VOA名师答疑2023--Why Do Songs Break Grammar Rules?

Why Do Songs Break Grammar Rules?

Hello! Our question for today on Ask a Teacher comes from a reader in Brazil.

Question:

I have an easy question. Why does Sir Elton John use "don't" and not "doesn't" in the song This Train Don't Stop There Anymore?

Thanks

Luiz, Brazil

Dear Luiz,

That's a great question. As an English teacher, I often hear things in songs that do not follow grammar rules. Sometimes, I believe it is because the songwriter wants to speak in a way that is used by another community. Also, informal, or everyday, language is often not completely grammatical¹.

Songwriting partners

Let's look at some of the words of This Train Don't Stop There Anymore. It appears in a collection of songs called Songs from the West Coast, published in 2001. The songwriter Bernie Taupin co-wrote this and many other songs with Elton John. Taupin wrote the words and John wrote the music. Taupin said he was always interested in "Americana," the culture and history of America, and in country and western music. That helps explain the images and language he put into this song.

In the first part, the singer says he does not believe in miracles² anymore and has lost strong feelings about romantic love. The second part brings in images of an old kind of train:

I used to be the main express

All steam and whistles heading west

Picking up my pain from door to door

Riding on the storyline, furnace³ burning overtime⁴

But this train don't stop

This train don't stop

This train don't stop there anymore

The singer tells us of the strong emotions he once had by comparing them to a fast, or express, train. The high, sharp sound of a train warning people of its approach is called a whistle. Old trains used to be powered by steam engines that let out whistles as they passed through towns.

If we connect these words to the earlier part of the song, we can get a picture in our mind of a lonely, isolated⁵ place. A town where the train no longer stops is usually a quiet place with little activity. We can suppose that town is like the singer's heart.

My understanding of the song is that the singer is saying he no longer wants to be in love because the feeling is too strong. Continuing the image of the train, he sings,

It really means my engine's breaking down

What do you think, Luiz? Would the song be just as good if Elton John sang, "That train doesn't stop there anymore?" Maybe it would not have the quality of informal language Taupin was hoping for.

And that's Ask a Teacher for this week. Do you have a question for the teacher? Write to us at [email protected].

I'm Jill Robbins.

Jill Robbins wrote this lesson for Learning⁶ English.

This Train Don't Stop There Anymore lyrics⁷ © Universal Music Publishing Group

What do you think of songs that break grammar rules? Are there any in your language, too? Write to us in the Comments Section.

1 grammatical   

adj.语法的，符合语法规则的

参考例句：

• His composition is excellent except for some grammatical mistakes.他的作文写得很好，只有几处语法错误。
• He can barely form a grammatical sentence.他几乎造不出合乎语法的句子。

2 miracles   

n.奇迹( miracle的名词复数 )；奇事；令人惊奇的事；非凡的事

参考例句：

• He can do miracles with a few kitchen leftovers. 他能用厨房里几样剩饭做出一顿美餐。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This tonic will work miracles for your depression. 这种补药对治疗你的忧郁症十分有效。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 furnace   

n.熔炉，火炉；锅炉；反应堆

参考例句：

• A blast of hot air came from the furnace.一股热风从火炉里吹出来。
• We had better fire up the furnace.我们最好把炉子生起来。

4 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

5 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

6 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

7 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。