Tough Love – English Lyrics

• By: Andrea Dunn, Helaina Wize, Michelle Knight, Victoria Brandano, Brianna Fogden

Lyrics & Translation

Discover a new side to Disney villains and learn English through the clever and cynical lyrics of 'Tough Love.' This song offers a unique opportunity to explore vocabulary related to justification, manipulation, and dark humor, all within a theatrical and engaging musical number. It's a special song for language learners because it plays with perspective and irony, providing a fun challenge to understand the deeper meaning behind the words.

[English]

Ever since I was a girl my own mother vowed

I must find the way to power through a noble brow

I married once for love then my senses came

I must marry for the stature of my husband's name.

Onto marriage number two

I knew what I had to do

and my poor husband fell ill in a year or two.

Solved problem number one, now to problem number two,

His doe-eyed little girl with gentle point of view.

Would I ship her off to school?

No! I told her if she stayed that she'd have to earn her keep

and so she became the maid!

She was lazy!

She was crazy!

She was talking to the mice!

She was hopelessly naive , so she had to pay the price.

I moved her to the attic out of sight and out of mind.

I could have thrown her out, but I'm benevolent and kind.

Mother, your heart's too big for you!

I knew what I had to do

After all, difficult children will take advantage of your good nature!

So you lock them up

Throw away the key!

There's one on every family tree

Ungrateful!

Hateful!

Vile too! The things she put you through!

Break their spirit so they obey!

Now they'll do anything you say

Maybe you'd call it cruel but

others would call it love

Tough Love!

I ask you, is it a crime to strive for perfection in all things?

Oh, no, they're so cute when they're little but then they grow up and just...

ruin everything!

I never wanted children

life was better on my own

all the screaming, nagging chilled me to the bone!

But then one day i came across a flower growing free

It's magic kept me young, so i kept it all for me!

But someone dug it up now a baby held the power

so I "borrowed" her and locked her up and hid her in a tower!

Years went by, OH! The sacrifice!

and against my better judgment, I fed her once or twice.

Teenagers now I know I wild eat their young!

But that's messy!

Manipulation' s easily more fun!

A little guilt, a lot of force, of course you have to lie!

remind them that without you, they'd shrivel up and die!

They only have themselves to blame!

If you'd been there, you'd do the same!

So work them hard 'til they fall in line!

There's one way and it's only mine!

Children are lazy!

Spoiled too!

But we know what to do!

Govern them with a heart of stone!

Lock them up so they're all alone!

Maybe you'd call it cruel but,

others would call it love, tough love!

Ugh! Her own tower with a water view

and she runs away the first chance she gets!

These wretched brats think the world owes them something

But it doesn't

Far and wide I rule the kingdom with a heavy hand

but there was more I had in mind a greater plan!

I never cared to share, so The King would have to fall

But his child blocked the way to me and "Fairest of them all"

She was chubby. She was dumb

and grotesquely optimistic

She needed structure in her life! She wasn't realistic!

I gave her chores and took away the things that she'd enjoy

but then I caught her singing songs with birds and then a boy!

Love?! Was I just sit by and wait?!

for her to take my crown? NO!

she had sealed her fate!

She had to go, and so she did and you know what they say

"An apple once a day keeps your enemies away"

Don't be fooled by their tender smile!

give an inch and they'll run a mile!

Our idea of a happy home

Is one where we live all alone!

Dark, Depressing Desolate!

Now let's all drink to that!

Call us "wicked" and call us "mean"

"Cruel" and everything in between.

You could say it's unjust!

Turning their dreams to dust!

This is what we call love

Tough Love!

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
power /ˈpaʊər/ A2	noun - the ability to control or influence people or events
marry /ˈmæri/ A2	verb - to become the husband or wife of someone
stature /ˈstætʃər/ C1	noun - a person's importance or reputation gained by ability or achievement
problem /ˈprɒbləm/ A1	noun - a situation that causes difficulty or requires a solution
earn /ɜːrn/ A2	verb - to receive money or respect as the result of work or effort
lazy /ˈleɪzi/ A2	adjective - not willing to work or use energy
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - mentally ill or extremely foolish
price /praɪs/ A2	noun - the amount of money expected or given in payment for something
benevolent /bəˈnɛvələnt/ C1	adjective - well meaning and kind
cruel /ˈkruːəl/ B1	adjective - causing pain or suffering intentionally
perfection /pərˈfɛkʃən/ B2	noun - the state of being completely without fault or defect
ruin /ˈruːɪn/ B2	verb - to destroy or spoil something completely
sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfaɪs/ B2	noun - the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else more important
manipulation /məˌnɪpjʊˈleɪʃən/ C1	noun - controlling or influencing someone cleverly or unfairly
govern /ˈɡʌvən/ B2	verb - to control and make decisions for a country, group, or people
vile /vaɪl/ C1	adjective - extremely unpleasant or morally bad
kingdom /ˈkɪŋdəm/ B1	noun - a country ruled by a king or queen
structure /ˈstrʌktʃər/ B2	noun - the arrangement of parts in something complex
wicked /ˈwɪkɪd/ B2	adjective - morally wrong or very bad

Key Grammar Structures

• Ever since I was a girl my own mother vowed

  ➔ Present Perfect with 'since'

  ➔ The phrase 'Ever since I was a girl' uses the present perfect with 'since' to indicate an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

• I must find the way to power through a noble brow

  ➔ Modal Verb 'must'

  ➔ The use of 'must' indicates necessity or obligation, emphasizing the speaker's determination.

• I knew what I had to do

  ➔ Past Perfect

  ➔ The past perfect 'had to do' refers to an action that was necessary before another past action.

• She was lazy! She was crazy!

  ➔ Simple Past with Adjectives

  ➔ The simple past with adjectives describes a state or quality in the past.

• Maybe you'd call it cruel but others would call it love

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 2)

  ➔ The conditional sentence 'Maybe you'd call it cruel' expresses a hypothetical situation and its possible outcome.

• I could have thrown her out, but I'm benevolent and kind.

  ➔ Past Modal for Hypothesis

  ➔ The past modal 'could have thrown' is used to express a hypothetical action that did not occur.

• There's one on every family tree

  ➔ Present Simple with 'there is'

  ➔ The present simple with 'there is' is used to state a general truth or fact.

• Now they'll do anything you say

  ➔ Future with 'will'

  ➔ The future with 'will' is used to predict or promise an action.

• Is one where we live all alone!

  ➔ Relative Clause

  ➔ The relative clause 'where we live all alone' provides additional information about the noun 'one'.

• Call us 'wicked' and call us 'mean'

  ➔ Direct Speech

  ➔ Direct speech is used to quote exact words spoken by someone, enclosed in quotation marks.