Where Do The Children Play? – English Lyrics

• By: Yusuf / Cat Stevens
• Album: Tea For The Tillerman²

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation noun - activity done for enjoyment and recreation
building /ˈbɪldɪŋ/ A2	noun - a structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or factory verb - to construct
planes /pleɪnz/ A1	noun - an airplane
ride /raɪd/ A2	verb - to sit on and control the movement of (an animal or vehicle) noun - a journey on an animal or vehicle
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A2	noun - an apparatus using mechanical power and having parts each with a definite function
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to have a desire to possess or do (something); wish for.
changing /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/ A1	verb - to make or become different
roads /roʊdz/ A1	noun - a way or course for traveling from one place to another, especially one made or used by traffic
grass /ɡræs/ A1	noun - vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long, narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop
loads /loʊdz/ B1	noun - a thing or quantity of things carried
petrol /ˈpetrəl/ B1	noun - gasoline
tough /tʌf/ B1	adjective - strong enough to withstand adverse conditions or rough handling
cracked /krækt/ B2	verb - to break or cause to break without a complete separation of parts
skyscrapers /ˈskaɪˌskreɪpərz/ B1	noun - a very tall building of many stories
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - space that can be occupied
laugh /læf/ A2	verb - make sounds and movements of the face and body showing amusement or happiness
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow
die /daɪ/ A2	verb - stop living

Key Grammar Structures

• Or taking a ride on a cosmic train

  ➔ Gerund (verb + ing) as a noun

  ➔ The phrase uses a **gerund** to function as the subject of the clause.

• Will you keep on building higher

  ➔ Use of 'will' for future intention and 'keep on' for continuous action

  ➔ The phrase **will** indicates a future action or intention, while **keep on** emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action.

• Changing day to day

  ➔ Present participle used to describe ongoing change or process

  ➔ The phrase **Changing** is a present participle indicating an ongoing process of transformation.

• Will you tell us when to live?

  ➔ Use of 'will' to form questions about future intentions or directives

  ➔ The question uses **will** to inquire about future guidance or instructions concerning **when to live**.

• We're changing day to day

  ➔ Present continuous tense to describe ongoing, habitual change

  ➔ The phrase **We're changing** uses the present continuous tense to indicate an ongoing process of change happening regularly.

• Yes, get what you want to if you want

  ➔ Inversion in conditional clauses and use of second conditional structure

  ➔ The phrase emphasizes the idea of **getting what you want** if the condition of **wanting** is fulfilled, often implying a hypothetical or conditional situation.