7 Years – English Lyrics

• By: Lukas Graham

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the storytelling of '7 Years' to master English temporal expressions and reflective vocabulary. This song is special because its clear, narrative-driven lyrics provide a perfect roadmap for understanding how to describe life experiences and personal growth in English.

[English]

ONCE, I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD

ONCE, I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD

"GO MAKE YOURSELF SOME FRIENDS OR YOU'LL BE LONELY"

ONCE, I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, MY MAMA TOLD ME

SOON, I'LL BE SIXTY YEARS OLD

COLD, OR WILL I HAVE A LOT OF CHILDREN WHO CAN WARM ME?

SOON, I'LL BE SIXTY YEARS OLD, WILL I THINK THE WORLD IS

SOON, I'LL BE SIXTY YEARS OLD

COLD, OR WILL I HAVE A LOT OF CHILDREN WHO CAN WARM ME?

SOON, I'LL BE SIXTY YEARS OLD, WILL I THINK THE WORLD IS

I HOPE MY CHILDREN COME AND VISIT ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH

I MADE A MAN SO HAPPY WHEN I WROTE A LETTER ONCE

REMEMBER LIFE AND THEN YOUR LIFE BECOMES A BETTER ONE

SOON, I'LL BE SIXTY YEARS OLD, MY DADDY GOT SIXTY-ONE

MY BROTHER, I'M STILL SORRY

OUT SEEKIN' GLORY AND SOME I HAD TO LEAVE BEHIND

THEM STORIES, MOST OF MY BOYS ARE WITH ME, SOME ARE STILL

FOR ME, SO I CAN SING THEM ALL MY SONGS AND I CAN TELL

I'M STILL LEARNIN' ABOUT LIFE, MY WOMAN BROUGHT CHILDREN

ROAMIN', SOON, WE'LL BE THIRTY YEARS OLD

WE'VE TRAVELED AROUND THE WORLD AND WE'RE STILL

OUR SONGS HAVE BEEN SOLD

SOON, WE'LL BE THIRTY YEARS OLD

ONCE, I WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD

I WAS WRITIN' 'BOUT EVERYTHING I SAW BEFORE ME

ONCE, I WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD, MY STORY GOT TOLD

I HOPE I'LL SEE YOU LATER

AND IF WE DON'T MEET BEFORE I LEAVE

MAJOR, I GOT MY BOYS WITH ME, AT LEAST THOSE IN FAVOR

'CAUSE I KNOW THE SMALLEST VOICES, THEY CAN MAKE IT

I ONLY SEE MY GOALS, I DON'T BELIEVE IN FAILURE

ONCE, I WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD 

BEFORE THE MORNIN' SUN, WHEN LIFE WAS LONELY

ONCE, I WAS TWENTY YEARS OLD, MY STORY GOT TOLD

WILL EVER REALLY KNOW ME

BORE ME, 'CAUSE ONLY THOSE I REALLY LOVE

SOMETHING ABOUT THAT GLORY JUST ALWAYS SEEMED TO

SO I STARTED WRITIN' SONGS, I STARTED WRITIN' STORIES

I ALWAYS HAD THAT DREAM LIKE MY DADDY BEFORE ME

ONCE, I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD

"GO GET YOURSELF A WIFE OR YOU'LL BE LONELY"

ONCE, I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD, MY DADDY TOLD ME

TO MAKE THAT STEADY FIGURE

LIQUOR, NEVER RICH, SO WE WERE OUT

QUICKER, BY ELEVEN, SMOKIN' HERB AND DRINKIN' BURNIN'

PUSHING EACH OTHER TO THE LIMITS, WE WERE LEARNIN'

IT WAS A BIG, BIG WORLD, BUT WE THOUGHT WE WERE BIGGER

ONCE, I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD

"GO MAKE YOURSELF SOME FRIENDS OR YOU'LL BE LONELY"

ONCE, I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, MY MAMA TOLD ME

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - unhappy because of being without other people
glory /ˈɡlɔːri/ B2	noun - high renown or honor won by notable achievements
failure /ˈfeɪljər/ B1	noun - lack of success
steady /ˈstɛdi/ B2	adjective - regular, even, and continuous in development
roaming /ˈroʊmɪŋ/ B2	verb - moving about aimlessly or unsystematically
limits /ˈlɪmɪts/ B1	noun - the furthest or furthest possible point
favor /ˈfeɪvər/ B2	noun - approval, support, or liking for someone or something
liquor /ˈlɪkər/ C1	noun - alcoholic drink, especially distilled spirits
traveled /ˈtrævəld/ A2	verb - to make a journey
learnin /ˈlɜːrnɪn/ A1	verb - the activity of gaining knowledge
warm /wɔːrm/ A1	verb - to make or become pleasant and warm
major /ˈmeɪdʒər/ B2	adjective - important, serious, or significant
stories /ˈstɔːriz/ A1	noun - accounts of imaginary or real people and events
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal
letters /ˈlɛtərz/ A1	noun - a written message sent to someone

Key Grammar Structures

• OR YOU'LL BE LONELY

  ➔ First Conditional (Imperative + or + Future Simple)

  ➔ Used to express a consequence. If you don't follow the advice, the result "will be" loneliness.

• I'M STILL LEARNIN' ABOUT LIFE

  ➔ Present Continuous with 'still'

  ➔ The action of "learnin'" started in the past and is continuing into the present.

• SOON, WE'LL BE THIRTY YEARS OLD

  ➔ Future Simple (Prediction/Fact)

  ➔ Used here to express a future state of being that is inevitable.

• I WAS WRITIN' 'BOUT EVERYTHING I SAW

  ➔ Past Continuous + Relative Clause

  ➔ Describes an ongoing action in the past ("was writin'") regarding the things the speaker "saw".

• IF WE DON'T MEET BEFORE I LEAVE

  ➔ Zero/First Conditional (If + Present Simple)

  ➔ Setting a hypothetical condition in the future using the present tense after "if".

• I DON'T BELIEVE IN FAILURE

  ➔ Present Simple (Stative Verb/Belief)

  ➔ Stative verb "believe" expresses a permanent mindset or opinion.

• WE WERE LEARNIN'

  ➔ Past Continuous

  ➔ Used to emphasize the process of "learnin'" during that specific period in the past.

• WE THOUGHT WE WERE BIGGER

  ➔ Past Simple + Comparative Adjective

  ➔ Expresses a past belief that they were "bigger" (in status or importance) than they actually were.