7 Years – English Lyrics

• By: Lukas Graham
• Album: Lukas Graham

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "7 Years" by Lukas Graham, a powerful soul-pop anthem that offers a unique journey through life's milestones. This song is perfect for English language learners as its clear storytelling and recurring lyrical structure make it easy to follow. You can learn about narrative flow, common phrases related to aging and aspirations, and gain insight into an artist's personal reflections on life, family, and success.

[English]

Once I was seven years old

my momma told me

Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely

Once I was seven years old

It was a big big world, but we thought we were bigger

Pushing each other to the limits, we were learning quicker

By eleven smoking herb and drinking burning liquor

Never rich so we were out to make that steady figure

Once I was eleven years old

My daddy told me

Go get yourself a wife or you'll be lonely

Once I was eleven years old

I always had that dream like my daddy before me

So I started writing songs, I started writing stories

Something about that glory

Just always seemed to bore me

'Cause only those I really love will ever really know me

Once I was twenty years old,

My story got told

Before the morning sun, when life was lonely

Once I was twenty years old

I only see my goals, I don't believe in failure

'Cause, I know the smallest voices, they can make it major

I got my boys with me at least those in favor

And if we don't meet before I leave, I hope I'll see you later

Once I was twenty years old

My story got told

I was writing about everything, I saw before me

Once I was twenty years old

Soon we'll be thirty years old,

Our songs have been sold

We've traveled around the world and we're still roaming

Soon we'll be thirty years old

I'm still learning about life My woman brought children for me

So I can sing them all my songs And I can tell them stories

Most of my boys are with me Some are still out seeking glory

And some I had to leave behind My brother I'm still sorry

Soon I'll be sixty years old

My daddy got sixty-one

Remember life and then your life becomes a better one

I made a man so happy when I wrote a letter once

I hope my children come and visit, once or twice a month

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Will I think the world is cold

Or will I have a lot of children who can warm me

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Will I

Think the world is cold

Or will I

Have a lot of children who can warm me

Soon I'll be sixty years old

Once I was seven years old

My momma told me

Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely

Once I was seven years old

Once I was seven years old

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
learning /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught
drinking /ˈdrɪŋkɪŋ/ A1	verb - to take (a liquid) into the mouth and swallow
liquor /ˈlɪkər/ B2	noun - alcoholic drink
rich /rɪtʃ/ A2	adjective - having a great deal of money or assets; wealthy
wife /waɪf/ A1	noun - a married woman
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
songs /sɔːŋz/ A1	noun - a short poem or other set of words set to music or meant to be sung
stories /ˈstɔːriz/ A2	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
glory /ˈɡlɔːri/ B2	noun - high renown or honor won by notable achievements
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
goals /ɡoʊlz/ B1	noun - the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result
failure /ˈfeɪljər/ B1	noun - lack of success
voices /ˈvɔɪsɪz/ B1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song
major /ˈmeɪdʒər/ B1	adjective - important, serious, or significant
roaming /ˈroʊmɪŋ/ B2	verb - move about or travel aimlessly or unsystematically, especially over a wide area
children /ˈtʃɪldrən/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or full physical development
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature

Key Grammar Structures

• Once I was seven years old

  ➔ Simple Past tense

  ➔ Used to describe a completed action in the past.

• my momma told me

  ➔ Past simple with irregular verb "tell"

  ➔ Indicates that the action of "telling" happened in the past.

• Or you'll be lonely

  ➔ Conditional clause with future tense

  ➔ Expresses a consequence if the condition is not met.

• We thought we were bigger

  ➔ Past simple with reported speech context

  ➔ Describes a past belief or thought about a situation.

• learning quicker

  ➔ Gerund phrase indicating ongoing or habitual action

  ➔ Expresses an action that was happening continuously in the past.

• Can make it major

  ➔ Expresses ability or possibility

  ➔ Expresses ability or possibility to do something.

• Remember life and then your life becomes a better one

  ➔ Imperative form and sequence conjunction

  ➔ Gives a command or advice followed by a sequence of events.

• Most of my boys are with me

  ➔ Preposition "with" + pronoun or noun

  ➔ Indicates companionship or association.