Lyrics & Translation
Immerse yourself in Queen's 'Spread Your Wings' to explore English narrative songwriting at its finest. This power ballad's clear storytelling and empowering message make it a special song for understanding expressions of hope and liberation in English.
[English]
Sammy was low, just watching the showOver and over again
Knew it was time, he'd made up his mind
To leave his dead life behind
His boss said to him, "Boy, you'd better begin
To get those crazy notions right out of your head
Sammy, who do you think that you are?
You should've been sweeping up the Emerald Bar"
Spread your wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Spread your little wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Pull yourself together
'Cause you know you should do better
That's because you're a free man
He spends his evenings alone in his hotel room
Keeping his thoughts to himself, he'd be leaving soon
Wishing he was miles and miles away
Nothing in this world, nothing would make him stay
Since he was small, had no luck at all
Nothing came easy to him
Now it was time, he'd made up his mind
"This could be my last chance"
His boss said to him, "Now listen, boy! You're always dreaming
You've got no real ambition, you won't get very far
Sammy boy, don't you know who you are?
Why can't you be happy at the Emerald Bar?"
So honey, spread your wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Spread your little wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Pull yourself together
'Cause you know you should do better
That's because you're a free man
Come on, honey, fly with me
Key Vocabulary
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
|
spread /spred/ A2 |
|
|
wings /wɪŋz/ A1 |
|
|
fly /flaɪ/ A1 |
|
|
away /əˈweɪ/ A1 |
|
|
pull /pʊl/ A1 |
|
|
together /təˈɡeθər/ A1 |
|
|
free /friː/ A1 |
|
|
man /mæn/ A1 |
|
|
spend /spɛnd/ A2 |
|
|
evenings /ˈiːvənɪŋz/ A1 |
|
|
alone /əˈloʊn/ A1 |
|
|
wishing /ˈwɪʃɪŋ/ A2 |
|
|
miles /maɪlz/ A1 |
|
|
chance /tʃæns/ A2 |
|
|
dreaming /ˈdriːmɪŋ/ A2 |
|
|
ambition /æmˈbɪʃən/ B1 |
|
|
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1 |
|
|
better /ˈbɛtər/ A1 |
|
|
notions /ˈnoʊʃənz/ B1 |
|
Do you remember what “spread” or “wings” means in "Spread Your Wings"?
Hop into the app to practice now – quizzes, flashcards, and native-like pronunciation are waiting!
Key Grammar Structures
-
Knew it was time, he'd made up his mind
➔ Past Perfect (had + past participle)
➔ The phrase "he'd made up his mind" uses the past perfect to indicate an action completed before another past action (knowing it was time).
-
His boss said to him, 'Boy, you'd better begin...'
➔ Modal Verb (had better)
➔ The phrase "you'd better begin" uses the modal verb construction "had better" to give strong advice or a warning.
-
Spread your wings and fly away
➔ Imperative Mood
➔ The phrase "Spread your wings" is in the imperative mood, used to give a direct command or instruction.
-
That's because you're a free man
➔ Present Continuous (be + -ing)
➔ The phrase "you're a free man" uses the present continuous to emphasize a current state or condition.
-
Nothing in this world, nothing would make him stay
➔ Conditional Mood (would + infinitive)
➔ The phrase "nothing would make him stay" uses the conditional mood to express a hypothetical situation or result.
