My Old Friend
Lyrics:
[English]
My old friend, I recall
The times we had hanging on my wall
I wouldn't trade them for gold
Cause they laugh and they cry me
Somehow sanctify me
They're woven in the stories I have told
And tell again
My old friend, I apologize
For the years that have passed
Since the last time you and I
Dusted off those memories
But the running and the races
The people and the places
There's always somewhere else I had to be
Time gets thin, my old friend
Don't know why, don't know why
Don't know why, don't know why
My old friend, this song's for you
Cause a few simple verses
Was the least that I could do
To tell the world that you were here
Cause the love and the laughter
Will live on long after
All of the sadness and the tears
We'll meet again, my old friend
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
My old friend, my old friend
Goodbye, goodbye
...
Vocabulary in this song:
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
friend /frɛnd/ A1 |
|
recall /rɪˈkɔːl/ B2 |
|
times /taɪmz/ A1 |
|
wall /wɔːl/ A1 |
|
gold /ɡoʊld/ A1 |
|
laugh /læf/ A1 |
|
cry /kraɪ/ A1 |
|
stories /ˈstɔːriz/ A1 |
|
apologize /əˈpɒlədʒaɪz/ B2 |
|
years /jɪərz/ A1 |
|
passed /pæst/ A2 |
|
memories /ˈmɛməriz/ B1 |
|
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A2 |
|
races /ˈreɪsɪz/ A2 |
|
places /ˈpleɪsɪz/ A1 |
|
verses /ˈvɜːrsɪz/ B1 |
|
world /wɜːrld/ A1 |
|
love /lʌv/ A1 |
|
laughter /ˈlæftər/ B1 |
|
sadness /ˈsædnəs/ B1 |
|
tears /tɪərz/ A1 |
|
Grammar:
-
The times we had hanging on my wall
➔ Relative Clause with reduced form (present participle)
➔ Instead of saying 'The times which we had *hanging* on my wall...', the relative pronoun 'which' and the auxiliary verb are omitted, leaving only the present participle 'hanging'. This makes the sentence more concise.
-
Cause they laugh and they cry me
➔ Unusual Verb Usage (figurative)
➔ The verbs "laugh" and "cry" are used transitively, with 'me' as the object. This is not grammatically standard but conveys a strong emotional impact. The memories affect the speaker deeply, to the point they can be said to 'laugh' and 'cry' *him*.
-
Somehow sanctify me
➔ Transitive Verb with Abstract Object (figurative)
➔ The verb "sanctify" is used with "me" as its object, implying the memories have a purifying or redeeming effect on the speaker. It's a figurative usage, imbuing the memories with spiritual significance.
-
Dusted off those memories
➔ Phrasal Verb
➔ "Dusted off" is a phrasal verb meaning to clean something by removing dust or to revisit or refresh something from the past.
-
Cause a few simple verses Was the least that I could do
➔ Subject-Verb Inversion (Emphasis)
➔ The normal word order would be "A few simple verses was the least that I could do." However, the songwriter inverts the subject and verb to emphasize the smallness or insufficiency of the gesture ('a few simple verses').
-
Will live on long after
➔ Future Tense + adverb 'long after'
➔ Combination of future tense "will live" and the adverbial phrase "long after" specifies the duration of the action happening beyond a certain point.