IF clauses IN SONGS

If I was a rich girl (na, na)
See, I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl
No man could test me, impress me, my cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in the world, if I was a wealthy girl

If you were there, you’d know

If you were there, you’d know

That I care

If you're a cowboy I would trail you,
If you're a piece of wood I'd nail you to the floor.
If you're a sailboat I would sail you to the shore.
If you're a river I would swim you,
If you're a house I would live in you all my days.
If you're a preacher I'd begin to change my ways.

Sometimes I believe in fate,
But the chances we create,
Always seem to ring more true.
You took a chance on loving me,
I took a chance on loving you.

If I was in jail I know you'd spring me
If I was a telephone you'd ring me all day long
If was in pain I know you'd sing me soothing songs.

Sometimes I believe in fate,
But the chances we create,
Always seem to ring more true.
You took a chance on loving me,
I took a chance on loving you.

If I was hungry you would feed me
If I was in darkness you would lead me to the light
If I was a book I know you'd read me every night

If you're a cowboy I would trail you,
If you're a piece of wood I'd nail you to the floor.
If you're a sailboat I would sail you to the shore.
If you're a sailboat I would sail you to the shore

If you were mine
I could be a ruler of kings
And if you were mine
I could do such wonderful things

I'd say to a star
Stop where you are
Light up my lover's way
And every star above you
Would obey, say
If you were mine

I would live for your love alone
To kneel at your shrine
I would give up all that I own
Yes even my heart
Even my life

I'd trade it all for you
And think I was lucky too
If you were mine

If I WAS / If I WERE... how to choose?

   case 1      HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION   



If I was rich, I would buy a new house.       ✔
INFORMAL  (OK, but grammatically wrong) 

If I were rich, I would buy a new house.       ✔
 FORMAL    (OK and grammatically correct) 


   case 2       FACT IN THE PAST     


If I was stupid on the phone yesterday, I'm sorry!       ✔
OK & grammatically correct

If I were stupid on the phone yesterday, I'm sorry!       ✘ 
NOT OK and grammatically wrong


________________________________________________________________________________

For more information, click here and here.                                                                                                     
OBS.: The CASE 1 informal use is very common in songs.  Here you have two examples:
- "If I was a rich girl..." GWEN STEFANi (click to watch)                     
- "If I was your vampire" MARILYN MANSON (click to watch)

________________________________________________________________________________

IF I WAS vs. IF I WERE

WERE is the subjunctive* form of the verb BE.
* [ hypothetical situation ] talking about an unreal, or imaginary situation.
involving the combination of two or more conditions  [ like "IF clauses" ]

If I were writer, I'd write about love and romance.   ( I am not a writer )

If I were going to Paris, I'd take my camera.  ( I am not going Paris )

≠

If I was faster, it's because my car is new.  ( There's no how to be sure of it  )
I may have been fast; I may not have.

If I was rude, I apologize.  ( There's no how to be sure of it )
(I may have been rude. It depends on a person's point-of-view.



in the subjunctive case,
"WAS = WERE"  in a colloquial speech, 
but "WAS" in a text, because it's considered grammarly wrong

"They mean exactly the same thing, although "If I was" + [hypothetical situation] is considered by many to be gramatically incorrect and is not acceptable in more formal (particularly written) contexts." (wordreference.com forum)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACT 01
ACT 02














for more ideas, check for MOODS OR MODES of the sentences....