
votes
1answer
3k views
“Left with an 'eight'” meaning of an expression found on a song (by Talk Talk) [closed]
The question: in their song: Such a shame (video), Talk Talk (album It's my life, 1984, remember, old folks), with the voice of Mark Hollis, sings (full lyrics):
Such a shame to believe in escape; ...
2
votes
1answer
20k views
Meaning of 'jiggelin' - word from the song 'Policeman' of Eva Simons
I can't find any definition about this word. Does anybody knows what does it mean? Maybe some kind of drugs?
Here are the opening lines of the song in question:
Hey, mister policeman
I don't ...
-2
votes
3answers
412 views
why are the words 'True Love' used together so much?
I've noticed that many old (often folk) songs use the terms 'true love' together (as opposed to just 'love')?
Is it to differentiate it from 'false love', due to metric or syllabic reasons, for ...
1
vote
2answers
825 views
What does “I have all but just forgotten” means?
This is from the song Rise Against - Savior:
It kills me not to know this, but I've all but just forgotten ...
I am curious, is it some colloquial phrase, or is meaningless.
-3
votes
1answer
586 views
Is “Because my feeling into you” the same as “Because I have feelings for you”? [closed]
I know song lyrics often contain phrases with words is an order different then usual, or with little sense. I'm not a native English speaker, so I ran into this phrase in a song and had some trouble:
...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
Meaning of “Honor Brite” in an Alan Parsons Project song
In "Games People Play" from album "The turn of the friendly card" by the Alan Parsons Project, we hear:
Games people play/You take take it or you leave it/Things that they
say/Honor Brite/If I ...
0
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the meaning of the first line in the song “Stand By You” by Rachel Platten?
Hands, put your empty hands in mine
And scars, show me all the scars you hide
And hey, if your wings are broken
Please take mine so yours can open, too
'Cause I'm gonna stand by you
Does it ...
-1
votes
1answer
3k views
What does this sentence in the song FIGHT SONG - by Rachel Platten mean? [closed]
The sentence is :
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I know the literal meaning , but I don't understand its meaning here?
The link to the video song
1
vote
1answer
2k views
“To come undone” [closed]
"Oh, it'll take a little time, might take a little crime to come undone
(...)
Who do you need, who do you love, when you come undone?"
Please, can someone help me with this? I'm pretty sure that they'...
1
vote
1answer
567 views
“I'm warned to be contrary” Could somebody explain what does this sentence mean? [closed]
I was trying to translate/understand the song "God help the girl" and faced out with following
...
You have been warned, I'm warned to be contrary
Backward at school, I wrote from right to left
...
0
votes
1answer
550 views
Schwas in songs
Am I right that many schwas become other sounds in songs cause the vowels become 'half-stressed' (I hope you understand what I mean.)? For example, the vowel E in the song 'Silent night' which is ...
9
votes
3answers
764 views
In what mode does Tom Bombadil sing?
In J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (book 1 of "The Fellowship of the Ring", chapter 7, "In the House of Tom Bombadil", specifically) the character Tom Bombadil sings many of his lines (much of ...
0
votes
2answers
1k views
Name for literary device of changing person
Is there a name for the device of changing between third person and second person in a poem? Basically going back and forth from talking about the subject and talking to the subject. This happens a ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
Fire meet gasoline: is it correct?
Is it grammatically correct to say "Fire meet gasoline", as in the Sia's song, or just poetic license??
"Flame and candle meet, fire meet gasoline
Fire meet gasoline, I'm burnin' alive
I ...
