21 – English Lyrics

• By: Hunter Hayes
• Album: The 21 Project

Lyrics & Translation

Hunter Hayes' '21' offers a vibrant and celebratory dive into the essence of youth and freedom. Through its lively country-pop style and clear, energetic lyrics, this song is an excellent resource for language learners to pick up vocabulary related to celebration, independence, and seizing the moment. Its direct narrative and repetitive chorus make it easy to follow, allowing learners to immerse themselves in authentic English expressions used in a fun and relatable context.

[English]

One, two, three, yeah

Na, na, na, na, na, na

Na, na, na, na, yeah

Na, na, na, na, na, na

Na, na, na, na

Well, it's your birthday

Let's act like it is

And just go crazy

Do what we want with no reason why

Life ain't long enough

So let's celebrate

And get drunk on good love

And remember what it's like to just dance all night

We'll dance all night

That's the way that we're doing it, doing it

We go big or we go back home

People looking at us like we're losing it, losing it

But, baby, we ain't doing nothing wrong

Gonna be up all night

Chasing the sunrise

Like we're wild and young

Baby, kids on the run

Gonna party like we just turned 21

Na, na, na, na, na, na

Na, na, na, na

Let's treat this town

Like we own it

And, baby, if you wanna get out

You can drive this car like you stole it

Like we're runaways, like we're superstars

Like we're fireworks burning in the dark

That's the way that we're doing it, doing it

We go big or we go back home

People looking at us like we're losing it, losing it

But, baby, we ain't doing nothing wrong

Gonna be up all night

Chasing the sunrise

Like we're wild and young

Baby, kids on the run

Gonna party like we just turned 21

...

Ain't nobody wants to act their age

Ain't no sense in us living this way

You and I, girl, we gotta get away

And make tonight the best night of our lives, yeah

Oh

That's the way that we're doing it, doing it

We go big or we go back home

People looking at us like we're losing it, losing it

But, baby, we ain't doing nothing wrong

Gonna be up all night

Chasing the sunrise

Like we're wild and young

Baby, kids on the run

Gonna party like we just turned 21

Na, na, na, na, na, na

Oh, we just having fun (na, na, na, na)

Yeah (na, na, na, na, na, na)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
birthday /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/ A1	noun - the day on which a person was born
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - mentally deranged; mad
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music noun - an act of dancing
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
party /ˈpɑːrti/ A2	verb - to enjoy oneself at a party or other gathering, typically by drinking alcohol and dancing noun - a social gathering for pleasure or amusement
sunrise /ˈsʌnraɪz/ B1	noun - the time when the sun appears above the horizon in the morning
wild /waɪld/ B1	adjective - living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated.
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move at a speed faster than a walk
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - an urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government
drive /draɪv/ A1	verb - operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle.
car /kɑːr/ A1	noun - a road vehicle, typically with four wheels, powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor and able to carry a small number of people.
fireworks /ˈfaɪərwɜːrks/ B1	noun - a device containing explosive or flammable compounds that cause a spectacular display when ignited, used for celebration or entertainment.
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - with little or no light.

Key Grammar Structures

• Let's act like it is

  ➔ Imperative with 'let's' + base verb to make a suggestion

  ➔ 'Let's' is used to make a suggestion or proposal collectively.

• Gonna party like we just turned 21

  ➔ Informal contraction of 'going to' + verb to express future intention

  ➔ 'Gonna' is an informal way to say 'going to' which indicates future plans or intentions.

• People looking at us like we're losing it

  ➔ Present participle ('looking') used to form a continuous or descriptive phrase

  ➔ The present participle 'looking' describes the ongoing action or state of the subject.

• We go big or we go back home

  ➔ Present tense 'go' used to express habitual or general actions

  ➔ The verb 'go' in the present tense signifies habitual or repeated actions, emphasizing the commitment to a lifestyle choice.

• Ain't nobody wants to act their age

  ➔ Informal contraction 'Ain't' used for 'is not' or 'does not'

  ➔ 'Ain't' is used informally to mean 'is not' or 'does not', often used in colloquial speech.

• Tonight the best night of our lives

  ➔ Superlative adjective 'best' used to indicate the highest degree among options

  ➔ The superlative 'best' emphasizes that this night is the most memorable or important in their lives.