Mama Do (uh oh, uh oh) – English Lyrics

• By: Pixie Lott

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Oh Uh Oh Uh

Every night I go

Every night I go sneaking out the door

I lie a little more

Baby, I'm helpless

There's something 'bout the night

And the way it hides all the things I like

Little black butterflies

Deep inside me

What would my mama do?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

If she knew 'bout me and you?

Uh Oh Uh Oh

What would my daddy say?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

If he saw me hurt this way?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Why should I feel ashamed?

Feeling guilty at the mention of your name

Here we are again

It's nearly perfect

What would my mama do?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

If she knew 'bout me and you?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

What would my daddy say?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

If he saw me hurt this way?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

What would my mama do?

Oh Uh Oh

What would my daddy say?

All the things a girl should know

Are the things she can't control

All the things a girl should know

She can't control

What would my mama do?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

If she knew 'bout me and you?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

What would my daddy say?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

If he saw me hurt this way?

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh Uh Oh

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sneaking /ˈsniːkɪŋ/ B1	verb - moving quietly to avoid being noticed
helpless /ˈhɛlpləs/ B2	adjective - unable to defend oneself
butterflies /ˈbʌtərflaɪz/ B1	noun - insects with colorful wings; metaphor for nervousness
ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ B1	adjective - feeling shame or guilt
guilty /ˈɡɪlti/ B1	adjective - responsible for wrongdoing
hides /haɪdz/ A2	verb - conceals from view
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - power to influence outcomes
hurt /hɜrt/ A2	verb - cause emotional/physical pain
mention /ˈmɛnʃən/ B1	noun - reference to something briefly
perfect /ˈpɜrfɪkt/ A2	adjective - flawless or ideal

Key Grammar Structures

• Every night I go sneaking out the door

  ➔ Present simple + gerund (verb + -ing) as complement after 'go'

  ➔ The verb "go" is followed by the gerund "sneaking" to show a continuous activity.

• If she knew 'bout me and you?

  ➔ Second conditional: If + past simple, would + base verb (unreal present)

  ➔ "knew" is in the past simple to show a hypothetical situation that is not true now.

• What would my mama do?

  ➔ Modal 'would' for hypothetical questions (second conditional)

  ➔ "would" expresses a possible but not real action in the present or future.

• Why should I feel ashamed?

  ➔ Modal 'should' for advice or expectation in a question form

  ➔ "should" asks for an opinion about what is appropriate or expected.

• All the things a girl should know

  ➔ Modal 'should' + infinitive; reduced relative clause (a girl should know)

  ➔ "should" + "know" forms a recommendation, and the clause functions as a reduced relative clause describing "things".

• She can't control

  ➔ Modal 'can't' (cannot) + base verb for ability/possibility

  ➔ "can't" shows that she is unable to control something.

• There's something 'bout the night

  ➔ Existential 'there is' contraction; subject‑verb inversion for existence

  ➔ "There's" is the contracted form of "there is", used to introduce something that exists.

• Here we are again

  ➔ Present simple of 'to be' with adverbial 'again' indicating repetition

  ➔ "Here" and "we are" form the present‑tense statement, while "again" shows it has happened before.

• Feeling guilty at the mention of your name

  ➔ Gerund phrase as subject; prepositional phrase "at the mention of…"

  ➔ "Feeling" is a gerund acting as the subject, and "at the mention of your name" tells the cause.