When the going gets tough ...

Source: You Tube (The80sJukebox) Key words: Billy Ocean tough

When The Going Gets Tough (Billy Ocean)

When the going gets tough / Cuando el camino se pone difícil,

The tough get going, tough, tough, huh, huh, huh / Los fuertes se ponen en marcha.

When the going gets tough, the tough get ready / Los fuertes se preparan

Yeah, ooooh, du da du da

(When life becomes challenging, strong and determined people rise to the occasion and take action. They don't back down; instead, they prepare themselves to face difficulties head-on.

I got something to tell you / Tengo algo que decirte/contarte

I got something to say / Tengo algo que decir

(The singer wants to share their thoughts and emotions with someone, emphasising that what they have to say is important and heartfelt.)

I'm gonna put this dream in motion / Voy a poner este sueño en movimiento

Never let nothing stand in my way / Nunca dejaré que nada se interponga en mi camino.

(The singer is determined to act on their dreams and goals, refusing to let any obstacles stop them from achieving what they desire.)

When the going gets tough

The tough get going

I'm gonna get myself 'cross the river / Voy a cruzar el río yo mismo

That's the price I'm willing to pay / Ese es el precio que estoy dispuesto a pagar

I'm gonna make you stand and deliver / Voy a hacer que te pares y entregues

And give me love in the old-fashioned way / Y darme amor de la manera tradicional.

Woooh

(The singer is ready to overcome any obstacles, symbolised by crossing a river, to be with the one they love. They want the person to respond with genuine, traditional love and affection.)

Darlin', I'll climb any mountain, / Cariño, escalaré cualquier montaña

Darlin’, I'll do anything / Cariño , haré cualquier cosa

(The singer expresses their willingness to go to any lengths, take on any challenge, and make sacrifices for their beloved.)

Ooh, can I touch you (can I touch you) / Puedo tocarte?

And do the things that lovers do / Y hacer las cosas que hacen los amantes?

Ooh, wanna hold you (wanna hold you) / Quiero abrazarte

I gotta get it through to you, oooh / Debo hacer que lo entiendas

(The singer wants to connect deeply with their partner, both emotionally and physically, and ensure that their feelings of love and desire are clearly understood.)

When the going gets tough

The tough get going

When the going gets rough

The tough get rough

(In difficult situations, resilient people not only face the challenges but adapt to match the intensity of the hardships.)

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Ooooh baby

I'm gonna buy me a one-way ticket / Voy a comprarme un billete de sólo ida

Nothin's gonna hold me back / Nada me detendrá

Your love's like a slow train coming (slow train coming) / Tu amor es como un tren lento que viene 

And I feel it coming down the track / Y siento que está llegando por la vía

(The singer is so determined to pursue love that they’ll take a one-way trip with no intention of turning back. They compare their lover’s affection to a slow train, gradually approaching and becoming more powerful.)

Darlin', I'll climb any mountain

Darlin', I'll do anything

Ooh (ooh) can I touch you (can I touch you)

And do the things that lovers do

Ooh, (ooh) wanna hold you (wanna hold you)

I gotta get it through to you (ooh)

'Cos when the going gets tough

The tough get going

When the going gets rough,

The tough get rough

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Wooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Darlin', I'll climb any mountain

Darlin', I'll swim any sea / Cariño, nadaré cualquier mar

Darlin', I'll reach for the heavens / Cariño, alcanzaré el cielo

Darlin', with you lovin' me / Cariño, contigo amándome

Oooh (oooh)

(The singer reiterates their willingness to do anything for love, from climbing mountains to swimming across oceans. They feel they can achieve greatness and reach heavenly joy with their partner’s love supporting them.)

Oooh, can I touch you (can I touch you)

And do the things that lovers do (can I touch you)

Oooh, wanna hold you (wanna hold you)

I gotta get it through to you

When the going gets tough

Going gets tough

Going gets rough

Going gets rough

(Overall Theme: The song is about perseverance, passion, and love. It portrays an unyielding spirit to overcome challenges for the sake of achieving dreams and being with a loved one. The lyrics emphasise action, courage, and the depth of commitment to love and life.)

Vocabulary / Grammar Notes

I found the course tough going. (difficult to do and complete)

The slopes were harder going than I expected but I still finished the race. (created difficulties for me)

I like the film but the book was heavy going. (difficult to read or understand)

get going - start moving or taking action

e.g. Look at the time - it's late. We'd better get going. (start to leave)

e.g. I'll get going with cleaning the bathroom if you make a start on the kitchen

get + adjective - to become (ponerse, volverse)

e.g. Go and get ready. Don't take too long. We need to leave by 10.

e.g. It is getting cold. Turn on the heating.

e.g. I get really annoyed when people do that.

e.g. It's 8 - 0 now. This is getting embarrassing.

I got something to tell you. (informal and conversational, more common in US English)

I have something to tell you. (standard US and UK English)

I've got something to tell you. (informal, UK English)

See the previous blog post Say or Tell?

Never let nothing stand in my way 😡 - this is bad grammar. We don't do double negatives in correctly used English. We should say - I never let anything stand in my way. 😍

No encuentro ningún error. - I can't find no mistakes. 😡   I can't find any mistakes. 😍 

No he visto a nadie. - I haven't seen nobody. 😡   I haven't seen anybody. 😍

No fui a ninguna parte - I didn't go nowhere. 😡   I didn't go anywhere. 😍

Other informal / incorrect expressions:

I'm gonna 😡    I'm going to 😍

I wanna 😡   I want to 😍

I gotta 😡   I have to / I've got to 😍

I'm gonna buy me a one-way ticket. 😡   I'm going to buy a one-way ticket. 😍 

Nothin'  😡   Nothing 😍

Darlin' 😡   Darling 😍

lovin' 😡   loving 😍

'cos 😡   because 😍

Tough v Rough

Tough:

Refers to strength, durability, difficulty, or resilience. It can describe a person, object, or situation that is hard to deal with or endure.

Rough:

Refers to unevenness, harshness, or something lacking smoothness (literal or figurative). It can describe textures, conditions, or behaviour.