The meaning of "Don't you..."
Take the lyrics "Don't you let go" for example, I comprehend this sentence as "Why not letting go"; however, it seems that it can also explain as "Never let go".
Could anyone tell me which one is correct and explain it to me?
Thanks in advance :)
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Answers · 3
3
This is called poetic licence. Often songs are grammatically incorrect in order to keep to a particular rhythm.
2
Norelle,
Question
Do you let go? = Do you do it? You are asking someone if they let go, or not.
Yes, or No?
Don't you let go? This is the negative form of the question.
Command
Let go! = You are giving the order to let go.
Don't (you) let go! = Don't (you) do it! This is the negative form of the command.
You are telling someone to not let go.
The subject is always YOU, so you don't have to state it when giving an order.
If you do state the subject it adds special emphasis to the command.
Don't you let go!
As you already know, or should know, the auxiliary 'do' is commonly used in the present simple tense with questions and negative statements and commands. "Did" has the same function in the simple past.
2
The colloquial interpretation would be a request "please don't let go of me/us/whatever", or a command "don't you dare let go of me/us/whatever!".
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