Red Red Wine – English Lyrics

• By: UB40
• Album: Labour Of Love

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the story behind UB40's global hit, 'Red Red Wine'! This song offers a unique opportunity to learn English through its simple yet poignant lyrics about love and loss, all set to an infectious reggae beat. What makes this song special is its surprising history – a journey from a somber American ballad to a chart-topping British reggae anthem, a story of mistaken identity and unexpected success.

[English]

♪ Red red wine ♪

♪ Goes to my head ♪

♪ Makes me forget that I still need her so ♪

♪ Red red wine it's up to you ♪

♪ All I can do I've done ♪

♪ Memories won't go memories won't go ♪

♪ I'd have sworn that with time ♪

♪ Thoughts of you leave my head ♪

♪ I was wrong now I find ♪

♪ Just one thing makes me forget ♪

♪ Red red wine stay close to me ♪

♪ Don't let me be alone ♪

♪ It's tearing apart my blue heart ♪

♪ I'd have sworn that with time ♪

♪ Thoughts of you leave my head ♪

♪ I was wrong now I find ♪

♪ Just one thing makes me forget ♪

♪ Red red wine stay close to me ♪

♪ Don't let me be alone ♪

♪ It's tearing apart my blue heart ♪

♪ Red red wine stay close to me ♪

♪ Don't let me be alone ♪

♪ It's tearing me apart ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wine /waɪn/ A1	noun - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes or other fruits
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck verb - to move in a specified direction
forget /fərˈɡet/ A2	verb - to fail to remember
need /niːd/ A1	verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important noun - a thing that is necessary or desirable
memories /ˈmeməriz/ B1	noun - something remembered from the past
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
thoughts /θɔːts/ B1	noun - an idea or opinion produced by thinking, or occurring suddenly in the mind
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - discover or perceive
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to
close /kloʊs/ A2	adjective - near in space or time verb - move so as to cover an opening; shut.
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - having no one else present
tearing /ˈteərɪŋ/ B2	verb - pulling or ripping something apart
apart /əˈpɑːrt/ B1	adverb - separated by a distance; not together
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - of a color intermediate between green and violet
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation

Key Grammar Structures

• Makes me forget that I still need her so

  ➔ Causative Verb 'make' + bare infinitive; Subordinate Clause with 'that'

  ➔ The verb "make" here means 'to cause'. It's followed by a person (me) and then the base form of the verb (forget). 'That I still need her so' is a subordinate clause acting as the object of 'forget'. The 'so' at the end intensifies the need.

• All I can do I've done

  ➔ Cleft Sentence (inverted); Present Perfect

  ➔ This is an inverted cleft sentence for emphasis. A standard form would be 'I've done all I can do.' The use of the present perfect ('I've done') suggests the action is completed but still relevant.

• Memories won't go memories won't go

  ➔ Future Simple (negative)

  ➔ 'Won't go' is a contraction of 'will not go', expressing that the memories are persistent and the speaker is unable to get rid of them.

• I'd have sworn that with time Thoughts of you leave my head

  ➔ Third Conditional (mixed); Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ "I'd have sworn" implies "If I had been asked before...". This shows a belief held in the past that is now proven false. The implicit subjunctive refers to the unrealized situation (thoughts leaving the head).

• Just one thing makes me forget

  ➔ Causative Verb 'makes' + bare infinitive

  ➔ Similar to the first example, 'makes me forget' uses 'make' in a causative way, meaning that 'one thing' (red red wine) causes the speaker to forget.

• Don't let me be alone

  ➔ Negative Imperative with 'let'

  ➔ This is a command (imperative) in the negative form. 'Let me be alone' would give permission, 'Don't let me be alone' requests the opposite: preventing loneliness.

• It's tearing apart my blue heart

  ➔ Present Continuous (describing a process)

  ➔ The present continuous ('is tearing') describes an ongoing action, emphasizing that the emotional pain is happening *now* and continuing.