Sally's Pigeons – English Lyrics

• By: Cyndi Lauper

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Cyndi Lauper's "Sally's Pigeons" to explore deep emotions and impactful storytelling. This folk-pop ballad, inspired by a real-life tragedy, offers a rich narrative and powerful lyrics that are excellent for language learners. Discover how Lauper uses vivid imagery and personal experiences to convey themes of lost innocence and the fight for women's autonomy, making it a song that resonates profoundly and encourages a deeper understanding of English expression.

[English]

When I was eight, I had a friend with a pirate smile

Make believe and play pretend we were innocent and wild

Hopped a fence and slammed the gate

Running down my alleyway in time to watch Sally's pigeons fly

We loved to watch them dive and soar, circle in the sky

Free as a bird from three to four and never knowing why

Neighbors pulled their wash back in

Put away my Barbie and Ken

Look out overhead while Sally's pigeons fly

I had a fool's confidence that the world had no boundaries

But instincts and common sense they come in different quantities

My heart began to skip to the beat of the boy next door

She had her eye across the street on someone shy and tall

We lived our dreams and challenged fate

In tears, she told me she was late and Sally let his pigeons out to fly

Ooh-ooh-ooh

Oh-oh-oh

On the dresser sits a frame with a photograph

Two little girls in ponytails some twenty-one years back

She left one night with just a nod, was lost from some back alley job

I close my eyes and Sally's pigeons fly

She never saw those birds again

And me, I can't remember when a pirate smile hasn't made me cry

I close my eyes and Sally's pigeons fly

Mmm-mmm-mmm

Mmm-mmm-mmm

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression indicating pleasure or friendliness verb - to form a smile
pirate /ˈpaɪrət/ B2	noun - a person who attacks and robs ships at sea
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ B1	verb - to act as if something is true when it is not
fence /fɛns/ A2	noun - a barrier made of posts and wire verb - to enclose with a fence
alleyway /ˈæliweɪ/ B1	noun - a narrow passage between or behind buildings
pigeon /ˈpɪdʒən/ B1	noun - a bird with a stout body and short legs, often kept as a pet
soar /sɔːr/ B2	verb - to fly or rise high in the sky
boundary /ˈbaʊndəri/ B2	noun - a line that marks the limits of an area
instinct /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/ B2	noun - an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior
confidence /ˈkɒnfɪdəns/ B2	noun - the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood; also the centre or core of something
beat /biːt/ A2	noun - a regular rhythmic sound verb - to strike repeatedly
fate /feɪt/ B2	noun - the development of events beyond a person's control
photograph /ˈfəʊtəɡrɑːf/ B1	noun - a picture made using a camera
ponytail /ˈpəʊniˌteɪl/ B2	noun - a hairstyle where the hair is tied at the back of the head
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the expanse of air over the earth
wild /waɪld/ A2	adjective - living in a natural state; untamed
innocent /ˈɪnəsənt/ B1	adjective - not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing; pure

Key Grammar Structures

• When I was eight, I had a friend with a pirate smile

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ Used to describe a completed action or state in the past.

• Make believe and play pretend we were innocent and wild

  ➔ Imperative mood (implied) + simple present tense

  ➔ Expresses a command or suggestion to imagine or pretend.

• Hopped a fence and slammed the gate

  ➔ Past simple tense (regular verb -ed form)

  ➔ Indicates an action completed in the past with regular verb form.

• Running down my alleyway in time to watch Sally's pigeons fly

  ➔ Gerund phrase indicating ongoing action, with 'in order to' implied

  ➔ Uses the gerund form '-ing' to describe an ongoing action or activity.

• My heart began to skip to the beat of the boy next door

  ➔ Verb phrase 'began to' + base verb indicating the start of an action

  ➔ Expresses the start of an action or change in state.

• She left one night with just a nod

  ➔ Past simple tense with 'left' indicating a completed action

  ➔ Describes an action completed in the past.

• And me, I can't remember when a pirate smile hasn't made me cry

  ➔ Present perfect tense (hasn't made) to express a past experience with relevance to now

  ➔ Uses present perfect to describe an experience or state that continues into the present.