Sweet Child O' Mine – English Lyrics

• By: Guns N' Roses
• Album: Appetite For Destruction

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and "Sweet Child O' Mine" offers a unique opportunity to explore poetic English. The song's lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and emotional expressions, from nostalgic reflections on childhood to heartfelt declarations of love. What makes this song special for language learners is its combination of simple, direct language and more figurative, poetic phrases, providing a rich context for understanding both literal and nuanced meanings in English.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - an expression of happiness or amusement verb - to have or show a smile
childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ B1	noun - the state or period of being a child
memories /ˈmeməriz/ B1	noun - something remembered from the past
bright /braɪt/ B2	adjective - giving out or reflecting a lot of light
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head
special /ˈspeʃəl/ A2	adjective - different from what is usual
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or area
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or full physical development
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs that detect light
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere. verb - to fall as rain
pain /peɪn/ B1	noun - physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury
hair /heər/ A1	noun - any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans, mammals, and other animals.
warm /wɔːrm/ A1	adjective - having or producing a comfortably high temperature
thunder /ˈθʌndər/ B1	noun - a loud crash of sound caused by atmospheric electricity
hide /haɪd/ A2	verb - to put (something) where it cannot be easily seen

Key Grammar Structures

• She's got a smile that it seems to me

  ➔ Relative clause with "that" and subject-verb inversion

  ➔ The phrase "that it seems to me" acts as a relative clause modifying "smile." Subject-verb inversion occurs; instead of "that it seems to me", it is "that it seems to me." It adds a subjective element to the observation.

• Reminds me of childhood memories

  ➔ Phrasal verb "remind of"

  ➔ "Remind of" is a phrasal verb meaning to cause someone to remember something. It's followed by the object of the memory.

• Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky

  ➔ Simile using "as...as"

  ➔ The structure "as + adjective + as" is used to make a comparison between two things. Here, "everything" is being compared to "the bright blue sky" in terms of freshness.

• Now and then, when I see her face

  ➔ Adverbial phrase of time "now and then" and subordinate clause "when I see her face"

  ➔ "Now and then" is an adverbial phrase meaning occasionally or sometimes. "When I see her face" is a subordinate clause indicating the time the action takes place.

• She takes me away to that special place

  ➔ Phrasal verb "take away"

  ➔ "Take away" is a phrasal verb meaning to remove or transport someone or something. In this context, it means to transport the speaker emotionally or mentally.

• And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry

  ➔ Second conditional

  ➔ This sentence follows the structure of a second conditional: "If + past simple, would/could/might + base form". It describes a hypothetical situation and its likely result. "Stared" is the past simple, and "would break down" is the conditional clause.

• She's got eyes of the bluest skies

  ➔ Superlative adjective "bluest"

  ➔ "Bluest" is the superlative form of "blue", indicating the highest degree of blueness. It's used to emphasize the intense blue color of her eyes.

• As if they thought of rain

  ➔ Subjunctive mood with "as if"

  ➔ "As if" introduces a clause expressing a hypothetical or unreal situation. Although grammatically, past tense is often used here, this indicates the eyes look a certain way but do not literally 'think' of rain. Note the past tense 'thought' after 'as if'.