When Will My Life Begin? – English Lyrics

• By: Mandy Moore
• Album: Tangled

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a grand adventure, much like the one Rapunzel dreams of in "When Will My Life Begin?". This song is a fantastic tool for English learners, as it's filled with everyday vocabulary related to chores, hobbies, and feelings. The fast-paced lyrics can help you practice your listening skills and pronunciation, while the heartfelt story of wanting something more is a universal feeling that connects us all. Let Rapunzel's journey of discovery inspire your own language learning journey!

[English]

7:00 a.m., the usual morning lineup

Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean

Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up

Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15

And so I'll read a book

Or maybe two or three

I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery

I'll play guitar and knit

And cook and basically

Just wonder when will my life begin?

...

Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking

Papier-mâché, a bit of ballet and chess

Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making

Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb

Sew a dress

And I'll re-read the books

If I have time to spare

I'll paint the walls some more

I'm sure there's room somewhere

And then I'll brush and brush

And brush and brush my hair

Stuck in the same place I've always been

And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'

And wonderin' and wonderin'

When will my life begin?

And tomorrow night

Lights will appear

Just like they do on my birthday each year

What is it like

Out there where they glow?

Now that I'm older

Mother might just

Let me go

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
clean /kliːn/ A1	adjective - free from dirt, marks, or stains verb - to make free from dirt, marks, or stains
polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ B1	verb - to make the surface of something smooth and shiny by rubbing it
read /riːd/ A1	verb - to look at and understand the meaning of written or printed matter
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose
cook /kʊk/ A1	verb - to prepare food by heating it
wonder /ˈwʌndər/ B1	verb - to be curious or in doubt about something
begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ A2	verb - to start; to initiate
lunch /lʌntʃ/ A1	noun - a meal eaten in the middle of the day, typically one that is lighter or less formal than an evening meal.
bake /beɪk/ A2	verb - to cook (food) by dry heat without direct exposure to a flame, typically in an oven.
paint /peɪnt/ A1	verb - to apply paint, color, or coating to (a surface).
stretch /stretʃ/ B1	verb - to extend one's limbs or body, or to extend something elastic from its original size
sketch /sketʃ/ B1	verb - make a rough drawing representing something
sew /soʊ/ A2	verb - join, fasten, or repair (something) by making stitches with a needle and thread or a sewing machine.
brush /brʌʃ/ A1	verb - to clean or tidy (something) with a brush.
glow /ɡloʊ/ B1	verb - to give out a steady light without flame

Key Grammar Structures

• Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean

  ➔ Temporal clause with "'til/until"

  ➔ The phrase "'til the floor's all clean" indicates an action (sweeping) continues up to a specific point in time (when the floor is clean). It's a shortened, informal version of "until".

• Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15

  ➔ Time marker: "by then"

  ➔ "By then" means at or before that particular time. It indicates that the subsequent event (it being 7:15) occurs before or at that point following the previous sweep.

• Just wonder when will my life begin?

  ➔ Embedded question with subject-verb inversion *after* "when"

  ➔ This line demonstrates an embedded question. Normally, an indirect question would be "when my life will begin". However, the form used here, "when will my life begin?", emphasizes the sense of uncertainty and longing. Though grammatically unusual, the artistic use makes it work

• Stuck in the same place I've always been

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous aspect implied: "I have always been"

  ➔ The line implies a continuous state from the past until the present. Although it doesn't explicitly state "I have been", the word "always" in conjunction with "been" suggests this ongoing situation. It indicates a feeling of being stuck for a prolonged period.

• Mother might just let me go

  ➔ Modal verb "might" expressing possibility

  ➔ "Might" indicates a possibility, but it is less certain than "may" or "will". Here, it suggests that the speaker is hopeful but not entirely sure that her mother will allow her to leave.