Don't Stop Believin'

• By: Journey
• Album: Escape

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - a populated place, typically smaller than a city
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of connected railroad cars verb - to teach (a person or animal) a particular skill or type of behavior through sustained practice and instruction.
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
singer /ˈsɪŋər/ A2	noun - a person who sings, especially professionally
smile /smaɪl/ A2	noun - a pleased facial expression verb - to have a pleased facial expression
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
shadows /ˈʃædoʊz/ B1	noun - dark areas where light is blocked
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
emotion /ɪˈmoʊʃən/ B2	noun - a strong feeling
hard /hɑːrd/ A2	adjective - solid, firm, and rigid adverb - with great effort
win /wɪn/ A2	verb - to be successful or victorious noun - an instance of winning something.
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to be deprived of something
believin' /bɪˈliːvɪŋ/ A2	verb - to accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.
feelin' /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction.
boulevard /ˈbuːləvɑːrd/ B1	noun - a wide street in a town or city, typically one lined with trees.
streetlights /ˈstriːtlaɪts/ A2	noun - a lamp illuminating a street, especially at night.
smokey /ˈsmoʊki/ B1	adjective - filled with or smelling of smoke.

Grammar:

• Livin' in a lonely world

  ➔ Present Participle as Adjective / Shortened Present Continuous

  ➔ "Livin'" is a shortened form of "living," the present participle. It functions here as an adjective describing the "world" and indicating that the world is in a state of being lonely, which is why the girl feels alone.

• She took the midnight train going anywhere

  ➔ Present Participle Phrase Modifying a Noun

  ➔ "Going anywhere" is a present participle phrase that modifies "the midnight train." It describes where the train is headed: without a specific destination.

• Born and raised in South Detroit

  ➔ Past Participles as Adjectives (Passive Voice Implied)

  ➔ "Born" and "raised" are past participles used as adjectives describing the city boy. The passive voice is implied: he was "born" and he was "raised" by someone else.

• For a smile they can share the night

  ➔ Modal Verb "can" (ability/possibility)

  ➔ "Can share" indicates the ability or possibility of sharing the night for a smile. "Can" shows that they have the option or are able to do so.

• Strangers waitin'

  ➔ Ellipsis (Omission of Auxiliary Verb)

  ➔ This is an example of ellipsis. The auxiliary verb "are" is omitted. The full sentence would be "Strangers are waiting". This creates a more concise and immediate feeling.

• Some'll win, some will lose

  ➔ Contractions and the Future Simple Tense

  ➔ "Some'll" is a contraction of "some will." "Will" is used to express the future simple tense, indicating that in the future, some people will win, and some will lose. The usage of "some" as a pronoun is important as well.

• Some are born to sing the blues

  ➔ Passive Voice with "to" Infinitive (Purpose/Destiny)

  ➔ "Are born to sing" indicates that these people are destined or naturally inclined to sing the blues. It expresses a sense of purpose or fate.

• Don't stop believin'

  ➔ Imperative Sentence (Negative Form)

  ➔ This is a negative imperative. It's a command telling someone not to do something. The full form could be "Do not stop believing".