Mother and Child Reunion – English Lyrics

• By: Paul Simon

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Paul Simon's 'Mother and Child Reunion,' a groundbreaking blend of American songwriting and Jamaican reggae, recorded with Jimmy Cliff's backing group in Kingston . This song offers a unique opportunity to learn about the fusion of musical cultures and the expression of grief and hope through cross-cultural collaboration, and understand the history and impact of this early reggae hit by a non-Jamaican artist .

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mother /ˈmʌðər/ A1	noun - a female parent
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or the legal age of majority
reunion /ˌriːˈjuːniən/ B2	noun - the act of coming together again
motion /ˈmoʊʃən/ B1	noun - the action or process of moving or being moved
darling /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/ B1	noun - a dearly loved person adjective - very attractive or pleasing
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
remember /rɪˈmembər/ A1	verb - to have in or be able to bring to one's mind an awareness of (someone or something from the past)
sadder /ˈsædər/ A2	adjective - more sad, feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy.
work /wɜːrk/ A1	verb - to perform tasks
course /kɔːrs/ B1	noun - a route or direction followed
lifetime /ˈlaɪftaɪm/ B1	noun - the duration of a person's life
runs /rʌnz/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
strange /streɪndʒ/ A2	adjective - unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain
mournful /ˈmɔːrnfʊl/ B2	adjective - expressing or inducing sorrow; melancholy
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of.
moment /ˈmoʊmənt/ A2	noun - a very brief period of time
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen verb - want something to happen or be the case
laid /leɪd/ B1	verb - past tense of lay: put down; set down
low /loʊ/ A2	adjective - of less than usual height from top to bottom or little height.
mysterious /mɪˈstɪriəs/ B2	adjective - difficult or impossible to understand, explain, or identify

Key Grammar Structures

• No, I would not give you false hope

  ➔ Conditional Sentences (Type 2)

  ➔ Use of "would" indicates a hypothetical situation. "I **would** not give" suggests a condition that is not currently true. This structure expresses an unreal or unlikely situation in the present or future.

• On this strange and mournful day

  ➔ Use of Adjectives

  ➔ "Strange" and "mournful" are adjectives modifying the noun "day", adding descriptive detail and emotional depth.

• But the mother and child reunion Is only a motion away

  ➔ Present Simple Tense (General Truth)

  ➔ The present simple "is" suggests a state of being or a general truth. It implies that the reunion is always within reach.

• I can't for the life of me Remember a sadder day

  ➔ Emphasis with Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ The phrase "I can't for the life of me" is an idiom used to emphasize the speaker's inability to remember something. It amplifies the feeling of sorrow.

• I know they say "let it be"

  ➔ Reported Speech (Indirect Speech)

  ➔ The phrase "they say 'let it be'" represents reported speech. The speaker is conveying what others say as advice or a common saying.

• But it just don't work out that way

  ➔ Informal Contraction and Negative Form

  ➔ The use of "don't" instead of "doesn't" is an informal contraction, indicating a casual tone. It expresses the speaker's disagreement with the advice.

• And the course of a lifetime runs Over and over again

  ➔ Present Simple Tense (Habitual Action)

  ➔ The present simple "runs" describes a recurring or habitual action. It suggests that the patterns of life repeat continuously.

• I never been laid so low In such a mysterious way

  ➔ Present Perfect (Nonstandard)

  ➔ "I never been" is a nonstandard usage of the present perfect. The standard form would be "I have never been". It expresses an experience that has happened at some point in the speaker's life.