– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

history is littered with great debates

Lincoln versus Douglas Nixon versus JFK

how about mother versus fool I'm sorry

why won't you let my son on your debate

team I've seen him beat the best you

can't tell me he's not good enough

actually Evan is good enough he's just

too young debate teams only for fifth

graders why those are just the rules

you're the debate teacher defend your

rule well it's not my rule it's the

school's rule oh so you don't care care

about these kids at all you just do what

your boss tells you to is that why you

got into debate to lie down you should

work in a mattress

store okay okay she she's using humor to

expose a flaw in my argument textbook

marginalization write that down I would

encourage you to think for yourself the

way you encourage your class to think

for themselves being young isn't a

negative it's a positive okay this is

her thesis statement let's see how she

supports it think of other brilliant

young prodigies throughout history

Mozart joav VAR dogie Hower what if

someone had told them that they were too

young to practice their extraordinary

gift

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
littered /ˈlɪtərd/ B2	verb - covered with a large number of things in a messy way
debate /dɪˈbeɪt/ B1	noun - a formal discussion on a particular topic
defend /dɪˈfend/ A2	verb - to speak in favor of someone or something
humor /ˈhjuːmər/ B1	noun - the quality of being amusing or comic
expose /ɪkˈspoʊz/ B2	verb - to reveal or uncover
flaw /flɔː/ B2	noun - a mark, fault, or mistake
argument /ˈɑːrɡjumənt/ A2	noun - a reason given to support an idea
textbook /ˈtekstbʊk/ B1	adjective - typical; classic example
marginalization /ˌmɑːrdʒɪnələˈzeɪʃən/ C2	noun - treatment of a person as insignificant
encourage /ɪnˈkɜːrɪdʒ/ A2	verb - to give support or confidence
thesis /ˈθiːsɪs/ B2	noun - a statement or theory that is put forward
brilliant /ˈbrɪljənt/ B1	adjective - exceptionally clever or talented
prodigies /ˈprɒdɪdʒiz/ C1	noun - people endowed with exceptional qualities
extraordinary /ɪkˈstrɔːrdəneri/ B2	adjective - very unusual or remarkable
gift /ɡɪft/ A1	noun - a natural ability or talent

Key Grammar Structures

• how about mother versus fool I'm sorry

  ➔ Noun phrase as a topic introduction

  ➔ "How about" is used here to suggest a topic for debate by contrasting two noun phrases.

• why won't you let my son on your debate team

  ➔ Negative modal verb in an interrogative sentence

  ➔ "Won't" (will not) expresses a refusal or strong inquiry about someone's intent.

• you can't tell me he's not good enough

  ➔ Modal verb of impossibility/prohibition

  ➔ "Can't" is used here to assert that a statement is logically impossible or unacceptable.

• you should work in a mattress store

  ➔ Modal verb for advice or opinion

  ➔ "Should" is used here sarcastically to provide advice that highlights the absurdity of the listener's job.

• she's using humor to expose a flaw in my argument

  ➔ Present Continuous for current action

  ➔ "She's using" describes an action happening at the moment of speaking.

• I would encourage you to think for yourself

  ➔ Conditional 'would' + infinitive

  ➔ "Would encourage" softens the statement, making the advice feel more polite or hypothetical.

• being young isn't a negative it's a positive

  ➔ Gerund as a subject

  ➔ "Being young" uses the gerund to treat the state of youth as a concept/noun.

• what if someone had told them that they were too young

  ➔ Past Perfect in a conditional 'what if' structure

  ➔ "Had told" refers to a hypothetical situation in the past.