The Girl I Used to Be – English Lyrics

• By: Descendants Wicked Wonderland - Cast
• Album: Descendants: Wicked Wonderland

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the magical world of Auradon with 'The Girl I Used to Be'! This song is a fantastic tool for learners to practice English through emotive storytelling and expressive vocabulary centered around identity and change. Its catchy pop rhythm makes it easy to follow and sing along to!

[English]

♪ Remember how it used to be in high school ♪

♪ Oh no, we were so carefree ♪

♪ Yeah, we would play by our own rules ♪

♪ Didn't have a road map ♪

♪ Just a recipe book and a dust broom ♪

♪ What a mess ♪

♪ But we had hope ♪

♪ And we had each other ♪

♪ And that was enough ♪

♪ I wish I didn't hide behind the curtain ♪

♪ Don't wanna hide anymore ♪

♪ I try to keep things sunny ♪

♪ So I smile til my cheeks start hurtin' ♪

♪ It's all curtsy, put it on, smile, wave ♪

♪ Lucky girl, be happy, behave ♪

♪ But the dark, it tries to consume me ♪

♪ And these days my daughter sees right through me ♪

♪ So how can I reach her when she feels so far away ♪

♪ Well if she's anything like you, I know she would say ♪

♪ Oh yeah ♪

♪ When it gets dark, find the light in you ♪

♪ And when the door slams, gotta push right through ♪

♪ When times get tough, she'll know what to do ♪

♪ We always find a way ♪

♪ Can't turn time but we sure can dream ♪

♪ Maybe we can live in the space between ♪

♪ The woman that you see ♪

♪ And the girl I used to be ♪

♪ The girl who always had a plan ♪

♪ The girl who always held my hand ♪

♪ Through all of my phases ♪

♪ So slick how quick the wind changes ♪

♪ And now it's our turn to break out, be brave ♪

♪ With new dreams, the two dreams we made ♪

♪ I wish our daughters were near us ♪

♪ My daughter ♪

♪ My daughter ♪

♪ If you can hear us ♪

♪ I hope you know I'm proud of the girl you are ♪

♪ And I hope you know I'm near even when I'm far ♪

♪ And if you get lost ♪

♪ Look inside your heart ♪

♪ You'll always find a way ♪

♪ Maybe it's time that we split the screen ♪

♪ Maybe it's time that we let them see ♪

♪ A different side of me ♪

♪ A different side of ♪

♪ The girl I used to be ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
carefree /ˈkɛərˌfriː/ B2	adjective - free from anxiety or responsibility
recipe /ˈrɛs.ɪ.pi/ A2	noun - a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish
curtain /ˈkɜːr.tən/ A2	noun - a piece of material suspended at the top to form a screen
curtsy /ˈkɜːrt.si/ C2	noun - a woman's polite greeting made by bending the knees
behave /bɪˈheɪv/ A2	verb - to act or conduct oneself in a specified way
consume /kənˈsuːm/ B2	verb - to eat, drink, or ingest; or to fill someone's mind completely
tough /tʌf/ B1	adjective - difficult to accomplish or deal with
phases /ˈfeɪ.zɪz/ B1	noun - a distinct period or stage in a series of events
slick /slɪk/ C1	adjective - smooth, glossy, or done in a skillful but potentially deceptive way
proud /praʊd/ A2	adjective - feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements
dream /driːm/ A1	verb - to experience images or emotions during sleep or contemplate possibilities
brave /breɪv/ A2	adjective - ready to endure pain or show courage
split /splɪt/ B1	verb - to break or cause to break forcibly into parts
screen /skriːn/ A2	noun - a flat panel or area on which images are projected
hope /hoʊp/ A1	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing

Key Grammar Structures

• Remember how it used to be in high school

  ➔ Used to + infinitive

  ➔ "Used to" describes a past habit or state that is no longer true.

• I wish I didn't hide behind the curtain

  ➔ Wish + past simple (hypothetical)

  ➔ We use "wish" + past tense to express a desire for a different reality in the present.

• I smile til my cheeks start hurtin'

  ➔ Until (til) + clause

  ➔ "Until" indicates the duration of an action up to a specific point.

• How can I reach her when she feels so far away

  ➔ Wh- question + modal verb

  ➔ Using "can" with a Wh- question to ask about ability or possibility.

• When it gets dark, find the light in you

  ➔ Imperative sentence

  ➔ The verb "find" is in the base form to give advice or a command.

• Can't turn time but we sure can dream

  ➔ Conjunction (contrastive)

  ➔ "But" is used here to link two contrasting ideas.

• I hope you know I'm proud of the girl you are

  ➔ Relative clause (omitted 'that')

  ➔ The full phrase is "the girl that you are", where "that" is often omitted in informal English.

• Maybe it's time that we let them see

  ➔ Causative verb (let + object + bare infinitive)

  ➔ "Let" is followed by "them" (object) and "see" (base verb) to mean 'allow them to see'.