MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH
Dancing in the minefields (Andrew Peterson)
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3:29
Video page URL
https://multimedia-english.com/videos/music/dancing-in-the-minefields-andrew-peterson-2966
Description

A song about true love, the one that is forever.

Transcript

Well, I was 19 you were 21 the year we got engaged
And everyone said we were much too young, but we did it anyway
We got the rings for 40 each from a pawn shop down the road
And we said our vows and took the leap now 15 years ago

And we went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storms
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for

Well “I Do” are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another, I’ve heard, is a good place to begin
'Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down
And I believe it’s an easy price for the life that we have found

And we’re dancing in the minefields
We’re sailing in the storms
And this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
That’s what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
And when I loose love’s chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, to the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there’s nothing left to fear
So I’ll walk with you in the shadow-lands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause He promised not to leave us
And His promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos
Baby, I can dance with you

So, let’s go dancing in the minefields
Let’s go sailing in the storms
Let’s go dancing in the minefields
And kicking down the doors

Let’s go dancing in the minefields
And sailing in the storms
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
That’s what the promise is for

Explanations

ENGAGED= When a man and a woman get engaged, they are deciding to get married some day.

MUCH TOO YOUNG= We can emphasize TOO by putting MUCH before.

ANYWAY= Nevertheless.

FOR 40 EACH= We paid 40 dollars for each ring.

PAWN SHOP= A place where you can take something valuable if you need the money. They keep it for some time, and if by the end of that time you don't come back to re-buy it, they'll sell it away, so you can find cheap second-hand things there to buy from people who couldn't recover them.

WE SAID OUR VOWS= /vaʊz/ We got married. A vow is a promise.

TOOK THE LEAP= (to leap is to jump) To take the leap is to make an important change in your life.

MINEFIELDS= An area with lots of hidden mines underground. A mine is a kind of bomb that you bury underground and if someone steps on it, it explodes. So a minefield is used also as a metaphor for a risky or dangerous situation.

I DO= This is what you answer when you want to get married and the priest asks you: " XX do you take YY to be your lawfully wedded husband/wife?". If both say "yes, I do", they become married.

CAUSE= (coll.) Because.

BIND= Tie.

WE BEAR= We have inside, we hold, we have.

THE SON OF MAN= Jesus.

TO FEAR= To be afraid.

CAUSE HE PROMISED NOT TO LEAVE US= A reference to what Jesus said before going back to heaven: "Lo, I'm with you always. I'll never leave you, never forsake you. I'm with you to the end of the world".

CHAOS= /kəs/ A condition of great disorder or confusion.

KICKING DOWN THE DOORS= If you kick down a door you break it open by hitting it with your foot. This is a metaphor for creating new possibilities or resolving seemingly impossible situations by using all your strength.

Meaning

This is the story of true love sealed with a sacred promise. Times are not always easy, sometimes they're hard, but if you stick to your promise when times get tough you simply work harder to solve the problems and fight for your relationship, because breaking up is not an option.


Andrew Peterson wrote this song after a quarrel he had with his wife on their 15th anniversary.


You can listen to him telling the story behind the song here:


The story behind the song


There you'll find several videos of him, one of them is the story, the others are just the music video.