12 Notes – English Lyrics

• By: Alec Benjamin
• Album: 12 Notes

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the heartfelt world of Alec Benjamin's “12 Notes,” where each song is a page from his diary. Delve into the raw emotions of love and life, and discover how music and storytelling intertwine to create a deeply personal and relatable experience.

[English]

Read an article about particles while sitting at the bar

How several dozen elements from several dozen stars

Made several combinations

And that made us who we are

What starts out small and simple may become a work of art

So, baby, I went home to play these notes on my guitar

I sat down and the keys

And tried to speak straight from my heart

Started small and simple

Tried to make a work of art for you

And after having sat there with my eyes closed

All night at my piano

I've come to find that twelve notes

Twelve is not enough to tell you just how much I love you, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

Now I know

No matter how far I go

I've come to find that twelve notes

Twelve is not enough to tell you just how much I love you, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

Twelve is not enough, no, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

I wrote an article that particles are not the centerpiece

That the center of my universe is you and now I see

That's why it's been so hard for me to write a melody

Why everything I sing for you just never feels complete

It never feels complete

And after having sat there with my eyes closed

All night at my piano

I've come to find that twelve notes

Twelve is not enough to tell you just how much I love you, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

Now I know

No matter how far I go

I've come to find that twelve notes

Twelve is not enough to tell you just how much I love you, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

Twelve is not enough, no, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

And I swear I'd do it

If it could be done

But you're more than music

You're the only one

And after having sat there with my eyes closed

All night at my piano

I've come to find that twelve notes

Twelve is not enough to tell you just how much I love you, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

Now I know

No matter how far I go

I've come to find that twelve notes

Twelve is not enough to tell you just how much I love you, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

Twelve is not enough, no, baby

Twelve is not enough for you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
article /ˈɑːrtɪkl/ B1	noun - a piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine
stars /stɑːrz/ A2	noun - a celestial body of hot gases that shines by its own light
combinations /ˌkɒmbɪˈneɪʃnz/ B2	noun - a result of combining things
work /wɜːrk/ A1	noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. verb - to exert oneself by doing something
art /ɑːt/ B1	noun - the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination
notes /nəʊts/ A1	noun - a single sound of a musical instrument
guitar /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ A2	noun - a stringed musical instrument with a fretted fingerboard, typically six strings
keys /kiːz/ A2	noun - a set of keys on a piano
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body
melody /ˈmelədi/ B1	noun - a sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying.
universe /ˈjuːnɪvɜːrs/ B2	noun - all existing matter and space considered as a whole
enough /ɪˈnʌf/ A1	adjective - sufficient to meet a need or satisfy a requirement
closed /kləʊzd/ A2	adjective - not open or accessible
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - discover or perceive (something) unexpectedly or while looking for something else
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - feel deep affection for (someone) noun - an intense feeling of deep affection.
complete /kəmˈpliːt/ B1	adjective - having all the necessary or appropriate parts verb - make whole; make perfect

Key Grammar Structures

• How several dozen elements from several dozen stars Made several combinations

  ➔ Past Simple Tense, Noun Phrases with Quantifiers

  ➔ The sentence uses the Past Simple to describe completed actions. The phrase "several dozen" is a quantifier modifying "elements" and "stars".

• What starts out small and simple may become a work of art

  ➔ Modal Verbs (may), Subject-Verb Agreement, Abstract Nouns

  ➔ "may" expresses possibility. The subject "What" refers to something unspecified, and the verb "become" agrees with it. "work of art" is an abstract noun.

• I've come to find that twelve notes

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous (I've come), Noun Clause as Object

  ➔ "I've come to find" indicates a realization that has happened over time. "that twelve notes" is a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb "find".

• Twelve is not enough for you

  ➔ Impersonal 'it' construction (implied), Prepositional Phrase as Adverbial Modifier

  ➔ The sentence implies "It is not enough for you". "for you" is a prepositional phrase modifying the adjective "enough", indicating who or what something is sufficient for.

• No matter how far I go

  ➔ Subjunctive Clause with 'no matter how', Conditional Sentence (implied)

  ➔ "no matter how" introduces a concessive clause, meaning 'regardless of how'. It implies a conditional sentence: 'Even if I go very far...'.