Mamma Mia – English Lyrics

• By: ABBA

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and ABBA's 'Mamma Mia' is a perfect place to start with English. The song's clear and repetitive lyrics about a relatable story of love and heartache make it easy to follow and sing along. The catchy melody and universal theme of struggling with a past relationship have made it a global classic, offering a fun and engaging way to pick up new vocabulary and phrases.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought. verb - to object to something; to be bothered by something
look /lʊk/ A1	verb - to direct one's gaze towards someone or something or in a specified direction. noun - an act of directing one's gaze
learn /lɜːrn/ A2	verb - gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - be deprived of (something that one has or had).
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behaviour or the course of events. verb - determine the behaviour or supervise the running of.
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
bell /bel/ A2	noun - a hollow metallic device that makes a ringing sound when struck.
ring /rɪŋ/ A2	verb - (of a bell) sound loudly and clearly. noun - a circular band, typically made of precious metal and worn as jewellery.
resist /rɪˈzɪst/ B2	verb - withstand the action or effect of.
show /ʃoʊ/ A1	verb - allow or cause (something) to be visible. noun - a spectacle or display, typically impressive or entertaining.
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - feel regret at the loss or absence of.
broken-hearted /ˌbroʊkən ˈhɑːrtɪd/ B2	adjective - overwhelmed by grief or disappointment.
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - of a colour intermediate between green and violet, as of the sky on a clear day. adjective - sad or depressed.
angry /ˈæŋɡri/ A2	adjective - feeling or showing strong annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.
slam /slæm/ B2	verb - shut (a door, window, or lid) forcefully and loudly.
strong /strɒŋ/ A1	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or chance.

Key Grammar Structures

• I'VE BEEN CHEATED BY YOU SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHEN

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive with 'since' clause

  ➔ Uses the present perfect passive ('I'VE BEEN CHEATED') to indicate an action that started in the past and continues to the present. 'SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHEN' establishes the unspecified starting point of the cheating. 'Since' is used to indicate a period from a point in the past until now. The passive voice emphasizes that the speaker was the recipient of the action (cheating).

• SO I MADE UP MY MIND IT MUST COME TO AN END

  ➔ Modal verb 'must' for strong deduction

  ➔ 'MUST COME TO AN END' expresses a strong conviction or deduction about the necessity of something happening. The speaker has reached a point where they believe ending the relationship/situation is inevitable. 'Made up my mind' is an idiom which means she decided.

• LOOK AT ME NOW, WILL I EVER LEARN

  ➔ Future tense with "will" in a question

  ➔ The question 'WILL I EVER LEARN' expresses doubt or uncertainty about future behavior. 'Will' is used to form the future simple tense and here is used to express something doubtful.

• I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT I SUDDENLY LOSE CONTROL

  ➔ Contrast conjunction "but"

  ➔ The conjunction 'BUT' introduces a contrasting idea. The speaker doesn't understand the reason ('I DON'T KNOW HOW'), BUT they still experience losing control.

• JUST ONE LOOK AND I CAN HEAR A BELL RING

  ➔ Conditional implied by juxtaposition ('and' implying 'if')

  ➔ This sentence implies a conditional relationship: *If* I just take one look, *then* I can hear a bell ring. 'AND' connects two events, where the first triggers the second. It's a shortened form of a conditional clause, making it more impactful.

• MAMMA MIA, HERE I GO AGAIN

  ➔ Exclamatory phrase combined with adverb of place

  ➔ 'MAMMA MIA' is an exclamation of surprise or frustration. 'HERE I GO AGAIN' uses the adverb 'HERE' to emphasize the location/situation (going back to a familiar pattern or behavior).

• MY, MY, HOW CAN I RESIST YOU

  ➔ Interjection and interrogative with modal verb

  ➔ 'MY, MY' is an interjection expressing surprise or amazement. 'HOW CAN I RESIST YOU' uses the modal verb 'CAN' in an interrogative sentence to express inability or difficulty in resisting someone. 'Can' here is showing capability, or the lack thereof, in a rhetorical question.

• BYE-BYE DOESN'T MEAN FOREVER

  ➔ Simple Present Tense to express a general truth

  ➔ The sentence uses the simple present tense ('DOESN'T MEAN') to express a general truth or a fact that is generally valid. It suggests that saying goodbye doesn't automatically signify a permanent separation.