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Well I think it's fine, building jumbo planes 00:30
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train 00:38
Switch on summer from a slot machine 00:45
Yes, get what you want to if you want, 'cause you can get anything 00:53
I know we've come a long way 01:01
We're changing day to day 01:05
But tell me, where do the children play? 01:08
01:16
Well, you roll on roads 01:26
Over fresh green grass 01:30
For your lorry loads 01:34
Pumping petrol gas 01:37
And you make them long 01:41
And you make them tough 01:45
But they just go on and on 01:49
And it seems that you can't get off 01:52
Oh, I know we've come a long way 01:56
We're changing day to day 02:01
But tell me, where do the children play? 02:05
02:12
Well you've cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air 02:44
But will you keep on building higher 02:51
'Til there's no more room up there? 02:54
Will you make us laugh? 02:58
Will you make us cry? 03:02
Will you tell us when to live? 03:06
Will you tell us when to die? 03:09
I know we've come a long way 03:14
We're changing day to day 03:17
But tell me, where do the children play? 03:21
03:28

Where Do The Children Play? – English Lyrics

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By
Yusuf / Cat Stevens
Album
Tea For The Tillerman²
Viewed
2,245,438
Language
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Lyrics & Translation

Discover the timeless environmental message of Yusuf/Cat Stevens' "Where Do The Children Play?" This folk-rock classic encourages listeners to reflect on the impact of technology on our planet and to consider the importance of preserving natural spaces for future generations. Explore the lyrics and uncover the deeper meaning behind this iconic song.

[English]
Well I think it's fine, building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want, 'cause you can get anything
I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
...
Well, you roll on roads
Over fresh green grass
For your lorry loads
Pumping petrol gas
And you make them long
And you make them tough
But they just go on and on
And it seems that you can't get off
Oh, I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
...
Well you've cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher
'Til there's no more room up there?
Will you make us laugh?
Will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live?
Will you tell us when to die?
I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?
...

Key Vocabulary

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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

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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.