Sweet child o'mine

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:38 pm

(1)...And if I'd stay too long I'd probably break down and cry.

That passage is from Guns and Roses' Sweet child o'mine. Now, I am aware of the discussion on the use of 'if', conditionals and the like, so how could I figuire this out? Could I roughly transform it to '...and if I stayed...' for my pupil's sake? Or should I go into a rather 'dangerous' spiral of explaning that the conditionals are not only what they are taught?

You comments will be most appreciated (as usual!)

José Roberto

EH · Post by EH » Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:10 pm

Is that really the lyric? I always thought it was "if I stayed too long" rather than "if I'd stay too long". You're right that the latter is hard to make sense of.

-EH

JuanTwoThree · Post by **JuanTwoThree** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:11 pm

I'm afraid it's

She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that
special place
And if I stared too long
I'd probably break down and cry

confirmed by numerous lyrics sites.

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:52 pm

Sorry

If I'd stare or if I stared (and not stay)

That was a typo.

I got it in one lyric site, so it might be wrong, but I listened to it this morning and it seemed to me he says 'if I'd stare', I have it on tape, if I get it on CD I can slow down and try to get the passage.

And how reliable are those sites anyway? Just because 'If I stared' is found in numerous sites, do we have to draw the conclusion they are indeed right?

José

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:08 pm

I'm not sure any lyrics site is 100% reliable. I suppose you'd have to get the lyrics from the card in the CD box, but typos can occur anywhere so if you want 100% certainty, don't hold your breath.

In fact, can you be sure that what you hear wasn't a slip of the tongue in the recording studio?

Metamorfose · Post by **Metamorfose** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:00 pm

In fact, can you be sure that what you hear wasn't a slip of the tongue in the recording studio?

I took this for granted! Good thinking lolwhites!

José

JuanTwoThree · Post by **JuanTwoThree** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 5:25 pm

Listening again, I can't say that it isn't "I'd stare too long" , or even "I'd stared". The d of stared , if there is one, is completely indetectable before the "too". Hard to say if there's an "I'd" or not.

I expect I'm more influenced by what I feel it should be, that's to say "stared", than by the nasal and indistinct vocal style.

By the way there's a little used technical term for a really misheard lyric, along the lines of "Excuse me while I kiss this guy" heard for "kiss the sky" or "bring back some some excrement" instead of "extra men" from that great classic "Billy, don't be a hero" .

A gold star for pedantry if you know the word.