Days of Wine and Roses – English Lyrics

• By: Frank Sinatra

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a captivating journey, and Frank Sinatra's 'Days of Wine and Roses' is a perfect place to start. The song's clear and emotive lyrics, delivered with Sinatra's impeccable diction, make it easy to follow along and appreciate the nuances of the English language. Its rich vocabulary and poetic imagery offer a glimpse into the art of storytelling through song, making it a special and rewarding learning experience.

[English]

The days of wine and roses

Laugh and run away like a child at play

Through a meadowland toward a closing door

A door marked "Nevermore", that wasn't there before

The lonely night discloses

Just a passing breeze filled with memories

Of the golden smile that introduced me to

The days of wine and roses and you

...

The days of wine and roses

...

The lonely the night discloses

Just a passing breeze filled with memories

Of the golden that introduced me to

The days of wine and roses and you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wine /waɪn/ A1	noun - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes
roses /ˈroʊzɪz/ A1	noun - plural of rose: a flower with a thorny stem and fragrant petals
laugh /læf/ A1	verb - to make sounds with your voice that show you are happy or think something is funny
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or full physical development
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.
meadowland /ˈmedoʊlænd/ B2	noun - land consisting of meadows
closing /ˈkloʊzɪŋ/ B1	adjective - coming to an end; final
door /dɔːr/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ B1	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
discloses /dɪˈskloʊzɪz/ C1	verb - to make (secret or new information) known
passing /ˈpæsɪŋ/ B1	adjective - going past or by
breeze /briːz/ B1	noun - a gentle wind
memories /ˈmeməriz/ B1	noun - something remembered from the past; a recollection
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ B1	adjective - of or like gold
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression characterized by an upward curving of the corners of the mouth

Key Grammar Structures

• The days of wine and roses

  ➔ Possessive noun phrase

  ➔ Shows ownership or association of 'the days' with 'wine and roses'.

• Laugh and run away like a child at play

  ➔ Simile (like a child at play)

  ➔ Uses 'like' to compare the act of laughing and running away to a child's playful behavior.

• Through a meadowland toward a closing door

  ➔ Prepositional phrase of direction and movement

  ➔ Indicates movement through a place (meadowland) towards a specific point (closing door).

• The lonely night discloses

  ➔ Subject + verb (present tense)

  ➔ Expresses that 'the lonely night' is performing the action of revealing or showing.

• Just a passing breeze filled with memories

  ➔ Noun phrase with descriptive modifier

  ➔ Describes a wind ('breeze') that is temporary ('passing') and carries ('filled with') memories.

• Of the golden smile that introduced me to

  ➔ Relative clause modifying 'smile'

  ➔ A relative clause providing more information about 'smile' that introduced the speaker to someone or something.

• The days of wine and roses and you

  ➔ Coordination of multiple nouns/phrases

  ➔ Lists or groups together 'the days of wine and roses' with 'you', emphasizing their importance or connection.