As we know, most songs are stories. Hence, the majority deal with events that happened in the past. When discussing regrets or how we wish things had turned out in the past in English, we usually need to utilise the 3rd conditional.
Listen for some examples in these songs:
Grace Jones – Everybody Hold Still
Let’s start with the iconic Grace Jones. Check out the 1st lines of this song:
I knew I shouldn’t have left the apartment
I knew I should’ve stayed in watching TV
And later on we find an even better example:
I could’ve left all my cash and taken a credit card
I should’ve said, “Don’t wear no jewelery you’re looking fine”
If I’d ran back for the phone…
Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Who doesn’t love Adele? I bet you can’t find a single person who doesn’t start tapping their feet when this song comes on… and guess what? There are some great examples of the 3rd conditonal!
We could’ve had it all
We could’ve had it all (tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)
Adele – If It Hadn’t Been For Love
Yeah it’s more Adele, but just look at that song title – a perfect 3rd conditonal example! And the song is absolutely stuffed with them. Adele’s trying to sound as American as she can here, hence her use of “woulda” instead of “would have”.
Never woulda hitch hiked to Birmingham
If it hadn’t been for love
Never woulda caught the train to Louisiana
If it hadn’t been for love
Check out another of our Adele articles if you’re fan of her music! https://scrambledeggsinglese.it/adele-teaches-phrasal-verbs/
Taylor Swift – Should’ve Said No
Another real heavyweight of modern music, Taylor ended her argument with Spotify back in 2017 and we’ve been listening ever since. Third conditional in the title? Check. Third conditional examples in the song lyrics? Check. Sit back, listen and enjoy:
You should’ve said, “No”
You should’ve gone home
You should’ve thought twice before you let it all go
You should’ve known that word, about what you did with her, would get back to me
The Hollies – Why Didn’t You Believe
Taking a step back in time, here’s an example from British pop/rock group the Hollies who were incredibly famous in the 60s and 70s.
He asked for you to love one another
You turned your back and played on with your games
If you had listened, you would have discovered
The Bible would have told a different story
Journey – It Could Have Been You
Formed in San Francisco in 1973, Journey are best know for their smash hit song ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’. However, there’s so much more to the band than just that one hit. This one’s a classic, and pretty useful for our English grammar purposes too!
I…can’t wait all my life, on a street of broken dreams
It could have been you my love (where are you now)
Oh I…still wonder if you remember the night
It could have been you (where are you now)
Should have been you my love (where are you now)
It could have been you my love, (where are you now)
Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
If someone tells you they don’t know this song, then either they’re deaf or a liar. It’s listed on both Rolling Stone magazine’s “the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” and Billboard magazine’s “All-Time Hot 100”. While it involves only one example of a third conditional, this song’s just too good to be exclused from our list:
I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key
If I’d known for just one second you’d be back to bother me
So there you are! Proof that music is good for languages as well as for the soul. If you want more examples of how you can use music to help you with conditionals, check out these other pages from your Scrambled Eggs team:
