This song is a bit old but I like it. I suppose it is good to learn some vocabulary about laws.

Last night I was dreaming I was locked in a prison cell
When I woke up I was screaming calling out your name.
And the judge and the jury they all put the blame on me

They wouldn't go for my story
they wouldn't hear my plea.

Only you can set me free
'Cause I'm guilty
Guilty as a girl can be.
Come on baby can't you see
I stand accused of love in the first degree.
Guilty of love in the first degree.

Someday, I believe it, you will come to my rescue
Unchain my heart you're keeping and let me start anew.
The hours pass so slowly since they've thrown away the key

Can't you see that I'm lonely?
won't you help me, please?

Only you can set me free
'Cause I'm guilty
Guilty as a girl can be.
Come on baby can't you see
I stand accused of love in the first degree.
Guilty of love in the first degree.

Guilty of love in the first degree.
Cuilty - of love - guilty of love in...
Guilty - of love - guilty of love in...
Guilty - of love in the first degree.

And the judge and the jury
They all put the blame on me
They wouldn't go for my story
they wouldn't hear my plea.

Only you can set me free
'Cause I'm guilty
Guilty as a girl can be.
Come on baby can't you see
I stand accused of love in the first degree.

Only you can set me free
'Cause I'm guilty
Guilty as a girl can be.
Come on baby can't you see
I stand accused of love in the first degree.

Only you can set me free
'Cause I'm guilty
Guilty as a girl can be.
Come on baby can't you see...

We worked with this song in class to learn legal vocabulary, so I’m going to copy some of the explanations my teacher gave us.


LOCKED= Closed with a key.

PRISON CELL= A small room in a prison where prisoners are locked.

JUGDE= A public official who hears and decides cases brought before a court of law. The jugde is the person who decides what penalty a criminal should have. In some cases the jugde also decides if a person is guilty or not, in other cases a jury decides if they are guilty and the judge decides on the penalty.

JURY= A group of persons sworn to judge and give a verdict on a given matter, especially a group of persons summoned by law and sworn to hear and hand down a verdict upon a case presented in court. (Yes, I also thought “but the plural of person is people!”. My teacher explained that the plural “persons” is used as a legal term).

BLAME= Fault. Culpability. If you blame somebody or put the blame on somebody, you say that they are guilty.

THEY WOULDN’T GO FOR MY STORY= They refused to believe my story

PLEA= The answer of the accused to a criminal charge or indictment.

SET ME FREE= Liberate me.

GUILTY= Responsible for a reprehensible act; culpable. A guilty person is someone who has broken the law.

GUILTY AS A GIRL CAN BE= I still don’t understand this very well but my teacher says this means: very very guilty. But when it is a boy I suppose you have to say “guilty as a boy can be”. If it is a cow you have to say “guilty as a cow can be”. Etc.

I STAND ACCUSED= If someone stands accused of  something, they have been accused of it.

ACCUSED OF LOVE IN THE FIRST DEGREE= This is a copy of the expression of “murder in the first degree”, which is the worst kind of murder and gets the biggest penalty. It is when you do it intentionally, coldly and prepare it in advance.

RESCUE= To set free, as from danger or imprisonment. The stress is on the first syllable but in this song they pronounce it with the stress at the end (to fit the music).

UNCHAIN= Remove the chains.

START ANEW= Start again, like a new beginning.