Mama Said
Lyrics:
[English]
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, mama said (mama said, mama said)
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said (mama said, mama said)
I went walking the other day
And everything was going fine
I met a little boy named Billy Joe
And then almost lost my mind
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said (mama said, mama said)
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said
My eyes were wide open
But all that I can see is
The chapel bells a-tollin'
For everyone but-a me
But I don't worry 'cause
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said (mama said, mama said)
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said
And then she said someone will look at me
Like I'm looking at you, one day
And then I might find I don't want you any-a-way
So I don't worry 'cause
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said (mama said, mama said)
Mama said there'll be days like this
There'll be days like this, my mama said
(Mama said, mama said, hey, hey) don't you worry
(Mama said, mama said, hey, hey) don't you worry, now
(Mama said, mama said, hey, hey) mama said there'll be days like this
(Mama said, mama said, hey, hey) there'll be days like this, mama said
(Mama said, mama said, hey, hey) mama said there'll be days like this
(Mama said, mama said, hey, hey) there'll be-a days like.‥
...
Vocabulary in this song:
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
mama /ˈmɑː.mə/ A1 |
|
days /deɪz/ A1 |
|
walking /ˈwɔː.kɪŋ/ A1 |
|
fine /faɪn/ A2 |
|
boy /bɔɪ/ A1 |
|
mind /maɪnd/ A2 |
|
eyes /aɪz/ A1 |
|
wide /waɪd/ A2 |
|
open /ˈoʊ.pən/ A2 |
|
chapel /ˈtʃæp.əl/ B1 |
|
bells /bɛlz/ A2 |
|
worry /ˈwɜː.ri/ A2 |
|
someone /ˈsʌm.wʌn/ A1 |
|
look /lʊk/ A1 |
|
find /faɪnd/ A1 |
|
Grammar:
-
Mama said there'll be days like this
➔ Future tense with "will be"
➔ Uses "will be" to predict future occurrences. "There'll" is a contraction of "there will". This line express that difficult times are inevitable, using simple future tense.
-
I went walking the other day
➔ Simple Past tense
➔ "Went" is the past tense of "go", used to describe a completed action in the past. "The other day" specifies when the walking occurred.
-
And everything was going fine
➔ Past Continuous tense
➔ "Was going" is the past continuous form, indicating an action in progress at a specific time in the past. It implies a state that was happening.
-
But all that I can see is The chapel bells a-tollin'
➔ Present Simple with "can" (ability), Reduced relative clause (a-tollin')
➔ "Can see" indicates the ability to see. "A-tollin'" is an archaic or folksy form of "are tolling", representing a present participle acting as an adjective modifying "chapel bells". It's also grammatically, reduced relative clause.
-
For everyone but-a me
➔ Preposition "for" expressing purpose/recipient, informal contraction
➔ "For" indicates who the chapel bells are tolling *for*. "But-a me" is an informal and emphatic way of saying "except me".
-
And then she said someone will look at me
➔ Future tense with "will", indirect speech
➔ "Will look" indicates a future action. This sentence reports what "she" (Mama) said, using indirect speech. There isn't a change of tense usually found in reported speech as the original utterance is already in the future.
-
Like I'm looking at you, one day
➔ Present Continuous used for hypothetical/future situations, adverbial phrase "one day"
➔ "I'm looking" is present continuous, but here it's used to describe a hypothetical future situation, a feeling or attraction that might happen later. "One day" is an adverbial phrase indicating an unspecified time in the future.
-
And then I might find I don't want you any-a-way
➔ Modal verb "might" (possibility), negative present simple ("don't want"), informal adverbial phrase "any-a-way"
➔ "Might find" indicates a possibility, not a certainty. "Don't want" is the negative form of present simple, expressing a lack of desire. "Any-a-way" is a folksy way of saying "anyway" with added emphasis, indicating "regardless".