The Trolley Song – English Lyrics

• By: Judy Garland

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a delightful linguistic journey with Judy Garland's iconic 'The Trolley Song.' This beloved classic, known for its cheerful melody and vivid storytelling, offers a wonderful opportunity to learn English through its engaging narrative and playful onomatopoeia. Discover how simple sounds can bring a story to life and convey the universal excitement of new romance, making language learning an enchanting experience.

[English]

With my high-starched collar and my high-top shoes,

And my hair piled high upon my head,

I went to lose a jolly hour on the trolley and lost my heart instead.

With his light brown derby and his bright green tie,

He was quite the handsomest of men,

I started to yen so I counted to ten

Then I counted to ten again.

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley,

Ding, ding, ding went the bell,

Zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings,

From the moment I saw him I fell.

Chug, chug, chug went the motor,

Bump, bump, bump went the break,

Thump, thump, thump went my heartstrings,

When he smiled I could feel the car shake.

He tipped his hat and took a seat,

He said he hoped he hadn't stepped upon my feet.

He asked my name, I held my breath,

I couldn't speak because he scared me half to death.

Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer,

Flop, flop, flop went the wheels,

Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings,

As he started to go then I started to know

How it feels,

When the universe reels.

The day was bright, the air was sweet,

The smell of honeysuckle charmed you off your feet,

You tried to sing but couldn't sqeak,

In fact you loved him so you couldn't even speak.

Buzz, buzz, buzz went the buzzer,

Flop, flop, flop went the wheels,

Stop, stop, stop went my heartstrings,

As he started to leave,

I took hold of his sleeve with my hand,

And as if it were planned.

He stayed on with me

And it was grand just to stand

With his hand holding mine

To the end of the line.

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
trolley /ˈtrɒli/ A2	noun - a vehicle that runs on tracks and is used for public transport
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ in your chest that sends the blood around your body noun - the center of emotion or feeling
bright /braɪt/ B2	adjective - giving off a lot of light adjective - intelligent or clever
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - to make a happy or friendly expression by turning up the corners of your mouth noun - a happy or friendly expression on someone's face
count /kaʊnt/ A1	verb - to say numbers in the correct order
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or physical sensation
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the part of the body at the end of the arm
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having a pleasant taste like sugar
line /laɪn/ A1	noun - a long, thin mark or band
grand /ɡrænd/ B1	adjective - magnificent and imposing in appearance, size, or style
buzzer /ˈbʌzər/ B2	noun - a device that makes a buzzing sound, often used to signal or alert

Key Grammar Structures

• He asked my name, I held my breath

  ➔ Past Simple tense with 'asked' and 'held'

  ➔ Shows an action completed in the past

• From the moment I saw him I fell.

  ➔ Prepositional phrase 'From the moment' + Simple past 'saw', then past tense 'fell'

  ➔ Describes action starting at a specific point in time and continuing

• And my hair piled high upon my head

  ➔ Adjective phrase with past participle 'piled' describing the hair

  ➔ Uses a past participle 'piled' to describe the stacked or arranged hair

• He tipped his hat and took a seat

  ➔ Simple past tense with coordinate clauses connected by 'and'

  ➔ Indicates sequential actions in the past

• When he smiled I could feel the car shake.

  ➔ Conditional clause 'When he smiled' + past tense 'could feel' to express ability or possibility

  ➔ Uses a conditional clause to specify when the feeling occurs

• As he started to go then I started to know

  ➔ Infinitive phrase 'to go' and 'to know' with 'started' indicating beginning of actions

  ➔ Expresses the beginning of an action or realization

• And it was grand just to stand with his hand holding mine

  ➔ Infinitive 'to stand' as a noun phrase following 'just' for emphasis

  ➔ Uses an infinitive as a noun phrase to emphasize the action