Turn Back the Hands of Time – English Lyrics

• By: Bruce Springsteen
• Album: Only The Strong Survive

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Oh darling

I'm so lonely without you

I can't sleep at night

just thinking about you

But if I had the chance to start all over

I'd be wishing today on a four leaf clover

And leaving would be last thing on my mind

If I could turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

If I could turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

Darling,

I can't hold out much longer

Oh, the pain's so deep,

and the hurt's getting stronger

But if I had just one more try

I'd be yours alone until the day that I die

And we'd have a love so divine

If I could turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

If I could turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

Alright

Come on

Huh

Wee-hoo

Oh darling,

please, please, let me come back home

Your love's been so good to me, baby

And I've realized without it, I can't go on

Because you're the other half that makes my life complete

If I had one more chance, we'd have a love so sweet

And leaving would be the last thing on my mind

Leaving would be the last thing on my mind

I said, leaving would be the last thing on my mind

If I could turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

Huh

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

If I could turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

(If I could turn back the hands of time)

if I could just have another chance, darling

(If I could turn back the hands of time)

just give me one more chance

(If I could turn back the hands of time)

I wanna turn back the hands of time

(if I could turn back the hands of time)

(If I could turn back the hands of time)

I'm gonna turn back the hands of time

Key Grammar Structures

• If I could turn back the hands of time

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ The phrase uses the structure 'If + past simple, would + base verb' to express an unreal or hypothetical situation in the present or future.

• I'd be wishing today on a four leaf clover

  ➔ Contraction and Future in the Past

  ➔ The contraction 'I'd' stands for 'I would', and 'be wishing' indicates a future action in the past context.

• I can't hold out much longer

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future

  ➔ The present continuous 'can't hold out' is used to express a future action that is certain or planned.

• If I had just one more try

  ➔ Third Conditional

  ➔ The structure 'If + past perfect, would + have + past participle' is used to express a hypothetical situation in the past.

• Leaving would be the last thing on my mind

  ➔ Inversion with 'would'

  ➔ The sentence uses inversion for emphasis, placing the subject 'leaving' after the auxiliary verb 'would'.