We are the world
There comes a time
When we heed a certain call,
When linguists must come together as one.
There are people speaking,
They bind and c-command;
It's grammar, the greatest gift of all.
We can't go on
Pretending day by day
That we know our language works in the brain.
We are all a part of
God's linguist family,
And the truth, you know, grammar's all we need.
We are the world,
We are the linguists,
We are the ones who make a brighter day
By making theories.
There's a choice we're making
By forming hypotheses
And we'll describe a language
Just you and me.
Send them a research group
So they'll know that someone cares
And their data will be thoroughly explored.
God has shown us
By turning stone to bread
That even a linguist must be fed.
We are the world,
We are the linguists,
We are the ones who make a brighter day
By making theories.
There's a choice we're making
By forming hypotheses
And we'll describe a language
Just you and me.
When you're criticized
There seems no hope at all,
But if you just believe
There's a usage-based approach.
Well, well, well, well, let us realize
That debates will always come
Even though we stand together as one.
We are the world,
We are the linguists,
We are the ones who make a brighter day
By making theories.
There's a choice we're making
By forming hypotheses
And we'll describe a language
Just you and me.
***
(hint: one of the singers sings on someone else's voice... guess who it can be
:))