Can't help falling in love+would it be?

[keannu]

This seems to be a mixture of first condional(conditional clause) and second conditional(main clause). How can we interprete "would" in this case? In second conditonal, it means "something hypothetical that is not happening in the present or future and that has little probability", but in first conditional,it means "something realistic that can possibly happen"

Why didn't he use "will it be a sin"? And what is the difference between "would it be a sin?" and "will it be a sin?"


Elvis Presley's song
.........Shall I stay? Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?...........

 

[5jj]

.........Shall I stay? Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?...........

It's a popular song, not an academic paper.

The writer of the song has to use the words 'I can't help falling in love with you' because that's a line he wants to keep repeating.

If we had to put logic into the words of songs (and that would be an endless - and pointless - task), then we could possibly imagine in this case that the writer was thinking: Would it be a sin if I were to say, "I can't help falling in love with you"?

 

[Raymott]

This seems to be a mixture of first condional(conditional clause) and second conditional(main clause). How can we interprete "would" in this case? In second conditonal, it means "something hypothetical that is not happening in the present or future and that has little probability", but in first conditional,it means "something realistic that can possibly happen"

Why didn't he use "will it be a sin"? And what is the difference between "would it be a sin?" and "will it be a sin?"


Elvis Presley's song
.........Shall I stay? Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?...........

Don't expect good grammar in songs. But here, it is correct.
Not being able to help falling in love is a statement of fact, rather than a conditional. The "would" refers to "if I stayed".

"Would it be a sin if I stayed, given that I can't help falling in love with you?"

 

[Tdol]

I think it refers to staying too, and it's conditional because there has been no answer to the question Shall I stay?- it's theoretical until that first question is answered.

 

[5jj]

I agree (now) with Raymott and Tdol. Ignore my first post, Keannu.