Shape – English Lyrics

• By: Sugababes
• Album: Angels With Dirty Faces

Lyrics & Translation

Discover how Sugababes transformed Sting's classic "Shape of My Heart" into an anthem of empowerment. This song challenges listeners to defy expectations and embrace their true selves, offering a blend of pop and R&B perfect for understanding themes of independence and identity.

[English]

I live my life in chains got my hands in chains

And I can't stick with the cards that I got with a deal like this

I must insist that a girl's got more to do

Than be the way you think a woman should

I'm taking it into my own hands

In this man's land I can't understand

Why I'm taking command

I've had enough of stuff and now it's time to think about me

And you can easily gamble your life away

Second after second and a day by day

You play the game or you walk away

It's a new turn on a blue day

And a cruel deal of life for me

And it's all so good

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier

I know that the clubs are weapons of war

I know that diamonds mean money for this art

But that's not the shape of my heart

I've always played it safe, nothing's ever saved

Give me the courage to back my own convictions

Every decision I make, I pay it back and more

Now turn the cards and let them fall to me

I don't need to play on with the hand that they have given me

I'll give it back 'cause it's not the way it has to be

And you can easily gamble your life away

Second after second and a day by day

You play the game or you walk away

It's a new turn on a blue day

And a cruel deal of life for me

And it's oh so good

I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier

I know that the clubs are weapons of war

I know that diamonds mean money for this art

But that's not the shape of my heart

That's not the shape of my heart

The shape of my heart

I know that diamonds mean money for this art

But that's not the shape of my heart

That's not the shape of my heart

Key Grammar Structures

• I live my life in chains got my hands in chains

  ➔ Present simple tense with reduced relative clause

  ➔ The line uses present simple tense "I live" and has a reduced relative clause structure. The full form would be "I live my life in chains (which I have) got my hands in chains" where "got" is used instead of "have got" meaning "have".

• I must insist that a girl's got more to do

  ➔ Modal verb 'must' with that-clause

  ➔ The line uses the modal verb "must" to express obligation or necessity, followed by a that-clause. "A girl's got" is a colloquial form of "a girl has got" meaning "a girl has".

• I'm taking it into my own hands

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The line uses the present continuous tense "I'm taking" to describe an action happening at the moment of speaking. The structure is formed with "am/is/are" + "verb-ing".

• I've had enough of stuff and now it's time to think about me

  ➔ Present perfect tense with 'it's time' structure

  ➔ The line uses present perfect tense "I've had" to talk about a past action with present relevance. It also uses the structure "it's time" followed by to-infinitive to express that something should happen now.

• You can easily gamble your life away

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' with adverb placement

  ➔ The line uses the modal verb "can" to express ability or possibility. The adverb "easily" is placed between the modal verb and the main verb "gamble", which is the typical position for adverbs of manner in such constructions.

• I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier

  ➔ Present simple with that-clause

  ➔ The line uses present simple tense "I know" followed by a that-clause where the verb "are" is also in present simple. That-clauses are commonly used after verbs of thinking, knowing, or saying to introduce what someone thinks, knows, or says.

• I've always played it safe, nothing's ever saved

  ➔ Present perfect continuous and present perfect

  ➔ The line uses present perfect continuous "I've always played" (though it looks like present perfect, "always" indicates continuous/repeated action) and present perfect "nothing's ever saved" (contraction of "nothing has ever saved"). These tenses connect past actions to the present moment.

• I don't need to play on with the hand that they have given me

  ➔ Modal verb 'need' in negative with relative clause

  ➔ The line uses the modal verb "need" in negative form "don't need" followed by to-infinitive. It also contains a relative clause "that they have given me" where "that" refers to "the hand". The relative clause uses present perfect tense "have given".