A Tale That Wasn't Right – English Lyrics

• By: Helloween

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the emotional depth of Helloween's classic ballad, "A Tale That Wasn't Right." This song offers a beautiful opportunity to explore English vocabulary related to heartbreak, resilience, and introspection through its poetic lyrics and Michael Kiske's expressive vocals. Its universal themes of loss and coping with disappointment make it a powerful and relatable piece for language learners, demonstrating how music can convey complex human emotions.

[English]

Here I stand all alone

Have my mind turned to stone

Have my heart filled up with ice

To avoid its breakin' twice

Thanks to you, my dear old friend

But you can't help, this is the end

Of a tale that wasn't right

I won't have no sleep tonight

In my heart, in my soul

I really hate to pay this toll

Should be strong, young and bold

But the only thing I feel is pain

It's alright, we'll stay friends

Trustin' in my confidence

And let's say it's just alright

You won't sleep alone tonight

In my heart, in my soul

I really hate to pay this toll

Should be strong, young and bold

But the only thing I feel is pain

...

With my heart, with my soul

Some guys cry you've bought and sold

They've been strong, young and bold

And they say, play this song again

In my heart, in my soul

I really hate to pay this toll

Should be strong, young and bold

But the only thing I feel is pain

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stand /stænd/ A2	verb - to be in an upright position
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - having no one else present
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the part of a person that thinks and makes decisions
break /breɪk/ A2	verb - to separate into pieces by force
ice /aɪs/ A2	noun - frozen water
fear /fɪər/ B1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger or threat
pain /peɪn/ B2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
trust /trʌst/ B2	verb - to believe in the honesty or reliability of someone or something
confidence /ˈkɒn.fɪ.dəns/ B2	noun - the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something
friend /frɛnd/ A2	noun - a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to shed tears as an expression of sadness or pain
sold /soʊld/ B1	verb - past tense of sell
play /pleɪ/ A2	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment

Key Grammar Structures

• Have my mind turned to stone

  ➔ Present Perfect with Past Participle (Passive)

  ➔ The sentence uses "have" + object + past participle to show that the subject (speaker) had their mind turned to stone. It implies a completed action with a present result. "Turned" is used as a passive participle indicating that something else caused the change.

• To avoid its breakin' twice

  ➔ Gerund with Possessive Pronoun / Informal Contraction

  ➔ "Breakin'" is an informal contraction of "breaking," the gerund form of the verb. "Its" is a possessive pronoun specifying whose breaking is being avoided. The gerund functions as the object of the preposition "to".

• I won't have no sleep tonight

  ➔ Double Negative (Non-Standard English)

  ➔ This sentence uses a double negative ("won't have no"), which is grammatically incorrect in standard English. It actually means "I will have some sleep tonight" However, in colloquial speech, it emphasizes the negation meaning "I will not have any sleep tonight" or "I will have absolutely no sleep tonight".

• Should be strong, young and bold

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Should' with 'Be' + Adjectives

  ➔ "Should" indicates expectation or obligation. "Should be" followed by adjectives (strong, young, bold) expresses what is ideally expected of the speaker. It expresses a desire or a feeling of lacking these qualities.

• Trustin' in my confidence

  ➔ Gerund with Preposition (Informal)

  ➔ "Trustin'" is the shortened, informal gerund form of "trusting". It's functioning as a verb with "in" being a preposition. It shows an action being done within one's confidence