Long Ago and Far Away – English Lyrics

• By: Frank Sinatra

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the timeless elegance of "Long Ago (and Far Away)," a quintessential American standard performed by the legendary Frank Sinatra. This song offers a beautiful entry point for English learners, featuring clear articulation and evocative storytelling about dreams realized. You can learn rich vocabulary related to emotions, time, and hope, all while enjoying Sinatra's impeccable phrasing and the song's enduring melodic charm.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to imagine something desired; to think about as a possibility
dreamed /driːmd/ B1	verb - past tense of dream (to have a dream or to imagine)
skies /skaɪz/ A2	noun - the expanse of air over the Earth; the heavens
overcast /ˌoʊvərˈkɑːst/ B2	adjective - cloudy; covered with clouds
clouds /klaʊdz/ A2	noun - visible masses of condensed water vapor in the atmosphere
passed /pæst/ B1	verb - to move beyond; to go by
chills /tʃɪlz/ B2	noun - a sensation of cold or shivering
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
spine /spaɪn/ B2	noun - the backbone; the series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the lower back
lamp /læmp/ A2	noun - a device that produces light
denied /dɪˈnaɪd/ B2	verb - to refuse to give; to reject
look /lʊk/ A1	noun - a visual inspection; a glance verb - to direct one's gaze toward something
knew /njuː/ B1	verb - past tense of know; to have been aware of
longed /lɔːŋd/ B2	verb - to have a strong desire or yearning for something
last /læst/ A2	adjective - final; occurring at the end
Aladdin /ˈælədɪn/ C1	noun - a fictional hero from the Arabian Nights tales

Key Grammar Structures

• Long ago and far away

  ➔ Adverbial phrase of time and place

  ➔ "Long ago" indicates a past time, and "far away" indicates a distant place. These phrases set the context for the song.

• I dreamed a dream one day

  ➔ Simple past tense with adverbial phrase

  ➔ "Dreamed" is in the simple past tense, indicating a completed action in the past. "One day" is an adverbial phrase specifying when the action occurred.

• The dream I dreamed was not denied me

  ➔ Relative clause and passive voice

  ➔ "The dream I dreamed" is a relative clause modifying "dream." "Was not denied" is in the passive voice, emphasizing the subject receiving the action.

• Just one look and then I knew

  ➔ Conjunction and past tense

  ➔ "And" is a conjunction connecting two clauses. "Knew" is in the past tense, indicating a past realization.

• That all I longed for long ago was you

  ➔ Past tense and relative pronoun

  ➔ "Was" is in the past tense, indicating a past state. "That" is a relative pronoun introducing a clause that describes "all I longed for."