A lot of pop songs love to break grammar rules, and that's what makes them so relatable. These grammar slip-ups often lead to catchy phrases and lyrics that help listeners connect with the music. By playing around with language, songwriters can create tunes that are fun to listen to.
Songwriting is a cool and creative art form that often prioritizes feelings, tunes, and catchy rhythms over strict grammar rules. We usually find it in pop music, where artists mess around with grammar. These choices make the lyrics more relatable and fun, connecting the listeners with the songs. This page will take a closer look into some grammar mistakes found in five popular pop songs. Let's take a fun look and see what makes them special!
1. Justin Bieber - "Love Yourself"
My mama don't like you and she likes everyone
The lyric, "My mama don't like you," has a subject-verb disagreement. If the subject is singular, then the verb must be too. A singular subject always comes with 's' or 'es'. The subject here is "mama," which is singular. So, the verb "don't" should be "doesn't." To keep it correct, the line should be "My mama doesn't like you," even the word "don't" sounds better in the song's rhythm.
2. Justin Bieber - "Boyfriend"
If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go
The song said, "If I was your boyfriend." This is an example of subjunctive mood which is used to express a suggestion, wish, or hypothetical situation. The structure should be If + Subject + Were. But, the lyric uses indicative mood "was" instead of the subjunctive mood "were." Grammatically, it should be "If I were your boyfriend."
3. Bebe Rexha featuring Lil Wayne - "The Way I Are (Dance with Somebody)"