Lyrics Madonna «This used to be my playground» + explanations

In English grammar there is a certain expression with which we talk about regular, repetitive actions that have taken place in the past. Therefore, if you need to pass just such information, use it safely. This expression — used to. For more details we spoke about it in his article «The expressions used to, and used to doing something in the English language.» I suggest you work with used to, which is used in the following English-language material, namely, in the lyrics of Madonna «This used to be my playground». This statement sounds even in the title of the composition.

Madonna «This used to be my playground»

This used to be my playground
This used to be my childhood dream
This used to be the place I ran to
Whenever I was in need
Of a friend
Why did it have to end
And why do they always say

Do not look back
Keep your head held high
Do not ask them why
Because life is short
And before you know
You’re feeling old
And your heart is breaking
Do not hold on to the past
Well that’s too much to ask

Live and learn
Well the years they flew
And we never knew
We were foolish then
We would never tire
And that little fire
Is still alive in me
It will never go away
Can not say goodbye to yesterday

No regrets
But I wish that you
Were here with me
Well then there’s hope yet
I can see your face
In our secret place
You’re not just a memory
Say goodbye to yesterday
Those are words I’ll never say

This used to be my playground
This used to be our pride and joy
This used to be the place we ran to
That no one in the world could dare destroy

This used to be our playground
This used to be our childhood dream
This used to be the place we ran to
I wish you were standing here with me

This used to be our playground
This used to be our great escape
This used to be the place we ran to
This used to be our secret hiding place

This used to be our playground
This used to be our childhood dream
This used to be the place we ran to
The best things in life are always free
Wishing you were here with me

This song was written for the movie «League of Their Own,» which played Madonna herself in the company of Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. Movie was released in 1992. Composition «This used to be my playground» has become quite popular in those years. But Madonna for all time in his career never fulfilled her for a concert or on television.

Unfamiliar words and expressions

Before we begin the discussion of grammatical points presented in the text of the song, we need to study its lexical composition. Here are some words from the translation:

• playground — playground, playground; Sports field.
• childhood dream — a childhood dream;
• in need (to be in need) — need anything;
• to look back — to recall the past, look;
• to hold on — hold on to anything, continue to do something;
• foolish — foolish, ridiculous, foolish;
• to tire — weary, tired;
• alive — alive, energetic;
• regret — regret, apology, remorse;
• memory — memory;
• pride — pride;
• joy — joy, luck;
• to dare — dare to do something;
• to destroy — destroy, destroy;
• escape — escape, escape, escape from reality;
• hiding place — a hiding place, a refuge, a shelter.

Grammar

This song is the best suited for the practice of the expression used to English. That is an expression of how to use it properly and how to translate into Russian, you can read in the article of the same name, the address given above. That will have some sense present in the song of the offer:

• This used to be my playground … — Once upon a time it was my playground …
• This used to be my childhood dream … — Once upon a time it was my childhood dream …
• This used to be the place I ran to … — Once upon a time this was the place where I was running …
• This used to be my pride and joy … — Once upon a time it was our pride and joy …
• This used to be our great escape … — Once upon a time it was our great salvation …
• This used to be our secret place … — Once upon a time it was our secret place …

In the text of this song can be seen as conditional sentences with the verb wish, with the help of which we regret, frustration or sadness. Offers I wish to have certain characteristics, and use of the Russian translation, which you can read in the article «Suggestions to I wish». In our examples in subordinate clauses after I wish to use the time Past Simple and Past Continuous. This means that we are talking about actions and events of the present time that we are going to reflect in the translation of the proposals.

• But I wish that you were here with me … — Too bad you’re not here with me …
• I wish you were standing here with me … — It is a pity that you do not stand here beside me …

Offers — Do not look back; Do not ask them why; Do not hold on to the past; Keep your head high; Live and learn; — Are examples of the use of the imperative mood in English. To his form, we take simple infinitive verb, if necessary approval (Look! — Look !, Open the door. — Open the door), and the infinitive in conjunction with the auxiliary verb do not, if you need the denial (as in the examples of songs ).

Look at the following sentence: That no one in the world could dare destroy. It is a translation: … (place), which nobody in the world could dare destroy. Dare verb has the meaning «to dare, to dare to do something.» But its peculiarity is that it can be not only a simple semantic verb, and the verb modal. About modal dare you can read in the article «The modal verb DARE».

It is time to consolidate learning grammatical and lexical material with a small test. Select the correct version of each sentence.

 

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Proceedings