Lies!

There's a song that's been getting on my nerves -- and not just because it lodges itself in my head and I find myself singing it in the shower. No, my beef is with its grammar.

The offender is Snow Patrol, and their offensive song is "Chasing Cars." The lyrics go like this:

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

Maybe I'm being picky and old fashioned, but despite popular usage, there remains a difference between "lay" and "lie."

First, let's ignore the "lie" meaning "to tell an untruth" and turn our attention to the setting/reclining meaning of lay and lie. The significant difference is that "lay" requires a direct object. "Lie" does not.

Examples:
I lie in my bed. (no direct object)
I lay the blanket on the ground. ("the blanket" is the direct object)

The present tense is easy, but things get a little dicey with the past tense and the past participle. Here is how it breaks down: Lie = lie, lay, lain. Lay = lay, laid, laid.

Examples:
Lie: Right now, I lie in my bed. Yesterday, I lay in my bed. I have lain in my bed for days.
Lay: Right now, I lay the blanket on the floor. Yesterday, I laid the blanket on the floor. I have laid the blanket on the floor many times.

The bottom line:
The question Snow Patrol should be asking is:

If I lie here
If I just lie here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

Got it, guys?