Crying games – English Lyrics

• By: Lucky Dube

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the power of reggae to convey deep personal emotions with Lucky Dube's "Crying Games." This song offers a great opportunity to learn English through its clear and poignant storytelling about love and resilience. The lyrics are straightforward yet deeply meaningful, making them accessible for language learners to explore themes of emotional strength and the complexities of human relationships.

[English]

Show me yours

I'll show you mine

Maybe mine is bigger than yours

Maybe mine goes deeper than yours

That is why I cry the most

I played your game

But I didn't know the rules

Everytime we've played

You'd come out a winner

Now I've learned to play the game

And I will never cry again

These crying games, we play

It's your turn to cry

These crying games, we play

...

It's your turn to cry

These crying games, we play

It's your turn to cry

...

They say the winner takes it all

But in my case, the winner didn't take the pain

In my case the winner didn't take the hurt

That is why I cry the most

I played your game

But I didn't know the rules

Everytime we've played

You'd come out a winner

Now I've learned to play the game

And I will never lose again

These crying games, we play

It's your turn to cry

...

These crying games, we play

It's your turn to cry

These crying games, we play

It's your turn to cry

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears noun - an instance of crying
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - an activity engaged in for diversion or amusement
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation
turn /tɜːrn/ A2	noun - an opportunity or obligation to do something
show /ʃoʊ/ A1	verb - to allow or cause to be visible
bigger /ˈbɪɡər/ A1	adjective - larger in size or extent
deeper /ˈdiːpər/ A2	adjective - extending far down from the top or surface
rules /ruːlz/ A2	noun - a principle or instruction explaining how something should be done or what is allowed
winner /ˈwɪnər/ A2	noun - a person or thing that wins something
learned /lɜːrnd/ B1	verb - acquired knowledge of or skill in something through study or experience
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to be deprived of something
takes /teɪks/ A2	verb - to get hold of something
case /keɪs/ B1	noun - an instance of a particular situation; an example of something occurring
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	noun - physical injury or pain verb - cause physical pain or injury to

Key Grammar Structures

• Maybe mine is bigger than yours

  ➔ Using 'maybe' to express possibility; comparative adjective 'bigger' with 'than' for comparison.

  ➔ 'Maybe' indicates uncertainty or possibility, often used to express that something might happen. The phrase 'bigger than yours' shows comparison using the comparative form 'bigger' and the word 'than' for the second item.

• I played your game but I didn't know the rules

  ➔ Past simple tense 'played' to describe completed actions; conjunction 'but' to introduce contrast; negative form 'did not know' with base verb 'know'.

  ➔ The past tense 'played' shows an action that was completed in the past. The conjunction 'but' introduces a contrast between playing the game and not knowing the rules. The negative form 'did not know' expresses a lack of knowledge in the past, with 'did' used as an auxiliary verb for negation.

• And I will never cry again

  ➔ Future simple tense 'will never cry' to express a negative intention or promise.

  ➔ The phrase 'will never cry again' uses the future simple tense with 'will' to indicate a strong promise or decision to stop crying in the future.